Slain Burbank K9 Spike to be honored in Washington, D.C. ceremony

A Burbank police dog named Spike, who was killed in the line of duty, was to be honored, along with 22 other K-9s who died serving, in a ceremony Monday in Washington, D.C.

The 4-year-old Belgian Malinois, who was shot Nov. 22 while confronting an armed suspect, was to be honored at the National Police K-9 Memorial Service.

Spike was killed during the pursuit of a suspect who was later shot and killed by officers.

Jose Domingo Ayala Alas of Palmdale, the 37-year-old suspected of fatally shooting the K-9 while attempting to evade officers, was later killed in a shootout with officers.

The Monday ceremony at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C. was to include a wreath laying and then open with a musical performance by Frank Ray. The scheduled guest speaker was Deputy Jared Hahn of the Miami-Dade Sheriffs Office K-9 Unit.

The San Antonio Police Department Blue Line Choir was due to sing the national anthem, and the Emerald Society Pipes & Drums band was also due perform.

Spike was shot after the suspect failed to yield while Burbank police were conducting a traffic stop at 6:40 p.m. Nov. 22 on the 2400 block of Buena Vista Street near the northbound 5 Freeway on-ramp, according to Lt. Derek Green of the Burbank Police Department.

During the traffic stop, a passenger fled the vehicle, ran up the freeway on-ramp and jumped over an embankment wall into a nearby residential neighborhood, Green said.

The officers remained with the driver and vehicle while requesting assistance. Additional officers responded, and a coordinated search was begun using Spike and a police helicopter.

Spike located the suspect hiding in nearby bushes and vegetation, and the suspect fired multiple rounds from a handgun, striking the animal, then ran away, police said.

Officers recovered the wounded canine, Green said, while a search for the suspect continued.

The dog was taken to an emergency veterinarian but was pronounced dead.

Officers later saw the suspect hiding amid thick, overgrown terrain adjacent to the freeway near the Buena Vista Street on-ramp. He was still armed within proximity of a residential neighborhood, Green said.

The effort transitioned to a joint operation involving the Burbank and Glendale police departments and included additional K9 officers, crisis negotiators and the Burbank Police Department SWAT team.

Multiple efforts were made to communicate with the suspect, encouraging him to surrender peacefully, police said. Officers established a containment and deployed less lethal systems as part of the effort. During those attempts, the suspect began shooting at police officers, striking police vehicles parked near the scene, Green said.

Officers from both the Burbank and Glendale police departments returned fire, hitting the suspect, who was pronounced dead at the scene. The handgun was recovered nearby, authorities said.

A memorial service at Burbank City Hall that was attended by hundreds of officers, community members and K-9s was held on December 3, 2025, for K-9 Spike, whose flag-draped casket moved many people to tears.

Spike was also honored with images aboard Burbank’s float in the Tournament of Roses Parade on New Year’s Day.

The city’s 2026 float carried the theme “All Paws on Deck,” aiming to highlight animal rescue efforts.

“The Burbank Police Department appreciates the community’s overwhelming support since Spike’s passing,” according to a department statement.