Fresno County Sheriff K9 hit by friendly fire during SWAT operation

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A Fresno County Sheriff Canine Officer is recovering after getting shot during a SWAT operation.

Deputies were camped out near Dakota and Blackstone around 9:00 Tuesday morning tracking a stolen vehicle. They said three men tied to the stolen car disappeared into an apartment complex and wouldn't come out.

Deputies eventually forced them to surrender after firing several flash bang rounds.

Canine Officer Mikey and other detectives went back in the building to make sure no one else was inside. That is when two pit bulls attacked, forcing deputies to shoot.

One of the bullets hit Mikey in the paw while one of the pit bulls was killed.

"This is a tough situation for the department to have to go through something like this, but people need to understand this is the fault of the suspects. If they would've done what they were supposed to do from the beginning-- come out willingly and given up-- we would've never gotten to the point where some poor family's dog would've gotten killed and our dog gotten injured," said Tony Botti, Fresno County Sheriff's Office PIO.

Mikey is expected to recover. The six-year-old Dutch Shepherd has been with the force for three years.

The three suspects tied to the stolen car will be charged with resisting arrest among other crimes.