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Died 3/28/16
Handler – officer Craig Johnson
End of watch for Cumberland County Sheriff K-9
In a tight circle outside Wilwynn Animal Hospital, Cumberland County Sheriff’s officers comforted colleague Craig Johnson, who took the final walk with his K-9 partner at his side. Boomer, a 9-year-old black Labrador, mastered many skills during his storied career. The four-footed law enforcement officer could sniff out explosives. He knew how to charm youngsters during community events and school visits. But he couldn’t beat cancer. Boomer valiantly won two bouts and had surgical scars to prove it, his partner said. Over the weekend, cancer returned with vengeance and Johnson realized his partner’s time had run out. The K-9 community, representing four counties, gathered to support Johnson on the journey to have Boomer put down Monday afternoon. In the North Laurel Street Sheriff’s Department parking lot, it seemed almost a regular work day. Boomer leaned his head out of the sheriff vehicle 107. But no one heeded the “Stay Away – Police Dog” warning posted on the door. A steady line of friends and family stroked Boomer’s head or scratched under his graying chin. The Labrador leaned heavy on his partner. “A lot of tough guys,” said Vincent Solazzo, chief warrant officer at the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Department, taking in the somber assembly, adding “not a dry eye.” Boomer would do anything Johnson told him to do, said family friend Dale Dixon. The K-9 had the ultimate trust in his partner. “He would work now if I asked him,” Johnson said. Back in 2009, Sheriff Robert Austino interviewed the officers interested in the coveted K-9 position and selected Johnson. Boomer, a Tar Heel, hailed from North Carolina and arrived in Cumberland County as a pup. Johnson’s wife, Gina, gave Boomer his name, aptly related to his job description. For those who never met Boomer, Dixon summed the dog up in a word. “Rambunctious,” he said. The dog’s playful nature served him well. “If it was round and bounced, he would chase it,” Dixon said. That was a concern when the K-9 team was assigned to the Ladies Professional Golf Association tour security detail. “We worried about that,” Johnson said. But Boomer was the consummate professional. When they joined the security task force at Met Life Stadium for Super Bowl XLVIII, Johnson said Boomer “was impartial” when the Seattle Seahawks trounced the Denver Broncos. During one of their three stints at the Miss American pageants, Johnson said, Boomer found a favorite with a Miss Kansas.Austino explained the local K-9 team was assigned to a state response team. They also worked on community outreach, visiting schools and community events, where the dog was popular with youngsters.“They all fell in love with him,” Johnson said, content to play second fiddle. “I’ve been called ‘Boomer’ and few times, I’ve had to say, ‘That’s my dog.’” When Boomer was first diagnosed with cancer, Cherry Elementary School students raised more than $200 to help cover K-9 expenses. Boomer was technically Johnson’s partner but he was “adopted’ by all the sheriff’s department staff. At the office, he was off-leash and visited each work area. Johnson was strict about Boomer’s diet and issued stern warnings against giving the dog treats. Even the sheriff broke that rule. “I had a jar of peanut butter in my desk,” Austino said, disclosing his long-held secret. “I didn’t tell his master.” On assignment, food was never an issue for Boomer, Johnson said, The dog would search a building and never touch a morsel. A few years back when Undersheriff Norm Franckle was K-9 sitting, Boomer infamously swiped a stick of butter from the counter. Johnson noted Boomer was off-duty at the time. Each memory of Boomer was treasured. A law enforcement procession led Johnson’s K-9 vehicle to the vet’s office, where he was meet by a line of saluting K-9 teams and Cumberland County Sheriff’s Police Explorers.
