HERRIMAN, Utah — Community members and law enforcement officers gathered to pay their respects and remember the life of Herriman Police K-9 Officer Hondo who was killed in the line of duty on February 13th.
Hondo was shot and killed during a fugitive arrest by the side of his handler Sgt. Ben Ricks of Herriman City Police. Many remember Hondo for his loving personality, dedication to his work and of course his handler.
“K-9 Hondo did his job, and because of that, Sgt. Ricks gets to go home to his family," said Sgt. Matthew Harris with the Canine Section of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. "As a K-9 handler, I can expect no greater service from my dog than to keep me safe and help me to go home,”
Hondo stood by Ricks' side for five years, solving a number of crimes and eventually becoming one of the most decorated canines in the state of Utah. The community of Herriman remembered him as more than just a dog.
"People say, 'Why are you doing all of this for him?' Some people don’t understand ... He’s not a dog, he is us. His heart and his personality is why he knew what he had to do, just like any other officer in the building today would do the same thing for us. He didn’t separate the two, and we don’t either,” said Brett Wood, City Manager for Herriman City.
After the procession, Hondo was taken on one last ride through the city of Herriman. The ride ended at Herriman City Hall.