Died 06-07-17
\nHandler – Patrolman Chris Bradford<\/p>\n
Popular K-9 officer dies from illness<\/p>\n
The flag outside the Perryville Police Department was at half-staff Wednesday morning as officers mourned the death of one of their own, K-9 officer Punter, who had served the department for 4 years. \u201cIt is with heavy hearts we announce the death of our department K-9, Punter,\u201d said Perryville Police Department spokesman Cpl. Jeri Cain in a statement released Wednesday morning. \u201cAfter a month-long battle with an unknown illness that was slowly killing him, Punter was euthanized this morning at approximately 8:15 am. He was surrounded by officers as his last good-byes were said.\u201d Punter, a 6-year-old German Shepherd, was cross-trained in narcotics detection, tracking and handler protection. During his time with the department, Punter had several handlers and last worked with Patrolman Chris Bradford. While off duty, Punter lived with Bradford at his residence. Punter and Bradford are part of the Missouri Police Canine Association (MPCA) and they went through a certification program together.\u201cTo become certified in narcotics, Punter had to find a certain amount of different narcotics that were hidden in a room and on vehicles,\u201d Bradford said in a 2015 interview. \u201cI had to be able to watch the canine\u2019s actions, like how his body was tensing up or how he was breathing in order to be able to determine if there was actually a narcotic there where the dog was showing me.\u201d During that same interview, Bradford said he loved the feeling when Punter was alerted to a narcotic. \u201cIt shows me that he\u2019s doing what he\u2019s supposed to,\u201d Bradford said, \u201cand I\u2019m able to read his body language and understand that there is something in the vehicle or the location where I\u2019m at.\u201d Cain praised the pair in the release. \u201cTogether they patrolled the streets of Perryville keeping us safe as well as educating the public about K-9 officers,\u201d Cain said. \u201cPunter and Ptn. Bradford made many new friends during their K9 demonstrations in the community and at special organizations such as Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and D.A.R.E. graduations.\u201d Department officers expressed their condolences, calling Punter \u201cfamily\u201d and a \u201csweetheart.\u201d \u201cPunter was a great working dog,\u201d said Assistant Police Chief Bill Jones. \u201cHe was extremely smart, but he was also a sweetheart of a dog. He was certainly part of the police family. \u201cThere is no doubt that he could lift the spirit of the guys when he came running into the station. To say he will be missed is an understatement.\u201d Chief Direk Hunt agreed. \u201cPunter was not only an officer, he was family,\u201d Hunt said. \u201cWe will honor him as both at a later date with a Memorial Service.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Died 06-07-17 Handler – Patrolman Chris Bradford Popular K-9 officer dies from illness The flag outside the Perryville Police Department was at half-staff Wednesday morning as officers mourned the death of one of their own, K-9 officer Punter, who had served the department for 4 years. \u201cIt is with heavy hearts we announce the death …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":3432,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[55],"class_list":["post-3422","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","","category-k9memorial","tag-mo"],"yoast_head":"\n