K9 Evo – Tucson, Arizona

Handler – Officer Jeff Rumsley

Retired police K9 Evo dies

In a somber announcement, the Tucson Police K9 Unit reveals the passing of a retired police K9, Evo.Evo joined the Tucson Police Departmentment in Nov. 2011 and worked alongside his handler, Officer Jeff Rumsley, for nearly eight years, enjoying a long and successful career together. Evo’s impressive career includes 962 patrol deployments, 287 narcotics searches, and 350 arrests.”Very early in Evo’s career he responded to assist Operations East Officers who were looking for two suspects who were shooting a gun into Lakeside Park where several people were fishing and enjoying the night. Evo tracked down both suspects in a nearby wash apprehending one and convincing the other to surrender. The suspect Evo apprehended was carrying a handgun,” Tucson K9 Unit posted on Facebook.

Submitted By Jim Cortina

James A. Cortina has been involved with police dogs since 1972 and currently on the Board of Directors for the Connecticut Police Work Dog Association Inc. Jim has been appointed as Treasurer since its inception in 1991. Jim is one of the charter members of the C.P.W.D.A. organization. Since 1975 he has been a certified professional dog trainer and received his Master Trainer Certification in 1985. During his career he has provided armed K-9 strike crowd control for security agencies in Connecticut and out of state security companies. In conjunction with other members of the Connecticut Police Work Dog Association Inc. Board of Directors, he helped to draft Connecticut Statute 53-247(e) "Intentional Injury or Killing of Police K-9" which was passed by the Senate in 1993 and also assisted in implementing the prestigious Daniel Wasson Memorial K-9 Award in 1992. In 1993 he helped coordinate the North American Police Work Dog Association Nationals in New London, Connecticut. He was appointed Training Director for the New London County Work Dog Association from 1985-1987. He performed decoy work for Connecticut Police Work Dog Association Inc. in police K-9 demonstrations, trained several local police department canines, and coordinated training workshops for out-of-state police departments. He participated in the United States Police K-9 Association Trials in Croton on Hudson, New York in 1985 as a decoy. He is an avid photographer and received photography awards in 1989, 1990, and 1991 and currently takes photographs for the Connecticut Police Work Dog Association Inc.