RICHMOND, Ind. — We've received an update on the K-9 whose police partner in Richmond was shot in the line of duty.
Richmond Police said Saturday Officer Seara Burton's partner, Brev, was taken to a local kennel the night someone shot Officer Burton during a traffic stop.
(Note: The attached video is a previous 13News report on a vigil held Aug. 2 to pray for Officer Burton.)
One of the department's former K-9 handlers is now caring for Brev at home with his family.
On Monday, a Richmond Police spokesperson said Burton remained in critical conditon.
State police said Burton was assisting other officers with a traffic stop in the area of 12th and C streets around 6:30 p.m. Aug. 10. The Richmond Police Narcotics Unit was conducting an operation when they saw 47-year-old Phillip M. Lee stop at a detached garage and believed a drug transaction happened.
Lee's moped was stopped by officers and Burton was called in to assist with her K-9 partner, Brev. During an "open-air sniff" of the moped, police said the dog indicated the possible presence of narcotics. The stop was being recorded on video by a narcotics officer north of the stop.
According to court documents, while officers were speaking with Lee, he allegedly pulled out a concealed firearm and shot several rounds toward officers. Court documents claim video of the incident shows Lee aiming at the officers' "head and facial areas." Burton was struck by the gunfire. An officer next to her was nearly shot in the head. Other officers on the scene returned fire, and Lee shot at them as he ran away.
“He just pulled the gun and fired. He was just so close to her. She didn’t stand a chance. It’s just not fair to her. It’s not fair to her family," said Michelle Partin, who is Lee's neighbor and witnessed the shooting. “He fired one shot and pop and there was a slight pause and then pop, pop, pop where [officers] returned fire and there was anywhere from 10 to 15 shots.”
Hundreds of people attended a prayer vigil at Richmond's Municipal Building Friday evening.