Riverhead Town Police will conduct a funeral procession Monday for K9 Officer “Rocky,” who was killed in the line of duty Sept. 2.
Following a private service, the funeral procession will leave Veterans Memorial Park in Calverton at approximately 11 a.m. Monday, Sept. 10. The procession will head east on Middle Country Road to Riverhead Town Hall and then to Riverhead Town Police Headquarters, police said in a press release Friday afternoon.
Rocky’s handler and partner Police Officer John Morris will retain custody of the dog’s remains, Police Chief David Hegermiller said.
Rocky, a Riverhead Police K9 officer since 2011, was killed in a motor vehicle accident Sept. 2. His unit was one of several in pursuit of a man who refused to stop at a sobriety checkpoint on Peconic Avenue, striking an officer with his vehicle and taking off westbound on Main Street. The K9 unit left the roadway and struck a utility pole, injuring Morris and ejecting Rocky from the vehicle.
Memorial donations may be made to the Riverhead Town Police Department, 210 Howell Avenue, Riverhead NY 11901 (checks made payable to Office of the Chief of Police – K9). All donations will go directly to funding the department’s K9 unit and any necessary expenses related to the program, police said in a press release.
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