Meet C.C., Riverside County sheriff's newest K-9 named after two deputies killed in line of duty

Riverside County Sheriff's Department swore in their newest member this year, a K-9 named in honor of the department's two deputies who were killed in the line of duty within a two-week period. 

C.C., whose namesake is a tribute to Deputies Isaiah Cordero and Darnell Calhoun, both of whom were shot and killed within a two-week span while working, is a one-and-a-half-year-old German Shepherd and Belgian Malinois mix, who is assigned to Deputy Marcus Murray. 

Murray, who is assigned to the department's San Jacinto station, says that C.C. is a drug and addiction dog tasked with sniffing around crime scenes to find narcotics. 

"It's like having a baby," Murray says. "He's very good. They say he's a once in a lifetime type of dog."

It was this opportunity that prompted the deputy to name C.C. after his fallen counterparts — Calhoun and Cordero. 

Deputy Isaiah Cordero, 32, was shot and killed on December 29 when he attempted a traffic stop in Jurupa Valley. The shooting led to a massive manhunt, ending when 44-year-old William Shae McKay was killed during a shootout with other deputies on the I-15 Freeway in Norco.

Just two weeks later, Deputy Darnell Calhoun, 30, was fatally shot while responding to a domestic violence call in Lake Elsinore on January 13. The shooter, 42-year-old Jesse Navarro, was hospitalized after he was shot by the next responding deputy. He has been charged with both first-degree murder and attempted murder and awaits trial after pleading not guilty. 

"I knew Cordero personally, so I wanted to pay tribute to both of them and to have a constant reminder of the job that we do and the risks that we take," Deputy Murray said, noting that taking C.C. out on calls is like an extension of the fallen deputies' work. "You know those guys would have had a major impact in the community, and if I can make just a small impact with C.C."

He knows that being a K-9 is also a dangerous job, with another RSO K-9 deputy being killed in the line of duty weeks ago. 

"It was very sad. Very emotional," Murray said, noting that it's difficult not to worry about his new companion. He hopes that people he meets know that their hearts are in the job.

 "We're just trying to do our job and make the community a better place for everyone."