Died – 2/13/19
Handler – Sgt. Jesse Hale
East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office mourns loss of K9 deputy Jumma
Beloved East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office canine Jumma’s end of watch came this week, after 11 years of service to the community and millions of dollars in drug busts credited to her precise nose. Jumma died Wednesday during emergency surgery to remove a tumor on her spleen, said Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Casey Rayborn Hicks. The 13-year-old Belgian Malinois worked with handler Sgt. Jesse Hale in narcotics detection and patrols. In a news release, Hicks said Jumma and Hale were responsible for “seizing millions of dollars’ worth of dangerous drugs and drug money, while arresting some of the most violent and dangerous people imaginable.” Jumma helped seize 16 pounds of heroin stashed in fire extinguishers on a bus in 2014 and $1.8 million of cocaine from the luggage compartment of a bus in 2015.