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Died – 3/2/16
Handler – Sgt. Jason Linderman
Reading police pay tribute to dedicated K9
Reading police paid tribute to one of the most loyal members of the department. K9 Ofc. Tank helped track down criminals for years, but on Wednesday he was laid to rest after an emotional send off. “Tank was one of those dogs people fell in love with,” said Keith Claytor, with Friends of Reading Police K9 Unit. From the moment Tank became a member of the Reading Police Department, he hit the ground running. At 125 pounds, he was the largest K9 in the unit when he came on board. Tank was donated by a family who had a hard time taking care of him. His original name was Franklin, but he became known as Frank the Tank because of his size, and eventually he was named Tank. “He was mild-mannered when he needed to be and very aggressive and forceful when he needed to be,” said Acting Chief Madison Winchester, Reading Police Department. Tank was one of three K9s put into service in 2008, four years after the unit was disbanded because of budget cuts. Claytor said Friends of Reading Police K9 Unit worked to get the dogs back on the street after Ofc. Scott Wertz was killed in the line of duty in 2006. “He was in a situation that could have really been helped by a K9 unit, so we wanted to do the best we could to keep the officers in the city safe,” Claytor said. Tank and his handler, Sgt. Jason Linderman, became inseparable, and they fought crime for nearly eight years. Tank retired from the force in 2015 because of medical issues, but he had a successful career searching for suspects and he played a role in more than 100 drug investigations, said police. “He was also part of large-scale felony drug arrests,” Winchester said. “On a number of occasions, he was also tasked with tracking violent felons, which included murder suspects.” Winchester said Tank developed degenerative myopathy, a disease that attacked his muscle tissue and spine. His health started to decline rapidly, and Wednesday he was honored by police departments from around Berks County at Cacoosing Animal Hospital in South Heidelberg Township before he was laid to rest. “They basically made a corridor for Tank to walk through with his handler to walk into the animal hospital,” Claytor said. Tank’s badge was taken out of service, and the gentle giant was remembered for his loyalty and bravery. “We felt it necessary to not only send off Tank in an appropriate fashion, but to also show Sgt. Linderman that we’re here for him,” Winchester said.
