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Died – 2/25/21
Handler – Officer Aaron Haller
Duluth Police K9 Shot and Killed
Duluth Police Department responded to a domestic abuse call Thursday night, which led to shots being fired and a police K-9 being killed. On Thursday at approximately 8:30 p.m., officers responded to a residence on the 2300 block of West Fourth Street on a domestic abuse report. Upon arrival, officers learned the suspect, a man, had felony warrants and refused to surrender. K-9 Luna was sent in to apprehend the suspect, at which point he fired shots and hit the dog, a news release said. K-9 Luna was shot while trying to apprehend a suspect and later died at the emergency veterinary clinic, according to the release. Officers returned fire, retreated from the residence and set up a perimeter to contain the scene. Bullet holes can be seen in the side of the house. As of 8:19 a.m., the suspect had not been apprehended and the standoff was ongoing. Duluth Police Department spokesperson Ingrid Hornibrook said the woman who was in the house at the time of the call is no longer inside. Multiple armed vehicles were on the scene Friday morning from Superior Police Department and the St. Louis County Sherrif’s Office. The public is asked to remain away from the area as the situation is considered dangerous. Luna’s handler was Officer Aaron Haller. He acquired Luna after his first K-9 partner, Haas, was killed in a similar situation. Haller, a six-year veteran of the department, was injured in the January 2019 incident. When asked how Haller was doing, Hornibrook said the officers were banding together to support him. “As much as people want to say these dogs are tools to aid public safety, they become family,” she said.
