K-9 Blitz honored at national memorial

WASHINGTON — K-9 Blitz, of the Wadesboro Police Department, was honored Monday during Police Week in Washington, D.C.

The National Police K-9 Memorial Service was a national tribute to K-9s killed in the line of duty in 2025.

The service included a rose and wreath-laying ceremony honoring K-9 Blitz and 22 other K-9 heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice.

K-9 Blitz was killed by a fellow officer following a traffic stop and chase in April 2025. Channel 9’s Gina Esposito covered the incident extensively. Esposito reported on the fallout and community outcry. She also had exclusive interviews with suspect involved in the chase from jail, and K9 Blitz’s handler.

K-9 Blitz’s handler and former Wadesboro Police Officer, Kayla Wright, said the incident was the first time Blitz was deployed to apprehend a suspect with the Wadesboro Police Department. She said she was following an order from a supervisor that day to deploy him. She says they had been doing apprehension training, but she wasn’t planning to do that work in the field until they were both certified.

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