My in-laws and my kids were traveling back from PA last night on Route 42. Got a texted from them saying they are in "stand still" traffic because of an accident.
I find out this morning the accident wasn't an accident but a murder of a K-9 police officer named Schultz. K-9 Schultz was apprehending a suspect when the suspect threw K-9 Schultz into on coming traffic killing him instantly.
The arrival and honor guard procession of K-9 Schultz and the Pickard Family video is on Facebook.
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Laurel...13142605365218
URL:
http://bit.ly/ebDM4B
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GLOUCESTER TWP. ? Schultz, a police K-9, died in the line of duty here Tuesday night when a robbery suspect threw the dog into traffic on Route 42, authorities said.
The suspect then fled across the divided highway, setting off an intense search that continued into the evening in the Blackwood section.
"This is a sad loss," said Gloucester Township Police Chief Harry Earle, noting the dog's death showed the danger that accompanies police work. "We think very highly of our K-9s. They are members of our department."
The incident began around 7:10 p.m., when two men robbed the Lucky Dragon restaurant in the 400 block of East Church Street, then fled on foot, Earle said. A township police officer and the K-9 dog soon spotted one suspect in a wooded area along the southbound lanes of the nearby highway.
"The dog was released to make the apprehension, but during the apprehension the suspect threw the dog into traffic," Earle said. "When you hear that, it makes it even more tragic."
The two suspects remained at large at 10:30 p.m.
Township residents reported an all-out manhunt, with helicopters hovering overhead and officers ordering people to stay inside their homes. Police established a command post at Highland Regional High School, Earle said.
The township police department has three K-9s, and Earle did not immediately identify the one that died.
"The dog has a family in a sense," he said. "I want to make sure that notifications are made."
"This K-9 has served us well in many apprehensions and in interactions with the community, including local children," he added.
Earle said it was too soon to say how the police department would mark the dog's loss. But, he said, "We want to honor him."
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RIP K-9 Schultz