Fallen San Diego K-9 officer to be honored nationally

By Ava Kershner

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    SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — A San Diego Police Department K-9 officer will be the first dog from San Diego to be honored at the National Police K-9 memorial service in Washington, D.C.

On Aug. 2, 2023, K-9 officer Sir was killed in the line of duty at Mesa College when a man with a gun shot him during a standoff. Officers killed the man, and SDPD K-9 handler Kyle Jachim called Sir back to him.

“He was coming back, and then about halfway, he just collapsed on his way back to me,” Jachim said.

Jachim rushed Sir to the vet, and despite life-saving efforts, Sir died.

“…I wasn’t going to just stand by because me and Sir were- we were tight-knit, him and me,” Jachim said.

Jachim worked with Sir for a year and a half. Sir was a family dog at home and a member of the San Diego Police Department at work.

“He seemed like a puppy, but he was four years old,” Jachim said.

The National Police Dog Foundation plans to honor the 26 K-9 officers who made the ultimate sacrifice last year. Jachim will lay a rose down for his former partner.

“[I] still miss him to this day,” Jachim said.

To Jachim, Sir is remembered not only as his coworker but also as a family member. At home, Jachim said Sir would love to eat any treat and would eat anything.

“We’re going home in the driveway, they turn it off. And they are not the police dog that you think that is [going to] be, you know, on it. My wife and kids very much bonded with Sir at the time,” Jachim said.

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