ATLANTA — Gwinnett County Police honored one of their own Tuesday morning.
Gwinnett County SWAT K-9 Blue was laid to rest at Oak Rest Pet Gardens Cemetery in Bethlehem, Georgia.
The department held a procession that began at the GCPD Training Center in Lawrenceville and welcomed anyone who wished to honor Blue along the route.
Blue was killed in the line of duty on Sept. 10 while tracking a suspect who allegedly fled from a stolen vehicle in the area of 1990 Willow Trail Parkway in Norcross.
Blue worked with the Gwinnett County Police Department for just over one year as the agency’s first dedicated SWAT K-9, they said. He was a dual purpose tracking, apprehension, and explosives detection canine.
"SWAT K-9 Blue was specially trained to work in a SWAT environment to conduct mission-specific SWAT canine duties," Gwinnett Police Cpl. Collin Flynn said. "A nationwide search was conducted for months before selecting SWAT K-9 Blue out of Houston, Texas from Houston K-9."
The department said Blue was very sociable, which is why he was specifically selected and trained to "meet the needs and mission capabilities of a SWAT canine, which are unique from traditional patrol canines."
"The police department would like to thank the countless members of the public who have reached out with their condolences for SWAT K-9 Blue over the past few days," Flynn said.