Royal Oak police announce death of retired K9 officer
ROYAL OAK, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - The Royal Oak Police Department announced that a retired K9 officer has passed away.
It is with heavy hearts and great sadness that we announce the passing of retired Royal Oak Police Department K9 Ryker....
Posted by Royal Oak Police Department on Tuesday, March 14, 2023
The 11-year-old dog named Ryker started with the department in 2012 and was partnered with Officer Rich Chipman.
Ryker accomplished many tasks when he was with the department.
"During their first night in service together, Officer Chipman and K9 Ryker tracked a subject wanted for homicide out of Detroit," said the Royal Oak Police Department in a Facebook post. "During his remaining time, K9 Ryker assisted with the capture of multiple wanted felony suspects and helped locate a suicidal subject who was suffering from a mental health crisis. One of K9 Ryker's biggest busts was discovering 14 kilos of heroin and over one million dollars in ill-gotten cash while assisting an area law enforcement agency."
In addition, Ryker and Chipman attended many community events, including block parties, school events and book reading events at the Royal Oak Public Library.
According to Royal Oak police, Ryker lived with Chipman and his family after he retired in 2019.
Ryker was honored after he passed away by Royal Oak police and authorities from other agencies in the Metro Detroit area.