Died 12/29/15
Handler – Officer Chesney Griffin
Bristol, Tenn. police K-9 dies
A Bristol Tennessee Police Department K-9 officer recently died of cancer. K-9 Ruger died on Dec. 29 after becoming sick the week of Christmas. A preliminary autopsy at the University of Tennessee revealed K-9 Ruger had cancer in his organs, the statement said. Bristol, Tenn. K-9 Officer Chesney Griffin and K-9 Ruger became acquainted in January of 2013. The statement said K-9 Ruger initially attended duck hunting school in North Carolina, before being sold to Highpoint K-9 Solutions in Highpoint, N.C. There the black Labrador retriever learned to be a police K-9.
K-9 Ruger and Griffin completed 120 hours of school together in Highpoint, N.C. and earned certification through the North American Police Work Dog Association.
Working in Bristol, Tenn. for three years, the statement said that K-9 Ruger had over 350 narcotic utilizations, which led to a considerable amount of seized illegal narcotics and firearms. He was also trained in article detection and tracking. K-9 Ruger assisted in securing numerous convictions in General Sessions Court, Sullivan County Criminal Court and currently has several federal court cases set for 2016, the post stated. K-9 Ruger will be cremated, and the ashes will be returned to Griffin.