Rico

Incident

K9 Rico was struck and killed by a tractor trailer after becoming separated from his handler while tracking two fleeing suspects.

Rico's handler had attempted to stop a speeding vehicle on I-10, but the vehicle fled at high speeds until crashing. The two occupants fled on foot with Rico and his handler in pursuit. As his handler caught one of the subject Rico somehow became separated. He instinctively return to the patrol car, but was struck by a passing tractor trailer on I-10 as he waited for his handler to return.

The vehicle that had crashed was found to contain 967 pounds of marijuana. The two illegal aliens who fled from it were arrested and charged with several narcotics charges.

K9 Rico had served with the Arizona Department of Public Safety for seven years. He had been responsible for the seizure of nearly 68,000 pounds of marijuana, five pounds of heroin, 86 pounds of cocaine, 95 pounds of meth and almost $1,000,000 in currency.