A Portland police dog was on his last shift before retirement when he was shot and killed Thursday during an attempt to arrest a homicide suspect, who was also killed.
Kylo, a roughly 9-year-old German Shepherd born and trained in Germany, joined the Portland Police Bureau in 2020.
“Kylo is happy, quirky, goofy and loves to match his howl to the pitch of the siren when responding to calls,” a Portland police Facebook post said shortly after Kylo joined the force. “His favorite things to do outside of work are explore the forest and play with his little brother Apollo, a mini dachshund.”
During his first two weeks on the job, Kylo racked up 11 captures for crimes ranging from unlawful use of a motor vehicle to drug-related offenses, according to a Facebook post from Portland police.
“There will be much to say in the days ahead about Kylo, his sacrifice and the officers he protected,” Sgt. Aaron Schmautz, president of the Portland police union, said on Facebook Thursday. “Tonight, our hearts are with his handler, his family, and all those who worked alongside him. He will never be forgotten.”
Police honored Kylo Thursday night with a procession when his remains were transported from Blue Pearl Pet Hospital in Northeast Portland to the Oregon Humane Society.
“Kylo is a beloved member of the Portland police,” spokesperson Mike Benner said. “It’s not a stretch to say that our K-9s are like officers. It’s emotional over here. People lost a partner.”
Kylo is the first Portland police dog to die in the line of duty since 2014, when Mick died after a shoot-out with a burglary suspect.
In 2017, an artist erected a memorial statue in front of the Portland Police Bureau’s K-9 unit headquarters at 47th Avenue and East Burnside Street.
The man Kylo helped pursue on Thursday was the suspect in a Gresham homicide that happened earlier in the day. He hasn’t been publicly identified.
“Every day, K9 officers like Kylo face the same dangers as their human counterparts, stepping into harm’s way without hesitation to keep us all safe,” Gresham police said in a Facebook post. “Kylo was a true protector of the peace.”
Chief Bob Day, who was the incident commander when Mick died, teared up Thursday when speaking about Kylo’s death.
“The relationship between a K-9 officer and a K-9 dog is significant. They probably spend more time with one another than either of them spend with anyone else,” Day said. “To watch them work is really a thing of beauty. … They fill a role that’s so critical for the safety of our officers and also the safety of our community, and I’m really just grateful for Kylo’s service.”
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