(Soundbite of music "Amazing Grace")
MELISSA BLOCK, host:
This week, the police department in Oceanside, California paid tribute to one of their own, a fallen hero.
Officer KEDRICK SADLER (Stryker's Handler; Oceanside Police Department): He was a protector and guarder(ph), a family member, a friend, and an enemy to those who prey on the (unintelligible). He was bold, noble and brave.
BLOCK: And he was a dog. A 6-year-old Belgian Malinois named Stryker, which serves with the Oceanside PD's canine unit for five years. That was his handler, Officer Kedrick Sadler, delivering the eulogy. Lieutenant Fred Armijo of the Oceanside Police told us there were 150 canine officers and their dogs at that memorial service from all over the San Diego area, and a couple of hundred other people besides.
Lieutenant FRED ARMIJO (Oceanside Police Department): It's not unusual, although it is a first for us, most departments that have suffered a canine line-of-duty death have put together some type of memorial service. They're not on the same level, obviously, as the type of services that are put together for police officers, but nevertheless, they, they typically will honor the dog and what it did for the community.
BLOCK: It's a really terrible story about how Stryker died. This happened after a car chase that ended up on the Coronado Bay Bridge in San Diego. What happened?
Lt. ARMIJO: Well, the suspect ultimately pulled over on the bridge about mid-span. The suspect got out of his car; Stryker was deployed on the suspect to apprehend him. Stryker bit the suspect. The suspect fell to the ground. At some point, the suspect got up and with Stryker attached to him leapt over the railing of the bridge and fell into the water. And it was that, that fall, obviously, that killed Stryker. And amazingly, the suspect actually survived.
BLOCK: How high is that bridge?
Lt. ARMIJO: I'm told it's about 200 feet off the water, so a pretty significant fall.
BLOCK: has the suspect been charged along with the other crimes that he was already facing, has he also been charged with the death of the police dog?
Lt. ARMIJO: Right. There is a penal code section in California that deals with injuring or killing police service dogs. And he has been charged with that in addition to the other obvious charges related to the pursuit. And I believe that he was down to be driving under the influence of alcohol, and I believe that's one of the charges that have also been brought against him.
BLOCK: Lieutenant Armijo, I gather you worked on teams in the past with this dog, with Stryker. What was he like?
Lt. ARMIJO: Well, he, by far, was the most experienced canine that we had. He was very tenacious. Once his handler gave him a mission, he was on that mission until it was complete; very good at finding suspects who were trying to elude the police. He had the most apprehensions of any of our canine corps; just a very good, dependable and reliable animal.
BLOCK: Well, Lt. Armijo, good of you to talk to us. Thanks so much.
Lt. ARMIJO: You're welcome.
BLOCK: That's Lt. Fred Armijo of the Oceanside, California Police Department, talking about Stryker, a police dog killed in the line of duty on New Year's Eve. And thanks to the San Diego Union-Tribune for sounds from the memorial service.