What? wrote on Dec 31, 2007 8:42 PM:Sorry about the dog but he wasn't trying stop the guy from jumping. The dog was trying to bite the guy. Pure and simple. That is what police dogs do. They aren't Lassie.

I'm so sorry wrote on Dec 31, 2007 8:49 PM:K-9's are very brave officers!

Skip wrote on Dec 31, 2007 9:22 PM:I really feel sorry ,,,,,,, for the dog. "Officer dogs are officers just like any other."

Betsy wrote on Dec 31, 2007 9:34 PM:Oh, that is so sad. What a huge loss.

Rest in Peace Stryker! wrote on Dec 31, 2007 9:56 PM:What a great dog! OPD we send out our heart felt condolence to you all and Strykers handler! That is a working dog! The city and community have lost a faithful servant! City of Oceanside's Best Friend!

Rest in Peace Faithful!! wrote on Dec 31, 2007 9:56 PM:Slainte!

Oceanside Police Department wrote on Dec 31, 2007 9:58 PM:That is a department that really keeps the criminals at large in check and do it risking thier lives everyday! We are so fortunate to have officers and quality professionals who keep us safe, risking it all, for us! God Bless OPD and all officers!

Lou wrote on Dec 31, 2007 10:17 PM:Condolences for the troubled person who lost his life, and for the police dog that didn't know the first step is a loo loo.

OPD wife wrote on Dec 31, 2007 10:40 PM:Rest in peace, faithful friend! Stryker, you will be dearly missed by your fellow OPD officers and friends. You are a hero to us all, and your service will never be forgetten! Rest easy, Stryker, and may God bless OPD.

Not Quite What? wrote on Dec 31, 2007 11:19 PM:Actually, there are two different types of training, one of which doesn't involve contact with the subject at all. In the other type, biting is a side effect of what the dog is actually trained to do, which is to grab and hold. From the sounds of it, had the dog reached the guy, he'd have brought him down and the guy wouldn't have been able to jump. So, in that sense, the report is correct. But, in a way you're right, it wouldn't have been because the dog had Lassie-like humanitarian motives.

CWO4 Russell Gamel wrote on Dec 31, 2007 11:34 PM:This is a really sad day for the OPD, its officers, and especially the dog's handler. Police Dogs are trained to serve and protect just as Police Officers are. Rest in Peace, Stryker.

Oceanside Police Department wrote on Dec 31, 2007 11:38 PM:Thus police department is always making some sacrifice for the people! This kind of danger each day, much take its toll on the brave men and women who serve us all so proudly! Thanks for everything you OPD! We love you!

OPD is to San Diego Area wrote on Dec 31, 2007 11:40 PM:As NYPD is to New York. We all know Oceanside! It is a tough city, but the it is a city with heart and true grit! So it is fitting that we have the toughest,most dedicated officers in the COunty and State! If you can make it in Oceanside, you can make it anywhere! Good and Bad, keep up the fight! We love you OPD! The best Officer on the Job!

K-9 lover wrote on Jan 1, 2008 12:52 AM:Our condolences to the OPD and Stryker's handler for your difficult loss. He was a brave officer and served OPD well.

1 King wrote on Jan 1, 2008 3:24 AM:Stryker was an excellent Police Service Dog, one of the best this department has ever had. My heart goes out to his handler, members of our team and our OPD family; this is a great loss for the department and the City. We will miss ya “boy”; we’ll walk the point from here ..

LETS THINK wrote on Jan 1, 2008 4:14 AM:OK, if the guy stops and gets out of his car in the middle of the bridge do we really need to send the dog? How far can this guy run away? ... Why put the dog in this situation for no reason. The dog is trained to go after the criminal and not stop as long as he has orders to do so. My felling is that this was the wrong time and wrong place to use the K-9! what a loss R.I.P.

Bill wrote on Jan 1, 2008 5:05 AM:Regrets to Officer Landeros on losing Stryker. I truling believe in man & dog teams. May he R.I.P. ...

Styker did.. wrote on Jan 1, 2008 8:10 AM:his job last night. He took the suspect down, who got up and jumped with Styker still attached! This cowardly act killed a police dog and only resulted in the suspect having a punctured lung... who will survive to face a multitude of charges, all of which are felonies, including the killing of a police dog.

