Plymouth, Massachusetts - A Massachusetts police officer shot his canine partner after the latter bit his hand for the second time.

The tragic incident took place last Tuesday in the city of Plymouth, Massachusetts. It all started off as an ordinary operation in which a suspect had fled from a crime scene.

Several officers were dispatched to the scene, including Keith Larson and his canine partner Nico. For the two, this was to be their last day on the job together.

According to a Twitter post from the Plymouth Police Department, the two arrived on the scene at 9:20 AM and parked in a parking lot.

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The officer began preparing the German shepherd for duty when it happened: Nico bit his handler's hand and wouldn't let go!

Keith Larson tried everything to free himself from the animal's jaws, but he was unsuccessful.

At some point, he was left with no choice but "to utilize his service weapon," fatally shooting his four-legged partner.

Several police officers and paramedics came to the rescue, but no one was able to save the dog. Officer Larson sustained injuries to his hand from the bites and had to be taken to the hospital.

This wasn't the first time the German shepherd had attacked his partner. According to the police department, Larson had been on the force for 17 years and had been a part of the canine unit as a handler since 2017.

He and Nico became a team in August 2019, though that partnership was temporarily suspended in April 2020, when the German Shepherd first bit the officer's hand.

Nevertheless, the two resumed their joint service in July 2020, but almost half a year later, their cooperation finally ended with Nico's tragic death.