K9 Dax, a decorated 10-year-old sheriff's canine, passed away after sustaining injuries in the line of duty and retiring in March. Dax, who served with Deputy John Forlenza, was honored for his service in a ceremony before his passing. The German Shepherd had a distinguished career, locating over 400 missing people and fleeing felons, and will be remembered for his contributions to the community.
K9 Dax of the Lake County Sheriff's Office died shortly after retiring, following an on-duty injury. The 10-year-old K9, known for his successful career in law enforcement, was diagnosed with intervertebral disc disease after being injured while catching a suspect. Despite undergoing physical therapy, he was unable to return to active duty. K9 Dax and his handler, Deputy John Forlenza, had a remarkable record of locating missing individuals, apprehending felons, and seizing illegal drugs and firearms. The community gathered to celebrate his retirement, and Sheriff John D. Idleburg expressed sadness at Dax's passing, urging support for the Forlenza family.
A missing 11-year-old girl in Florida was found safe and reunited with her family after a Hillsborough County Sheriff K-9 named Mary Lu located her locked inside a park bathroom. Deputy Sarah Ernstes and K-9 Mary Lu tracked the girl to the park after learning she had been given a ride to an apartment complex in Wimauma. The K-9 led authorities to the locked bathroom door, where the girl was found unharmed. The sheriff praised the K9 unit for their exceptional skills in bringing the missing girl home safely.
A K9 named Broko died after being shot during an officer-involved shooting in Stonington, Connecticut. The shooting occurred while troopers were attempting to serve a felony arrest warrant and a search warrant. K9 Broko, who graduated from the Connecticut State Police Patrol K9 Class in January 2021, was described as a well-respected member of the search and rescue team. The incident is under investigation by the Connecticut Office of the Inspector General.
A K9 named Kenzo from the Pima County Sheriff's Department was killed while attempting to locate armed robbery suspects in Tucson, Arizona. The suspects were found and arrested, and two men are facing charges related to the armed robbery, aggravated robbery, and killing/harming a work/service animal. The investigation is ongoing.
A 17-year-old, Stephon Ford, is being sought by authorities after allegedly killing a police K9 in Clayton County, Georgia. Ford reportedly fired shots at officers after a K9 was released to locate him. The K9, named K9 Waro, was fatally wounded. A SWAT team is currently outside a residence where Ford is believed to be hiding, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation is investigating the incident. Warrants have been issued for Ford's arrest on charges including aggravated assault on a peace officer and aggravated cruelty to animals.
Body camera footage released by the Ohio State Highway Patrol shows a Circleville police K9 being unleashed on a truck driver who had surrendered after a pursuit. Despite warnings from troopers, the K9 handler released the dog, resulting in the driver being bitten. The incident is under investigation.
A police dog named Aron died from heat exhaustion after being left alone in a hot car in Houston due to a malfunctioning safety system and air conditioning. The K9 handler had left the pup in a running and air-conditioned vehicle but returned to find Aron in distress. The incident occurred just a week after a Georgia K9 named Chase died from a similar tragedy. The safety control system in both cruisers failed to activate or alert the handler that the temperatures inside the car were rapidly rising.
A police dog named Joel helped uncover 3 tons of cocaine hidden in a shipment of bananas at the port of Gioia Tauro in Italy. The cocaine was estimated to be worth over $900 million and was set to be shipped to Armenia. The port city is known to be under the control of the ‘ndrangheta organized crime family, who are considered one of the world’s most powerful cocaine traffickers. This is the latest in a series of cocaine seizures at the port, where anti-Mafia investigators are working to halt the family’s trafficking business.
A shootout between police and a suspect in Tennessee has left one person dead and a police dog wounded. The incident occurred after police attempted to serve a warrant to the suspect, who then opened fire on the officers. The police returned fire, killing the suspect and injuring the K9 unit.
A man in Las Vegas, Allyn McFarland, has been arrested and charged with seven counts of battery on a protected person, mistreatment of a police animal, battery with the use of a deadly weapon, and battery resulting in substantial bodily harm and mayhem. McFarland allegedly refused to exit an RTC bus and threatened to kill the officer and the bus driver. He attacked the security guard and threw rocks and a trash bin at him. When police arrived, he attacked them, including a K9, and bit off the earlobe of a police officer. He is being held without bail.
