SAVANNAH, GA (June 22, 2011): The K-9 Division of the Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department will say goodbye to one of its premier members Thursday.
K-9 Nick, who joined the unit in September of 2001 as a partner of Cpl. Eric Dukarski, will be euthanized and cremated. The Dukarski family will be entrusted with his ashes.
Sgt. Gregory Ernst, commander of the unit, said arthritis and other ailments that forced Nick’s retirement three years ago have become so severe that the quality of life was no longer sustainable.
Nick was one of the first K-9s to join the unit. A Belgian Malinois, he was born in Holland in 1999. He retired to live with the Dukarski family and was replaced by K9 Nado.
During the course of his career, Nick participated 131 suspect and rescue tracks, 244 building searches, 756 narcotic searches, 121 evidence searches; and 487 arrests including seven in which he physically apprehended the suspect.
One of his most memorable mission involved a burglary in progress at a liquor store on Wheaton Street. Responding officers had surrounded the business and had seen two suspects inside. . Dukarski gave the K9 warnings and one suspect surrendered.
Nick was sent to find the second suspect.
The suspect hiding in an industrial ice machine but refused to surrender. Nick forced open the door and grabbed the suspect by the back of his hooded sweat shirt. He pulled the suspect into the open to arrested without further incident.
“Nick was a great cop,” said Ernst. “He helped us build this unit and he will be missed.”
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