The Arizona Department of Public Safety will have a memorial service for the police dog Rico in Tucson on Wednesday morning.
The memorial service will be held at the Tucson headquarters at 6401 S. Tucson Blvd. today at 10 a.m.
Rico died helping in a pursuit. Officer Keith Duckett was trying to pull over a speeding Chevrolet truck on Interstate 10 near Benson around 7 p.m. Aug. 20. After turning on his emergency lights, Duckett followed the suspects as they drove off the interstate and crashed the truck.
The two men fled from the truck after a three-mile pursuit. Rico helped the officer pursue the two men.
While the first suspect was taken into custody, Rico became distracted and instinctively headed back toward the patrol car. During the arrest of the second suspect, Rico ran back across the interstate. He was struck and killed by a semi-tractor trailer.
Nearly 970 pounds of marijuana were found in the truck abandoned by Miguel Angel Mendivil Noreiga, 25, and C. Marco Antonio Miranda Siqueiros, 29, according to Public Safety officials.
Both men were booked into the Pima County Sheriff's office jail in Tucson on suspicion of transportation of marijuana, possession of marijuana and possession of marijuana for sale. The men are undocumented immigrants from Mexico, according to the Department of Public Safety.
The canine's death follows the March death of a Mesa Police Department dog that was struck and killed by a vehicle after chasing a suspect. In addition, two dogs have perished from heat related illnesses: a Phoenix Police Department canine died in March, and a Chandler Police Department canine died in August.
Rico, four years with the canine unit, was responsible for the seizure of approximately 68,000 pounds of marijuana, five pounds of heroin, 86 pounds of cocaine, 95 pounds of methamphetamine and nearly $1 million in cash during his career.
The memorial service will be held at the Tucson headquarters at 6401 S. Tucson Blvd. today at 10 a.m.
Rico died helping in a pursuit. Officer Keith Duckett was trying to pull over a speeding Chevrolet truck on Interstate 10 near Benson around 7 p.m. Aug. 20. After turning on his emergency lights, Duckett followed the suspects as they drove off the interstate and crashed the truck.
The two men fled from the truck after a three-mile pursuit. Rico helped the officer pursue the two men.
While the first suspect was taken into custody, Rico became distracted and instinctively headed back toward the patrol car. During the arrest of the second suspect, Rico ran back across the interstate. He was struck and killed by a semi-tractor trailer.
Nearly 970 pounds of marijuana were found in the truck abandoned by Miguel Angel Mendivil Noreiga, 25, and C. Marco Antonio Miranda Siqueiros, 29, according to Public Safety officials.
Both men were booked into the Pima County Sheriff's office jail in Tucson on suspicion of transportation of marijuana, possession of marijuana and possession of marijuana for sale. The men are undocumented immigrants from Mexico, according to the Department of Public Safety.
The canine's death follows the March death of a Mesa Police Department dog that was struck and killed by a vehicle after chasing a suspect. In addition, two dogs have perished from heat related illnesses: a Phoenix Police Department canine died in March, and a Chandler Police Department canine died in August.
Rico, four years with the canine unit, was responsible for the seizure of approximately 68,000 pounds of marijuana, five pounds of heroin, 86 pounds of cocaine, 95 pounds of methamphetamine and nearly $1 million in cash during his career.
The Arizona Department of Public Safety will have a memorial service for the police dog Rico in Tucson on Wednesday morning.
The memorial service will be held at the Tucson headquarters at 6401 S. Tucson Blvd. today at 10 a.m.
Rico died helping in a pursuit. Officer Keith Duckett was trying to pull over a speeding Chevrolet truck on Interstate 10 near Benson around 7 p.m. Aug. 20. After turning on his emergency lights, Duckett followed the suspects as they drove off the interstate and crashed the truck.
The two men fled from the truck after a three-mile pursuit. Rico helped the officer pursue the two men.
While the first suspect was taken into custody, Rico became distracted and instinctively headed back toward the patrol car. During the arrest of the second suspect, Rico ran back across the interstate. He was struck and killed by a semi-tractor trailer.
Nearly 970 pounds of marijuana were found in the truck abandoned by Miguel Angel Mendivil Noreiga, 25, and C. Marco Antonio Miranda Siqueiros, 29, according to Public Safety officials.
Both men were booked into the Pima County Sheriff's office jail in Tucson on suspicion of transportation of marijuana, possession of marijuana and possession of marijuana for sale. The men are undocumented immigrants from Mexico, according to the Department of Public Safety.
The canine's death follows the March death of a Mesa Police Department dog that was struck and killed by a vehicle after chasing a suspect. In addition, two dogs have perished from heat related illnesses: a Phoenix Police Department canine died in March, and a Chandler Police Department canine died in August.
Rico, four years with the canine unit, was responsible for the seizure of approximately 68,000 pounds of marijuana, five pounds of heroin, 86 pounds of cocaine, 95 pounds of methamphetamine and nearly $1 million in cash during his career.
The memorial service will be held at the Tucson headquarters at 6401 S. Tucson Blvd. today at 10 a.m.
Rico died helping in a pursuit. Officer Keith Duckett was trying to pull over a speeding Chevrolet truck on Interstate 10 near Benson around 7 p.m. Aug. 20. After turning on his emergency lights, Duckett followed the suspects as they drove off the interstate and crashed the truck.
The two men fled from the truck after a three-mile pursuit. Rico helped the officer pursue the two men.
While the first suspect was taken into custody, Rico became distracted and instinctively headed back toward the patrol car. During the arrest of the second suspect, Rico ran back across the interstate. He was struck and killed by a semi-tractor trailer.
Nearly 970 pounds of marijuana were found in the truck abandoned by Miguel Angel Mendivil Noreiga, 25, and C. Marco Antonio Miranda Siqueiros, 29, according to Public Safety officials.
Both men were booked into the Pima County Sheriff's office jail in Tucson on suspicion of transportation of marijuana, possession of marijuana and possession of marijuana for sale. The men are undocumented immigrants from Mexico, according to the Department of Public Safety.
The canine's death follows the March death of a Mesa Police Department dog that was struck and killed by a vehicle after chasing a suspect. In addition, two dogs have perished from heat related illnesses: a Phoenix Police Department canine died in March, and a Chandler Police Department canine died in August.
Rico, four years with the canine unit, was responsible for the seizure of approximately 68,000 pounds of marijuana, five pounds of heroin, 86 pounds of cocaine, 95 pounds of methamphetamine and nearly $1 million in cash during his career.
