A police dog will be buried with full honors in Tennessee, USA, after they were killed shot 3 times and killed while on duty.
Sjaak, the Belgian Malinois K9, joined the LA Vergne Police Department in 2014 and was being handled by Justin Darby, an officer.
He was killed on November 17, 2020, after a man open fired on a Darby patrol vehicle.
The officer was not injured in the shooting.
Sjaak, who is pronounced as “Jacques”, was struck 3 times.
He was rushed to a vet and underwent emergency surgery, but the dog did not survive the operation.
The La Vergne Police Department shared the news of the dog passing away on social media.
Interim Chief Chip Davis said that the officers were left heartbroken.
Talking about SJaak, Davis said:
Our K9s are members of the LPD family. Sjaak was an amazing and loyal dog. We ask everyone to keep Officer Darby, his family, and all of the La Vergne officers in your thoughts and prayers as we deal with this loss.
In a statement that was released earlier this week, Davis said that the department appreciated everyone that took the time to send out their prayers and condolences.
A procession for Sjaak was held by the officers as the police dog was being escorted to the Faithful Friends Pet Memorial Services, which is located in Nashville.
An LA Vergne Police officer told People that the dog will be buried with full honor sand a memorial will be held for him at a later date.
The police department released pictures of the dog after announcing his death.
In the images, Sjaak could be seen being surrounded by toys, candles, and a sign.
Jovan Brice, 39, was the one that killed Sjaak.
He was declared dead after a police chase.
It was later revealed that Brice drove up alongside a Darby Police Patrol Car before firing shots within.
The news was confirmed by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
The authorities pursued the shooter as Brice rushed inside a residential complex.
Brice reportedly got out of his vehicle and started to fire at the police officers again.
Officers returned fire before Brice got back to his car and drove further into the parking lot.
At one point the vehicle stopped and when the police approached, they realized he had a gunshot wound.
He was rushed to a hospital, however, he was pronounced as dead.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the dog, may he rest in peace.