Let's Really Think wrote on Jan 1, 2008 9:26 AM:My first question was similar to "Let's Think's". However, the officers had no way of knowing whether the guy was armed or not. Armed suspects in pursuits have an alarming propensity to carjack a passing motorist and flee. Whereupon the Monday morning quarterbacks in the media would be saying, "they had a dog, why didn't they use it?" Even though the guy had no place to flee, flight was not the only issue to be considered. And, given the reported vigor with which he resisted the dog, it's unlikely he would have gone into custody without some force being used anyway. Which would, of course, have resulted in a comments section containing two hundred complaints about those 'evil tasers'. They made the right call.

Officer Landeros was not the handler. wrote on Jan 1, 2008 9:36 AM:He was only the CHP spokesman. It was an OPD Officer and His dog!

MW Reader wrote on Jan 1, 2008 9:54 AM:to LETS THINK: You're assuming the guy got out of his car to run somewhere?!...why not just stay in his car and continue to run...maybe he exited the vehicle to engage the officers with a weapon...if he'd pulled a gun and been shot, you'd be blogging about excessive force, questioning why the officer didn't use the dog. Every situation is different, there are no absolutes and things happen in the blink of an eye. Stryker / his handler did their jobs and Stryker made the ultimate sacrifice. Losing Stryker is a great loss and may he RIP...the only two things you 'thought' about enough to get right.

macc wrote on Jan 1, 2008 10:28 AM:they should have not sent the dog they should have pursued the man there self now the dog dead

animal lover wrote on Jan 1, 2008 10:36 AM:stop killing dogs go fight the crime yourself stop sending animals to do your dirty work opd if your scared pull you badge out

K9 Handler wrote on Jan 1, 2008 11:00 AM:My thoughts and prayers go out to Stryker and his handler. Losing Stryker is a tremendous loss for the community as well as the OPD family. Stryker was one of the best dogs there ever was and helped keep the citizens and officers of Oceanside safer. He will be truly missed by all who worked with him. To his handler, keep your head held high, think about how great a partner he was to you, and know he performed tremendously to the very end. RIP Stryker, we'll miss you!

sad handler wrote on Jan 1, 2008 11:06 AM:he died doing what he loved *****PACKEN****** Rest now my loyal firend

Unnecessary loss of a dogs life wrote on Jan 1, 2008 11:06 AM:Why did they release a OPD dog on the Coranado bridge? Where could the guy have run to? There were enough police officers there. The Dog should have been kept in the car. If the guy was armed and pulled a weapon out, then taser him, shoot him whatever. The dog did not need to die.

Alex wrote on Jan 1, 2008 11:23 AM:I seriously hope that the guy who killed Stryker is tried [in the death] of peace officer, among his other life threating offences. The OPD is great and I thank them for the work they do to clean up Oside. God Bless, and may the Stryker know peace and salvation in the arms of the Lord.

sorry for your/our loss wrote on Jan 1, 2008 12:11 PM:KS, our thoughts are with you brother, sorry to see it end that way. We'll all miss Stryker...Titanium teeth and all!!!

poortraining wrote on Jan 1, 2008 12:15 PM:"Lets think", made a direct hit on the deployment of the dog. It makes no sense to send a 80-90 animal into a fight with a human and think that the animal can win the fight. Those of you that say send the dog because he might have been armed are nuts, so now you want to send a dog into a gun, knife of some other type of weapon fight and expect him to win? Dogs are great tools for police work they have their place and that is locating hidden suspects, to ask a dog to subdue a person is outrageous. If you have never been on a dog deployment and seen a dog get beat up by a suspect, I would not expect you to understand. Dogs don not have have super animal strength and a dog bite is a dog bite,, it hurts but a person can easily fight past the pain. I blame this tragedy on the trainer/vendor for the Department for improper training and some on the handler for not making a sound deployment decision and keeping his dog out of harms way (like a certain northern Cal Sheriff Dept sending a dog into an irrigation canal after a suspect and having the suspect drown the dog). Where was that suspect going and are dogs now super swimmers? This decision may have come from inexperience or mis-information. The dog is not a hero it was simply doing what it was trained to do and paid the price for poor tactics on the human end. Like people have said where could the suspect have gone while on the bridge?

K9 in family wrote on Jan 1, 2008 1:15 PM:Gut Hund Stryker. You did a fine job. We love you.

10K1 wrote on Jan 1, 2008 1:40 PM:We are sorry for OPD's loss... By far some of the hardest working law enforcement professionals. Continue the good work, and know that fellow law enforcement handlers recognize the loss and sacrifice made by Stryker.

