(NewsWorthy.news) – Local community members in Missouri are grieving the loss of a K-9 officer who died after being left for hours in a hot car.
Horus, a dog who had served the Savannah Police Department for more than three years, reportedly died on Thursday June 20. He was left in a hot vehicle following the completion of an overnight shift, Chief David Vincent said.
According to reports from the Weather Channel, the temperature in Savannah, Missouri at the time of the incident reached 88 degrees. That Thursday and Friday, the heat was up to 90 degrees, and the small town is under a heat advisory while index values climb up to 108 degrees.
Horus’ death is currently classified as an accident, although Vincent said that there is an open investigation into the circumstances surrounding the tragedy. While the name and rank of the officer responsible for the K-9 has not been released, members of the community are demanding accountability and want to know if the state of Missouri or the law enforcement agency will revoke the officer’s license.
In response to the case, prosecuting attorney Monica Morrey of Andrew County said that she has submitted a request to have a “special investigation” launched by the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Pending results of this probe, Morrey added, will determine if she will take any additional “necessary action.”
Local community members took to social media to lament the loss of the beloved Horus, who was considered the fourth police officer in the small town’s department, and criticize the agency for the incident. One member accused Chief Vincent of having “misspelled” the words “neglect and homicide” in his announcement that described the death as “an accident.”
Another member of the community declared that the dog’s handler should receive a sentence of “life in prison,” saying that the punishment should equate that of “anyone else” who is not a police officer but kills a cop.
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