The Vineland, N.J. Police Department is mourning the loss of one of its own.
“Clif,” a police K-9, was killed in the line of duty Monday morning in the Cumberland County City.
The dog was struck by a car on Becker Drive around 5:50 a.m. while trying to track down a burglary suspect with his handler Sgt. William Bontcue, according to police.
The K-9 and Bontcue were returning to their vehicle when a car driven by a 75-year-old woman swerved around a uniformed officer who was walking on the West side shoulder of Becker Drive, according to police.
Police say the officer tried to signal the woman with his flashlight but she disregarded this, went off the road and struck Clif as he and Sgt. Bontcue were walking on the front yard of a home.
Clif was taken to the Linwood Veterinary Hospital where he died from his injuries around 7 a.m.
Clif was a 5-year-old German Shepherd from Czechoslovakia and a member of the Vineland Police Department for 3-and-a-half years.
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No funeral arrangements have been made as of yet for the K-9.
Police say the driver did not realize at first that she hit the dog. The elderly woman is charged with reckless driving and failure to obey a police officer's signal. She was also given a summons.