Not amused wrote on Jan 1, 2008 1:48 PM:All of the TV trained arm chair warriors come out again to tell those who are trained officers, what they really should have done in Police Critic Fantasy land. I would hate any of these know it alls at the scene of something like this. The amount of wet pants would be appaling.

Dogs are Officers? wrote on Jan 1, 2008 2:29 PM:This is a dog we are talking about, right? Dogs are the same as officers? Give me a break. Dogs are not people, and if anyone thinks that the life and/or well being of a dog is more important than the life and/or well being of a person, then they really need to rethink their priorities. Sad? Absolutely, YES. Tragedy though? No, I don't think so. 9/11 was a tragedy, and Katrina was a tragedy. Starving children in Africa and the destruction of our environment, those are tragedies. But the death of a dog? Sorry, but it pales in comparison, and the series of folks that think it is a tragedy shows just how warped the thinking of some folks truly is.

ANOTHER K9 Handler wrote on Jan 1, 2008 2:30 PM:"Poortraining" makes a good argument for not sending the dog. However I have been on several dog deployments and dogs can and do make a difference. Sometimes just having a dog there is enough, sometimes it takes a bite.Funny thing is sometimes crooks have more respect for the dogs than for the cops. To say that the handler should have kept his dog out of harms way is missing the point. The reason police departments use dogs is to keep their officers safe. I agree that it is pointless to bring a dog to a gun or knife fight however that dog was sent into the unknown. Based on the little I know on the suspect, it doesnt sound like he had any intention of giving up and going peacefully. And I think officers would agree, those are the suspects you fear most. My condolences to all of Oceanside PD.

Yoda wrote on Jan 1, 2008 2:33 PM:To Lou - Let's Think - Animal Lover- Unnecessary Loss and all the arm-chair second-guesser critics of the officer If you weren't there, SHUT UP!

Next time you get in trouble, call a Hippie animal lover for help.

K044 wrote on Jan 1, 2008 3:12 PM:Response to Mr. "poortraining" You sound like you know might know a thing or two about police work and dog handling, but you also sound a little ignorant. I don't know if you are or ever been a police K9 handler but you said it yourself, a dog is a tool like any other type of equipment a police officer uses. That sounds cold and unsympathetic towards the dog, but it's a fact of life. Another fact about police K9's, despite your negative opinion, is to apprehend criminals who fail to obey lawful orders and flee from the police. You can sit back and arm chair quarterback it all day, but the handler and the dog did their job and they did it with the upmost professionalism. What is a police officers primary job Mr. Poortraining? That's right, to protect life and property. You say it was a poor decision to send the dog because they were on a bridge. You ask where could the suspect have gone. Well, he went where he could only go. Over the rail and 200 feet to the water below. I don't know about you, but I would rather have my 80 lb police dog try to take the fleeing suspect to the ground so I could have the upper hand in safely taking the suspect into custody before he hurt anyone else, himself or other officers. It can't be a good feeling attempting to physically subdue a resisting suspect next to a railing with more than a 200 foot drop to the water. That's why we have police dogs; to protect officers and the public and while doing this, the dogs are at times put in harms way. That is the job of the police K9. This dog died as a direct result of the suspects actions not the handler. The actions of the handler and his K9 partner "Stryker" likely saved officers on the bridge from being seriously injured or killed attempting to keep the suspect from fleeing. The handler did the right thing and "Stryker" died doing what he loved to do, catching bad guys. Keep your head up KS and don't let folks like Mr. "Poortraining" get you any more down then you already are.

What? wrote on Jan 1, 2008 4:07 PM:Ok I am going to jump back in here. There have been some good points and some bad points. I would agree with the call that it was a questionable deployment of the dog. But not because of poortrainings arguments. Logically a person can take a dog. Brains and mass means the person can win. Psychologically it doesn't work that way. People are afraid of dogs. So to complain that the dog was over matched is just wrong. My problem is there is only one reason a person would stop on a bridge. Suicide. In a situation with a suicidal person a dog is not a good choice. If he wanted to jack another vehicle there is no worse place to try it than on a bridge. I would also point out the main reason they use police dogs. It is better to lose a K9 than it is to lose a human officer. This fact in no way trivializes the handlers loss. I have lost pets and know how much it hurts. The pain is nearly indistinguishable from the loss of a family member.

