PETERSBURG, Va. -- City police will be wearing mourning bands on their badges through Saturday in honor of a fallen comrade. Officer Jager, a police K-9, died as a result of injuries he sustained in a training demonstration Monday.
Police spokeswoman Esther Hyatt said that Jager had been with the Petersburg police for three years. Jager's handler, Officer Kevin Collins, is a five-year veteran and has been a canine officer for three years.
According to Hyatt, during the training exercise, Jager was demonstrating a pursuit situation. Jager was injured related to a fall. He received immediate medical care, but later died.
During his time with the police force, Jager had been involved in handling numerous cases, including working with the state police on a case that is still under investigation and the apprehension of several robbery suspects.
Jager is the most recent law enforcement K-9 to die during a training exercise. On Nov. 1, 2013, Dinwiddie K-9 Deputy Maco died during a training exercise. Maco was struck by a car during an early morning training exercise in the Courthouse area of the county.
Jager will be cremated and a formal ceremony will be planned in the upcoming weeks. Donations in his memory are being accepted through the Cockade City K-9s Foundation, P.O. Box 2109, Petersburg, VA 23804.
Copyright 2014 - The Progress-Index, Petersburg, Va.
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
