Crime & Safety

Greenfield Police Mourn Loss of Four-Legged Friend

Former K9 Raider died Feb. 16. He was 12.

Like all good police officers, K9 Raider was involved in the location and apprehension of dozens of suspects both within Greenfield and the surrounding communities.

He was proficient in drug detection and was responsible for the recovery of thousands of dollars in seized assets and narcotics.

A beloved member of the Greenfield Police Department family, Raider died Feb. 16, at the age of 12.

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Raider was born Nov. 6, 1999, in Holland and was imported to the United States two years later. In 2002, Officer Brian Wallander travelled to Spring Hope, N.C., and was paired with Raider. The two served together until Raider’s retirement in 2010. Raider spent his final years with Wallander at his home in Milwaukee.

Raider was trained to track suspects, search buildings and areas and in handler protection, according to Chief Brad Wentlandt, but his reach in the community went much further.

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"Raider’s greatest impact was probably felt by the hundreds of children who were treated to demonstrations of his abilities," Wentlandt said. "He spent many hours posing for photos and allowing children to pet him and scratch his ears."


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