A Prosperity man was arrested last week and charged with fatally shooting a police dog, according to the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department.
James Robert Peterson, 37, was charged with cruelty to a police dog, breach of the peace, possession of a weapon by a person convicted of certain crimes, resisting arrest with a deadly weapon and four counts of pointing and presenting a firearm at a person. according to arrest warrants.
Peterson is being held at the Newberry County Detention Center.
“We have determined that these charges are justified based on Peterson’s actions during the encounter with Newberry County deputies and SLED (South Carolina Law Enforcement Division) officers,” Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon said in the statement.
On June 11, Newberry County deputies and SLED officers went to serve a fugitive warrant near Gravel Road in the Prosperity area.
Peterson was reportedly found at a relative’s home, the sheriff’s office said. He disobeyed commands and fired shots at officers, striking K9 Coba, a Belgian Malinois mix who joined the SLED in 2021, as the dog attempted to arrest him.
The Eighth Judicial Circuit Solicitor’s Office will prosecute the case.
“Today is a somber day, but it is also a day of celebration for a server and partner,” SLED chief Mark Keel said at a funeral service. “Coba will be remembered for his dedication to SLED and his partner (Cole Powell).
“No human counterpart…goes home with his partner, shares his family with his partner, and becomes part of the family. Because of Coba’s ultimate sacrifice, the family was preserved” as Powell and other officers involved in Peterson’s arrest went home to their families.
