Kane County Sheriff's Office dedicates memorial for K-9 killed in Geneva shootout
ST CHARLES, Ill. (WLS) -- There was a monument dedication ceremony Friday morning at the Kane County Sheriff's Office in St. Charles for fallen K-9 Officer Hudson.
He died in May of last year, after a shootout and crash involving a carjacking suspect in Geneva.
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The ceremony began about 10 a.m.
A life-sized sculpture was unveiled.
"K-9 Hudson was a member of our family, and police canines are so important to us all. We have the largest canine unit outside of Cook County in the state," Kane County Sheriff Ron Hain said.
Hudson was named after a state trooper, who was killed in the line of duty several years ago.
He was assigned to the sheriff's office's narcotic detection unit.
The Dutch shepherd had only been with the county for three years, when he was killed.
"K-9 Hudson really gave his life to protect everybody else in that situation. And so, he's an iconic individual, to make sure that we memorialize for everybody else to celebrate," Hain said.
Juanita Kocanda, with the Elgin Kennel Club, presented a check Friday to the Kane County K-9 Unit, after experiencing such loss.
She said they want to support those, who protect others.
"It's important for the community to know that the canines and the officers are behind us, and they're here to protect us. And this is certainly a great way of doing that," Kocanda said.
The sheriff's office said the sculpture will remain on display for all to see and remember the sacrifice of K-9 Hudson.
