CRANSTON, R.I. (WHDH) - Flanked by an escort of cruisers, the body of State Police K9 Frankie arrived at an animal memorial center in Rhode Island Tuesday night, following his death during an armed standoff in Fitchburg, Mass.
Police saluted the K9 as a group of officers brought him into the Final Gift Pet Memorial Center, covered by an American flag. The police dog had been transported from the Wachusett Animal Hospital in Westminster, Mass. after he was killed in the line of duty while trying to apprehend an armed suspect.
State Police Colonel Christopher Mason said Frankie is believed to be the first Massachusetts State Police K9 killed in the line of duty and also the first case of Nero’s Law in action.
Nero’s Law, signed into law by Governor Charlie Baker in February, allows first responders in Massachusetts to treat and transport injured police dogs to veterinary hospitals.
The bill was named after the K9 partner of slain Yarmouth Police Sgt. Sean Gannon, who was killed in 2018. Nero was also shot, but due to state law, could not be transported by EMTs. Nero was able to survive after police transported the K9 in the back of a police cruiser.
On Tuesday, after an armed suspect shot Frankie, authorities said the K9 was transported by Fitchburg EMS to the animal hospital in Westminster.
Supporters of the law originally argued that letting EMTs provide treatment and medical transportation to K9s was an apt way to honor their service.
(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)