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Written by: E. George
Published September 5, 2024 @ 4:00 PM ET
COLQUITT COUNTY, Ga. – A 44-year-old Pavo man died on Tuesday, August 27, at a Macon hospital five days after being bitten by a K-9 officer during a pursuit in Moultrie involving a Georgia State Patrol trooper. Kevin Kennedy’s family explained that doctors amputated his arm before he passed away due to bite injuries.
After learning about a blue four-wheeler connected to a string of burglaries and thefts in the area, the trooper spotted Kennedy driving a blue four-wheeler on the highway on the afternoon of Thursday, August 22.
When the trooper attempted to conduct a traffic stop, Kennedy gave chase through peanut fields and a residential yard near Georgia State Route 33 before turning into and striking the patrol vehicle, subsequently overturning his four-wheeler.
Kennedy ran from the crash site, and the K-9 officer pursued and apprehended him. Upon observing the suspect’s injuries from being bitten, the trooper immediately called for emergency medical assistance during the arrest. EMS arrived and transported Kennedy to Atrium Health Navicent Hospital in Macon.
The GBI is investigating this incident, and the GBI Crime Lab will determine Kennedy’s cause of death via an autopsy.
According to sources, Kennedy’s relatives said that his passing was not inevitable. His aunt stated, “It was just petty. He wasn’t dangerous: [he] didn’t have any weapons. It was just a petty thing that cost him his life. I just want people to know that it shouldn’t have happened. The dog should have never been turned on him.”