Mobile County Sheriff’s Office K-9, Malice, who died on duty while trying to locate a suspect on the run from authorities, was honored in a ceremony in which his ashes were presented to his partner deputy.
Mobile County Sheriff Paul Burch presented Malice’s ashes to his handler, deputy Jantzen Ward.
Malice, a 4-year-old Belgian Malinois, suffered a medical emergency on June 30 while assisting law enforcement officers in Washington County. Malice was taken to MedVet in Mobile for treatment but later died.
Malice served the MCSO as a dual-purpose K-9 and had recently completed a weeklong competition at the National Police K-9 Association. Malice was credited with five apprehensions and seized 10 pounds of meth and more than 12 pounds of marijuana while serving with the MCSO and was a regular participant in community events with the Drug Education Council of Mobile, according to the MCSO.
“Malice was not only a loyal partner, he was a trusted and loved member of my family,” Ward said. “He will be missed and never forgotten.”
The suspect Malice searched for, Mitchell Roy Lang, 36, of Vinegar Bend, had avoided capture for several days, authorities said.
Lang was wanted on several warrants, including failure to appear in Washington County District Court on a harassment charge and failure to appear in Mobile County District Court on a charge of second-degree possession of marijuana, according to Capt. Blake Richardson of the 1st Judicial Circuit Major Crimes Task Force.
Lang was also a suspect in two burglaries in Washington County. Lang unlawfully entered unoccupied dwellings while attempting to evade capture, authorities said.
Lang was eventually taken into custody without incident and remains in the Washington County Jail, according to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.
