Boise’s K9 Officer Jardo, Has Died

Jardo, a six-year-old Belgian Malinois K9 Officer for the Boise Police Department, has died.

The K9 Officer was shot on Friday during a Boise bench manhunt, where two other officers were shot, and the suspect died.

According to the Boise Police Department, Jardo went above and beyond the line of duty last week, but ultimately he was injured with a gunshot wound to his chest. He underwent major surgery, where he lost a lot of blood and a lung during the operation.

Despite being shot, Jardo was released on Saturday and appeared to have been making remarkable recovery, playing fetch and enjoying his new dog bed.

Boise Police Chief Bill Bones said during a live press release that the K9 took a turn for the worse on Wednesday night around 8 p.m., where his handler noticed he was acting lethargic.

WestVet staff found blood in his chest, so Jardo was taken in for emergency surgery. According to KTVB, during surgery, WestVet staff found a serious hemorrhage coming from the base of Jardo’s heart, and eventually went into cardiac arrest and died.

Jardo was well-loved and respected within the community, and had earned himself a position among officers as their favorite.

During a press release today, Brian Lee, Boise Police's executive officer admitted, "He would come up and he would force the petting - if you were there, he was going to get petted," he said. "He was very personable amongst the officers in the station, so I think that's what made him special to a lot of people."

A memorial service for Jardo will take place sometime next week. We’ll update you with more information on the service as we find out.

Thank you for your service, Jardo. Rest in peace.