The Northland Mourns the Loss of K-9 Officer Luna

The Northland is mourning the loss of another K-9 officer.  Duluth Police Department K-9 officer Luna, a Dutch shepherd who was the first female dog with the department, was shot and killed in the line of duty.

Duluth police were responding to a domestic assault call at approximately 8:30 p.m. Thursday night in the area of the 2300 Block of W 4th Street.  According to the department's public notice, "upon arrival officers learned the male suspect had felony warrants and refused to surrender.  K-9 Luna was sent in to apprehend the suspect, at which point the suspect fired shots and hit K-9 Luna. Officers returned fire, retreated from the residence, and set up a perimeter to contain the scene".  Tragically, K-9 Officer Luna later died at the emergency veterinary clinic. The dramatic standoff between police and the suspect continued well into Friday and thankfully no other officers have been injured.

Across social media, the Northland is grieving and extending condolences. The Minnesota Sheriffs' Association offered their condolences on Facebook:

Rest In Peace, K9 Luna
Our thoughts are with the Duluth Police and Officer Aaron Haller, after K9 Luna was shot and killed in the line of duty last night.

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The Northland K-9 Foundation also issued a heartfelt statement on their Facebook page, which said in part:

Our hearts hurt beyond words as we grapple with the horrible news of the shooting death overnight of Duluth Police K-9 Luna. We, like so many of you, are awaiting further details but recognize the need for patience as the stand-off situation that led to her death is still an active one.
K-9 Luna was just three years old (her birthday was earlier this month), and she held a special place in our hearts. She's been with the Duluth Police Department since June of 2019, purchased following the tragic death of K-9 Haas earlier that year.

This hits the Northland especially hard since K-9 Luna joined the Duluth Police Department in June of 2019, after the loss earlier that year of K-9 Hass, who died in the line of duty under eerily similar circumstances. Doubling the tragedy is that Officer Aaron Haller was the partner for both K-9 Luna and K-9 Haas. I can't imagine how difficult this is for Officer Haller and the entire department.  My heart goes out to everyone involved.