What? wrote on Jan 1, 2008 4:24 PM:Not amused and Yoda. We give law enforcement officers a great deal of power. They have the power to take a life. They have the power to take freedom. We, the citizens who give this power have the right and the responsibility to over see their use of these powers. This includes second guessing them on Monday morning. It also includes us demanding their badges when we feel they have misused these powers. If they do not like these stipulations on their job they need to find another line of work.

FTM wrote on Jan 1, 2008 5:18 PM:Stryker was the same officer dog that caught the bad guy hiding in Carlsbad that was evading the CPD. CPD and OPD were both trying to find the dangerous criminal but he was too sneaky to get causgh so they sent Officer Stryker in and he got the guy. Officer Stryker the police dog helped lot's of cops not just the OPD. This is a really bad day for everyone in North County.

Frank wrote on Jan 1, 2008 5:27 PM:The K-9 is a HERO... plain and simple!

Horrible wrote on Jan 1, 2008 5:48 PM:When I heard of this last night from my wife, who was on duty, it hit too close to home. We have a police K9 and words could not describe how we would feel being in this situation. Her dog is an extension of our family and Im sure its a great loss for Stryker's handler. None of you know the situation last night, so keep your... mouths close on matters you know nothing about. I pray for the handler, RIP Stryker.

To Poortraining wrote on Jan 1, 2008 5:52 PM:Have you ever been in a bite suit and trained with these K9's? No? Didnt think so. I would rather be tazed, pepper sprayed and even hit with a baton before I took a bite from a police dog. Keep your silly, uneducated remarks to yourself.

poortraining wrote on Jan 1, 2008 6:47 PM:If it makes people feel better that the K9 is called a hero, then so be it. Working for a large Cal. Police Department that has hundreds of k9 searches a year, 70% of them are armed searches. We have not lost a dog for many years (17+ years), I contribute this to training, SOP's, and experience. I'm not saying the Officer did any thing wrong, what I am saying is that training and experience comes into play on these types of situations and maybe those things were not in place. A dog does not know what a weapon is, nor can they think in an abstract fashion. It is up to the human element in the situation to think the problem out and decide if the dog is a proper tool for the job, ,just as if they had to decide if using a firearm is the proper level of force for any given situation. A man threatening to jump off a bridge in my opinion is not a K9 deployment, just as searching the rooftop of a building with a K9. Dogs have no perception of depth, they cannot make the decision on not going over the edge because it is too high off the ground. If the suspect grabbed the dog and brought him over the edge, then that is a tragedy. what we teach all of our handler, is that if they cannot render aid to their partner (K9) in a fight, then think of something else to work through the situation ( I.E. sending a dog into a crawl space and not being able to get to him to aid him in a fight). Sorry, but all this comment comes from experience in hundreds of deployments and captures, not from the armchair or monday morning quarterbacking...................

LDB wrote on Jan 1, 2008 7:17 PM:Huge loss!!!! The K-9 handler and dog were bravely doing their job. R.I.P. Stryker So brav!!!!

Poortraining wrote on Jan 1, 2008 7:32 PM:Dear "To Poortraining" FYI yes I have been in a bite suit (on a nightly working basis for the past ten years) and have even been bitten for the real thing several times. I have well over a thousand real life deployments under my belt and have seen several BAD GUYS win fights with dogs. I speak from knowledge and experience, not just from a few deployments a year.....................

friend wrote on Jan 1, 2008 8:20 PM:Stryker was a Belgian Malinois, not a german shepherd. He was an excellent k9 officer

friend wrote on Jan 1, 2008 8:34 PM:To poortraining:
You cannot out run a k9 officer. As far as I've heard. the suspect wasnt armed. Deploying the dog was the right thing to do. The suspect actually picked him up! He didnt outrun, get free, shoot or knife him. Would you rather a fight with a human officer and loose two human lives? Before you make anymore comments, know your subject matter.

Not the right venue wrote on Jan 1, 2008 8:34 PM:I was truely saddened to hear of the loss of this four legged public servant. That's right, all of you "nay sayers". Stryker was a public servant. He was molded and trained from an early age, if not from birth to be a police officer. Just because he is a canine does not lessen his service. Months of training and constant practice, he has gone through more than most of you that are making easy, second guessing commentary. Having personally been involved in well over a thousand canine deployments, I have come to respect the tough job these teams (man and dog) are asked to do each night. I hope there will be a stryker-II to follow in the paw-steps of the fallen one.

