LIFE

Heroic Indianapolis State Police dog honored after taking a bullet but still getting its suspect

Apache, a 1-year-old German Shepherd-Belgian Malinois mix with Indiana State Police, is a rookie K9 who recently completed training. Apache and his partner, Trooper Walter Butt, graduated in September. Butt joined ISP after serving 20 years in the U.S. Army. Apache loves to work and loves finding drugs and any evidence that criminals try to throw out and hide. Butt said Apache especially loves to play catch — that is, catch any criminal that runs.

Apache, the police dog that was shot while chasing down a fleeing suspect yet continued to subdue the man, has been honored by the American Kennel Club, the purebred dog registry.

The 2-year-old Belgian Malinois, a member of the Indiana State Police department, received the "Paw of Courage" award. Apache and his handler, State Trooper Walter Butt, will receive a medal, and their profiles will be posted on the AKC's website.

The incident unfolded as state police searched for a suspect in the vicinity of 38th Street and Post Road around 9 p.m. on Oct. 17. Butt located the man, 26-year-old Cortez Lavine Boxley, but Boxley ran as the officer patted him down. Butt opened his car door and out came Apache, who chased the suspect.

Boxley fired his gun at the dog as he ran, hitting him once in the neck, but the dog kept after him. Butt returned fire and hit Boxley just as Apache caught him and knocked him down. 

As Butt and other officers tended to the fallen Boxley, Apache, "likely due to his injury and the stress of the incident," according to the AKC, lit out. Soon police were searching intensely for the dog, at one point even using a drone. Apache was located the next morning in a nearby neighborhood. 

He was treated for his wound and took three weeks off before returning to work. 

Apache is one of three K-9's in the country to receive the AKC's "Paw of Courage Award." The other two, Dingo from Salt Lake City and Max from San Diego, are also Belgian Malinois.

"Mals," as they are called, are a popular law enforcement choice, described on the AKC website as having "an honest, no-frills look about then, as befit dogs built to work hard for their feed."

Boxley was hospitalized in serious but stable condition at a local hospital. He recovered and is now in the Marion County Jail facing multiple charges, including two charges of attempted murder. His next court date is March 27.

► Injured in the line of duty:Police dog has bullet fragments in his neck, but the plan is to get back on the streets

Contact Star reporter Will Higgins at (317) 444-6043. Follow him on Twitter @WillRHiggins.