His Partner Was Killed By A Suspected DUI Driver: What's Next For Ike?
MODESTO (CBS13) — The Modesto City Council will decide if the K-9 partner of a Modesto Police officer who was killed in a DUI crash can live with the fallen officer's family.
Sgt. Mike Pershall was known as a versatile guy with a wonderful sense of humor. He was on the hostage negotiation team and the SWAT team but spent most of his time with the partner he brought home every night—a 3-year-old canine officer with an international pedigree.
"With the loss and with the family dynamics and with our relationship, we want to do what's best for everybody involved," said Modesto Police spokeswoman Heather Graves.
The Belgian Malinois was born in Mexico, understands French commands and went by the name Chente until he went with Mike Pershall, who promptly renamed him Ike.
Yep, Mike and Ike.
The duo had a cut candy name, but if you crossed them, it was no sweet deal. There was one burglary gone bad.
"Mike and Ike pursued the suspect, they ended up getting him into custody outside the riverbank and up onto Scenic Drive," Graves said.
They were quite a team, changing lives.
"We received information from the suspect that he had changed his life around, which was pretty impactful for all of us," she said.
That information came just after a suspected drunken driver struck and killed Pershall while he was riding his bike off-duty on Aug. 22.
With Mike gone, what will happen to Ike?
The K-9 cost the Modesto Police Department nearly $10,000. At 3 years old, he has another 7 years of useful, needed service.
But when an officer falls and a family grieves, sometimes the color blue trumps the green of money.
The City Council is likely to approve a deal on Tuesday where Sgt. Mike's family will purchase Ike for just $1.