The Panama City Beach Police Department is now grieving over the loss of one of their own. A K-9 unit recently passed away after being struck by lightning.
The Panama City Beach Police Department is grieving over the loss of one of their own. A K-9 unit recently passed away after being struck by lightning.
The dog’s name is Argo and he was the K-9 partner of Officer Jason Gleason. He died Sunday night following a passing thunderstorm in Bay County, Florida.
It was about 6:30 p.m. when Argo was discovered motionless in his kennel. Gleason’s daughter is the one who found him.
The canine had been left in the kennel during the storm because Gleason was on his way to a training session. An examination of Argo’s body showed there was fur missing from his right front leg above the paw, indicating he was likely fatally struck by lightning.
Argo is the replacement of Gleason’s former K-9 partner that went missing in 2009. Since then, Argo spent everyday and evening with his owner.
Argo was the department’s only certified dog. He helped bring in about 25 grand in seized money resulting from drug deals.
Panama City Beach Police Chief Whitman commented “We just hope Gleason's alright… It's going to be a long process for him, but he knows that we're here for him, and we'll try to get him back on track with another dog as soon as possible.”
