K9 Graffit was attempting to cease an armed man on the Colorado College of Mines campus when he was shot and killed. He was honored in a memorial service Monday.
JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. — The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Workplace (JCSO) held a memorial service Monday on the Flatirons Church in Genesee for Graffit, the police canine that was killed two weeks in the past.
“I believe each canine handler desires to imagine they’ve the perfect canine on the crew, however I knew I had the perfect canine on the crew,” mentioned Deputy Zachary Oliver, Graffit’s handler.
Graffit was shot and killed Feb. 13 whereas police and deputies have been trying to take into custody a suspect who ran from Jeep that was decided to be stolen on the Colorado College of Mines campus, close to nineteenth and Elm streets.
“He made the final word sacrifice that day. I’ll always remember that,” Oliver mentioned. “Graffit was a lot extra to me than a canine. He was my associate, my finest buddy and, most of all, household.”
>Watch a replay of Monday’s memorial service within the video participant under:
When Golden Police Division (GPD) officers arrived to help Colorado College of Mines Police, they discovered the motive force of a Jeep, later recognized as Eduardo Romero, slumped over the steering wheel of a car and never aware of officers’ makes an attempt to wake him, police mentioned.
Romero ultimately wakened and tried to drive away slowly, police mentioned. He got here to a cease at nineteenth Avenue and Tangent Means and slumped again over the steering wheel, GPD mentioned.
In keeping with the arrest affidavit, the 2013 Jeep that Romero was driving had been reported stolen from Englewood in December, and the license plates on the car belonged to a unique Jeep that had been reported stolen from Denver.
Officers then “pinched” the Jeep to maintain Romero from driving any farther, the affidavit says. Romero then rammed an officer’s automotive pushing it about 5 ft ahead, and in addition struck one other officer’s automotive, police mentioned.
Officers broke the motive force’s facet window and put the Jeep into park, GPD mentioned. An officer was in a position to seize Romero’s arm however misplaced his grip when Romero’s watch slipped off, the affidavit says. Romero then acquired out of the Jeep and ran east on nineteenth Avenue, pointing a gun at officers, police mentioned.
Romero ran right into a wooded space and police arrange a fringe, GPD mentioned. A shelter-in-place was ordered for the Colorado College of Mines campus as police looked for Romero, police mentioned.
K9 Graffit was introduced in to assist with the search, GPD mentioned. Graffit was launched and given the command to apprehend the suspect, police mentioned.
The suspect fired his gun, putting and killing Graffit, police mentioned. A forensic necropsy on Graffit confirmed that the suspect’s bullet killed the canine, the sheriff’s workplace mentioned.
Jeffco Sheriff’s police canine Graffit by way of the years
After the taking pictures, Jeffco SWAT responded to the scene to seek for the suspect, police mentioned. Simply earlier than 6 a.m., Romero got here out of hiding and surrendered to officers, GPD mentioned.
Romero has been charged with:
- Aggravated cruelty to animals
- Id theft
- Menacing
- Vehicular eluding
- First-degree aggravated motorized vehicle theft
- Driving below the affect
- Resisting arrest
- Obstructing a peace officer
He’s being held within the Jefferson County jail below a $300,000 cash-only bail.
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