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Police dog dead from friendly fire during confrontation with gunman

LONG BEACH, Calif. -- A Southern California police dog was killed Tuesday in the line of duty by friendly fire, CBS Los Angeles reports.

Around 9 a.m., a U.S. Marshals Service task force saw a man wanted for a December 2014 shooting involving multiple victims in Long Beach.

When task force members confronted the suspect, he ran into an acquaintance's apartment.

A Long Beach Police SWAT team surrounded the building and evacuated nearby residents.

Officers ordered the suspect to come out of the apartment. He did and "began to aggressively charge the officers, intermediate force options were deployed, including a 40mm rubber baton round and a Police Service dog attached to S.W.A.T.," according to a police statement.

As Credo, the police dog, tried to stop the suspect from advancing toward officers, the suspect pulled out a knife. That is when one officer opened fire, hitting the suspect and the canine, the police said.

After the shooting, Credo's handler, Officer Mike Parcells, carried his partner's limp body from the scene. He placed him into a patrol car and drove him to a nearby hospital, where the dog was declared dead.

Parcells was visibly shaken and upset. He ripped off his helmet and hurled it away before burying his head in his hand.

Around 12:30 p.m., Long Beach Police tweeted that the dog had died.

Dozens of officers saluted as Credo's flag-draped body was carried out of Signal Hill Pet Hospital and placed into a police K-9 unit.

No officers were hurt.

The suspect was taken to a hospital, where he died.

"These service dogs, these canines are not just dogs. These are police officers. This dog was injured in the performance of his duty, and that's going to weigh heavily on the Long Beach Police family," Deputy Chief Richard Conant said.

According to police, Credo was a 4-year-old Belgian Malinois who served the department for two years with Parcells.

Conant said Credo worked patrol and narcotics operations primarily and was involved in more than 30 arrests.

Parcells, who has been with the department for more than 20 years, also lost a police dog partner in 2005.

Ranger, a 3-year-old Belgian Malinois, was fatally shot on Oct. 2, 2005, while police tried to flush an armed parolee from a hiding spot under a porch.

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