On Wednesday morning, at approximately 0700 hours, Lake Wales Police K-9 “Max,” a Belgian Malinois, was murdered by a violent convicted felon.
According to a joint Lake Wales Police / Polk County Sheriff’s Office press release, Lake Wales officers responded to the area of East Tillman Ave. regarding a violent domestic disturbance.
At Approximately 0500 hours, 911 dispatchers received a call from a woman who stated the suspect, Earnest Borders (57), pulled her from her vehicle near Seminole Blvd, beat her, and fired a handgun near her apartment. Police later found nine shell casings from Borders pistol. Borders then fled the area. While officers conducted an area search, Borders returned and was seen running west of MLK Boulevard. When the officers pursued him, he again fled into a wooded area. Officers set up a cordon and called for assistance from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
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Lake Wales K-9 Officer Jared Joyner arrived with his partner “Max” to conduct a track. Max caught borders and latched onto his ankle. Borders pulled out his stolen pistol and shot Max, killing him. Joyner and another officer then opened fire on Borders, killing him! Borders is no stranger to Law Enforcement, with 18 prior Felony convictions and three terms in Florida State Prison in Raeford.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd stated Max died so other LEOs could live.
“It crushes you because that K-9 died so police officers wouldn’t, he was the tip of the spear. What we lost today was one of our partners. Our K-9 Max died, so no Lake Wales police officers would.”
In 2019, Governor Ron DeSantis signed legislation increasing the penalty for killing a Law Enforcement K-9 to a 2nd-degree felony, punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
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