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Died – 2/28/18
Handler – Corporal Mike Sophocles
Annapolis Police K9 JAGO passes away from bone cancer
Annapolis Police K9 “JAGO” started with the Annapolis Police Department in February of 2011 and was partnered with Corporal Mike Sophocles. “JAGO” was brought to the department trained as a narcotics detection dog, and once with the department his training was advanced through the in-house training program to include patrol functions (searching for criminal suspects in a variety of search environments, trailing human scent, apprehension of criminal suspects and searching for evidence at crime scenes). Corporal Sophocles and “JAGO” maintained certification to both the Annapolis Police Department’s K9 Training Standards and the standards set forth by the International Police Work Dog Association. While off duty, K9 “JAGO” lived with Corporal Sophocles and his family and was a cherished part of the family, including to Corporal Sophocles’ children. Throughout his career, “JAGO” had many successful deployments while searching for drugs. Notable deployments while searching for criminal suspects include locating a sexual assault suspect shortly after the assault in the city’s downtown area and locating a suspect who had fled from officers on a traffic stop in the city’s Eastport area. During the suspect’s flight, he threw a loaded handgun, which was located by “JAGO” at the beginning of the search and shortly thereafter located the suspect hiding under a residential porch. On February 28, K9 “JAGO” succumbed to complications from a form of bone cancer. Corporal Sophocles and “JAGO” were partners for seven years and more than partners “JAGO” was a part of the Sophocles family. RIP “JAGO” you served Annapolis well. You will be missed by all.
