In a case that shook the Rock Hill community and highlighted the dangers faced by law enforcement animals, Travonte Tate has been sentenced to the maximum possible prison term for the brutal stabbing of K9 Officer Apollo.
Following a guilty plea, a York County judge sentenced Tate to five years for cruelty to a police dog—the statutory maximum for the charge—and a concurrent eight-year sentence for resisting arrest with a weapon.
The Night of the Incident
The sentencing stems from a violent encounter on August 28, 2025. Officers were called to a residence on Martin Avenue after a 56-year-old woman reported that Tate had chased her with a knife and threatened her life…