Re poortraining wrote on Jan 1, 2008 8:44 PM:Poortraining probably works for one of those "large agencies" that requires asking a supervisor for PERMISSION to deploy the K9, thus taking the decision and risk away from the officer on scene. The delay in time waiting for the supervisor to make a decision could probably give the suspect time to act. Thank you OPD for having the guts to still have a good policy for deployment rather than the other cowardly agencies. In memory of brave Stryker.

I'm Finished wrote on Jan 1, 2008 8:58 PM:It is obvious that the human emotion element is taking over the facts. Bottom line is the Officer did not do anything wrong, it was a judgement call. More training and experience may have helped in this instance. Police K9's primary job is to detect hidden suspects to alert Officers and give them reaction time. When used to apprehend suspects bad things can happen. There are many more alternatives to Officers than sending a dog into a fight with a man. I have never seen a dog place cuffs on a suspect. Maybe that happens in SD County don't know. What I do know is tactics that keep dogs and Officers safe. I guess when Long Beach, Ca sent a dog under a porch and with an armed suspect and got the dog shot and killed a few years ago also makes that dog a hero to, no training issue there either????????????? These animals are not super heros, they are great tools for specific jobs, but not on 200' high bridges. if the suspect was going to jump, let him jump. He is not going anywhere when he lands and have the harbor patrol pick up the pieces.....Poortraining

Explorer wrote on Jan 1, 2008 9:27 PM:I've had the pleasure of meeting Stryker on a few occasions and he was a wonderful dog. He loved what he did and is somewhat of a legend in the county; what with his titanium teeth and stunning record. He will be missed by all the agencies he helped and especially by OPD. He was a heck of a dog; rest easy Stryker, well keep an eye on the county for you.

Suzanne wrote on Jan 1, 2008 10:13 PM:I blame the suspect fully. He could of stopped and surrendered anytime. Stryker paid the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty.He's not just a dog. He's a k9 trained to save lives. ... My sincere condolences go out to Officer Kedrick Sadler

DLS75 wrote on Jan 1, 2008 10:38 PM:My prayers go out to the OPD family and the officer’s family that lost Stryker.

Dog Handler wrote on Jan 1, 2008 11:15 PM:Strykers death was completely uncalled for. The Dog Handler never should have allowed the dog to persue a jumper. I also would have jumped to get away from a dog about to bite me. What was the law enforcement officer thinking? The suspect was on a bridge, where was he going to go? When dogs are trained they don't always think, they react.
God bless canine Stryker for doing his job as instructed to the very last moment of his life.

Team 9 Brother (NJL/679) wrote on Jan 2, 2008 3:12 AM:As I sit and read these bloggs, I have to quitely laugh to myself. It's obvious to those of us who know KS, Stryker, and what actually happened that day where our thought should be. Stryker gave his life doing what he was born for and frankly, what he loved to do For those of you bloggers out there who choose to voice your opinion (uneducated as they may be, no matter what experience you claim to have) it is great that we live in America so you can spout off on your computers at 3:am about things you have absolutly no knowledge of. Dont worry, we know. That said: KS, I am so sorry for your loss brother. A loss suffered by all of us. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family during this terrible time. Stryker, "Bon Garcon, Coucher!" We'll take it from here.

THE HANDLER'S COUSIN wrote on Jan 2, 2008 7:12 AM:You did what you do best Stryker - TAKE'EM DOWN! Keep your head up cousin - he loved you as you loved him, his stinky butt will still be behind you protecting you as he did, he'll just have a new spot, up on your shoulder watching over you. THE FAMILY LOVES YOU.

G-Boy wrote on Jan 2, 2008 8:52 AM:To Stryker...rest easy good friend. You are lost in body, but your spirit lives in on in all of us who had the priviledge to work with one of the finest K9's this county will ever know. And to K.S. ... Keep your head up brother, you did it right. As with everything in our jobs, we get two seconds to make a decision, but the rest of the world gets a lifetime to scrutinize. I am truly sorry he is gone, but he will definitely never be forgotten...

Sadler and Greg wrote on Jan 2, 2008 9:39 AM: I've known and worked with both these Officers for a long time and and yes they are some of Oceansides Best, I also knew "Stryker", It is truley a great loss to the Oceanside Police Dept. and I hope knowing that Stryker commtted himself 110% all of the time and Died doing what he loved will give some comfort, and remember he is with all the other Great Officers who gave the Ultimate Sacrifice like Tony Zepatella, and Dan Bassett watching over all of us.

