The police confirmed the death of Police Dog (PSD) Jago at a press conference on Friday.

Since Thursday morning, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police has been tracking the suspect Lionel Ernest Grey in the Venegami Lake Provincial Park in the northeastern part of the High Prairie.

High Prairie is located about 370 kilometers northwest of Edmonton.

On Thursday morning, the RCMP stopped the man from the High Prairie area in traffic and arrested the warrant, so the ongoing operation began.

The police said the car escaped from the police and was trapped in the mud. At this moment, the suspect ran into a forest on foot.

The police have launched a large-scale operation to track down the suspect.

“We have a large number of police officers in our community,” Panasik said. “We saw helicopters and vehicles. They must be here and around. So they have brought people to deal with this matter.”

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police stated that their emergency response team, dog service unit and air services have an area where they believe the suspect is hiding.

The mayor said that the terrain will be difficult to find suspects.

Panathyuk said: “This dog is very suitable for tracking people running in the bushes like that.”

The mayor said that the community has been lobbying for years, hoping to get a police dog and PSD Jago and his agent Cpl. Scott MacLeod arrived in Gao Prairie in August last year.

“We finally got one, and then this happened, so the setback will be huge,” Panasik said.

The RCMP requires all residents in the High Prairie area to stay away from police activities and report any suspicious activity.

They said the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team has been instructed to investigate after the accident.