The Miami-Dade Police Department lost a four-legged friend on Thursday.
Canine Officer Rocco died after 7 years on the force from prostate cancer, according to a post on the police department's Facebook page.
Rocco, a 9-year-old Belgian Malinois, served with Officer Andy Giordani with whom he conducted 670 searches resulting in 72 subject apprehensions, according to the Facebook post. During one of his searches, a subject shot at Officer Giordani and struck Rocco and the back-up officer, but he returned to work after treatment and therapy.
"He will be greatly missed by his extended police family," reads the Facebook post.
According to spokesperson Aida Fina-Milian, Giordani was not in any state to comment.
"It's like losing a family member," she said.
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