The Salina Police Department and the community united to mourn and commemorate the loss of K-9 Tyrann.

Tuesday morning, services were held at Sacred Heart Cathedral. A large crowd gathered to pay their respects. Police Chief C.J. Wise tells KSAL News he was astonished at the amount of people that attended the service. He says its amazing that even with a tragedy, beauty still arises.

Austin Baker and K-9 Officer Michael Chandler were both handlers of Tyrann. They spoke about memories and the relationship of their beloved loss.

Tyrann died back in September. Officers were at the Salina Regional Health Center parking garage for a recruiting photoshoot when  Ty was allowed out of the vehicle to relieve himself. This location was very familiar to Ty, having been used on multiple occasions for training. Ty went around a parked vehicle and his handler went to check on him and discovered he had fallen over the edge.

Ty was never placed on the ledge or asked to get on the ledge. It is possible Ty heard the noise from a parade down below and was attempting to see where it was coming from and jumped over the wall. Ty was highly trained, but still a dog.

Ty was a respected and beloved member of the Salina Police Department.

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“Faithfully serving Salina since 2021. K-9 Officer Tyrann’s loyalty and service to the community will forever be remembered. A dedicated public servant and cherished member of the Salina Police Department” note from SPD.

Photo by Nicolas Fierro, KSAL News