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Died – 1/29/31
Handler – Specialist Michael V. Lusardi
Retired Covington Police K9 Ernie dies of cancer
The Covington Police Department is mourning the loss of one of their own after retired K9 officer Ernie died of cancer on Friday. Kenton County Commonwealth’s Attorney Rob Sanders posted the news on Facebook. Ernie retired from the force in October 2020 and was diagnosed with cancer shortly thereafter. He and his partner, Specialist Michael V. Lusardi, apprehended dozens of dangerous criminals, helped locate lost children, and seized hundreds of pounds of dangerous narcotics over the years, according to Sanders. Ernie’s legacy also leaves a lasting impact on all police K9s. After he was shot twice while trying to apprehend a career felon wanted for Attempted Murder, it was brought to light that shooting a police K9 was only a misdemeanor if the dog returned to duty. After two years of lobbying, Ernie’s law was passed, making it a felony to assault police K9s. Ernie later became the first police K9 in Kentucky to be protected by the law bearing his own name. Ernie was seriously injured after a drunk driver plowed into the rear of his police cruiser while Officer Lusardi was working a prior traffic wreck. The drunk driver became the second felon to go to prison for injuring Ernie. In his time after retirement, Ernie enjoyed spending time at home with Lusardi and his family.”Ernie spent the ensuing weeks living the good life,” Sanders wrote. “Though he was never much for lazing around, Ernie enjoyed life in the house, being loved on by Mike and his family, and eating lots of steak.”