1-J(Capt.) Ret. wrote on Jan 2, 2008 9:54 AM: Kedrick,
Sorry about your loss, you and Stryker are and were a Great Asset to The Oceanside Police Department. Time will heel the pain, and knowing the great job Stryker did for you and Officer Rainwater 110% of the the time should make you proud to have served with him. R.I.P."K-9" Stryker .

Jerry wrote on Jan 2, 2008 10:39 AM:The article states that Stryker is a German Shephard when in fact he is not. Stryker is a Belgian Malinois, AKA Belgian Shephard. Having owned a Belgian Malinois (RIP Donovan) I know the difference between the two. RIP Stryker, you have a friend in Donovan up in Heaven.

K9 FONS wrote on Jan 2, 2008 6:23 PM:REST IN PEACE my brother

K-9 Indy wrote on Jan 2, 2008 7:34 PM:Wrong time to deploy the K-9. Poortraining is probably correct although I am not sure as to the particular's, was there back-up, was there a weapon, was all traffic stopped, was there a supervisor on scence etc. To deploy a K-9 at night, on a bridge of that height, not well lit, with a suspect possibly under the influence, unsure if there was a weapon
would not be a time I would send my K-9

Mr. Green wrote on Jan 2, 2008 8:41 PM:Let's seek Life in Prison for Strykers Murder.

understand what you read wrote on Jan 2, 2008 10:48 PM:the dog did not belong to officer Landeros he works for CHP not OPD.The guy who went off the bridge did not die,read slowly if you have to.

dispatcher wrote on Jan 2, 2008 11:52 PM:My heart and prayers go to Oceanside Police Department, Stryker's Handler and the Citizens of North County. Stryker died a hero. There is not one person that can take that away from the well trained K9 who loved his job. He was there to protect the Officers, the Citizens and the suspect from getting taken out. Hopefully this suspect will own up and regret his wrong doing.

rob wrote on Jan 3, 2008 2:19 AM:i cried when i read stykers story

ROBERT wrote on Jan 3, 2008 3:49 AM:he is in doggy heaven right now with no pain and nuthin butt happiness rip

esteban wrote on Jan 3, 2008 11:28 AM:Had Bryon jumped and Stryker not been deployed...all you anti cop morons would have been blaming OPD for letting the guy kill himself. You people are not smart at all!!!!

hippy guy wrote on Jan 3, 2008 4:39 PM:I find it offensive and appalling dogs are used to team up with police to apprehend criminals. It's not in an animals nature to apprehend humans. It's humans nature to apprehend humans.

K9 Indy wrote on Jan 4, 2008 2:30 AM:So your the expert! Does that mean you are a police officer. If you are, the second rule is to say nothing about another officers call unless you were involved. Your pathetic!

roxie wrote on Jan 4, 2008 11:55 AM:Stryker is a hero! and may he rest in peace in doggy heaven!!!! ...

FET wrote on Jan 4, 2008 1:45 PM:Unfortunately this is a line of work where split second decisions are made. The wonderful men and women of law enforcement make those decisions every day. To sit there in comfort at your computer and try to second guess an officer when you obviously do not know all of the facts is ridiculous. If all of those officers stood there and just watched the man jump, you would be on here saying that it was their duty to try to save the man from himself. If a (human) officer tried to stop him and was thrown off of the bridge, you would be questioning why the officer tried to step in when another tactic could be used. If a taser or pepper spray was used, you would be complaining about “use of force.” Stryker may not have been “Lassie” as an earlier reader pointed out, but he was sent in to take the man down and try to save the man from himself, which he did. Stryker was the best dog on our force and has effectively controlled many dangerous and determined suspects throughout his career. Stryker, as well as his handler, was highly trained, but that does not make either of them a psychic. Having seen Stryker take down some hard-core criminals, how could anyone have known that this man would be able to get back up and throw both himself and Stryker off of the bridge?!? The past several years have been filled with tragedy for OPD. It is sad to lose yet another member of our family (furry and four-legged though he may be). This was an unforeseeable tragedy and I hope everyone will honor Stryker’s memory instead of using this as an opportunity to bash the decisions of a highly trained, well respected officer.

OPD Capt. wife wrote on Jan 5, 2008 9:54 AM:Stryker came to visit our twins elementary school a few years ago. He displayed such gentleness around the kids. The kids were amazed at his discipline & the hard work the dogs put in on a daily basis. He will be greatly missed. Our thoughts & prayers go out to OPD family. R.I.P Stryker