K-9 officer killed in shootout while tracking armed robbery suspect

OXFORD, N.C. (WTVD) -- A Franklin County K-9 officer named Major died in a shootout over the weekend.

It happened near Oxford after investigators tracked down a man suspected of armed robbery. The man was tracked to a crawl space at a house.

When officers tried to search the crawl space, the man opened fire. Bullets from the man's gun hit Major, killing the dog.

William Eichelberger, 21, was eventually arrested and charged with seven felonies. He was booked into jail under a $250,000 bond. More charges are expected in the coming days.