‘It’s almost like he knew something was wrong.’ SLED K9 handler recalls final day

On the morning of June 11, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division Special Agent Cole Powell had a choice: travel to Georgia for training or stick around Columbia in case he and his partner, K9 Coba, were needed.

As the only available SLED K9 unit that day, Powell decided to stay. Moments later, he received a call.

It would be their last call.

He and Coba — a 4-year-old Belgian Malinois mix — were needed to assist the Newberry County Sheriff’s Office in apprehending Robert Peterson, 37, who was wanted for burglary.

“My son was so excited to see us going to get the bad guy,” Powell said. “Coba ran around the yard and then loaded up.”

Coba, who joined SLED in spring 2021, served on both SLED’s SWAT and K9 tracking teams. He had been deployed 300 times and apprehended 16 criminals, according to Lt. Keith Thrower, who oversees SLED’s K9 tracking team.

“He was always ready to put himself in harm’s way,” Thrower said of the K9. “You could feel Coba’s intensity, whether he was on a fugitive or SWAT call, there was never any doubt that he did not have your back.”

Coba lived with Powell and his family, including his wife, Alex, and their two children, Kinley and CJ.

As Powell and Coba were en route to Peterson’s residence, Coba began consistently whining and spinning in his kennel — unusual behavior, according to Powell.

“He was driving me crazy,” Powell said. “He never whines and doesn’t usually make any sounds, but this time he whined the entire time. And now looking at, it’s almost like he knew something was wrong.”

When Powell and Coba arrived, Coba quieted down and “got back to business as usual,” Powell said.

Minutes later, Peterson fatally shot Coba with a shotgun. Peterson was also shot, but survived.

In addition to burglary charges, Peterson could be facing weightier charges. The Lexington County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the incident at the request of SLED.

To honor his “fearless” service, droves of law enforcement officials from around the state and beyond gathered at the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy for a memorial service Wednesday. The service featured a procession, bag pipes and a 21-gun salute.

SLED Chief Mark Keel delivered tearful remarks during the memorial, honoring Coba for making the “ultimate sacrifice.”

“Today is a somber day, but it’s also a day of celebration for a server and partner,” Keel said. “Coba will be remembered for his dedication to SLED and his partner (Powell). “No human counterpart ... goes home with their partner, shares their family with their partner and becomes part of the family. Because of the ultimate sacrifice Coba made, the family was preserved” as Powell and other officers involved in Peterson’s arrest went home to their families.

“I will forever be thankful for him, and the memories that we have will live on forever,” Powell said. “But (Coba) would be so mad if he knew that we were all sitting around crying for him today. We will be back soon, and as hard as it is for me to wrap my head around, I truly believe that we will be better than ever.”