Omaha Police are planning a remembrance for a K9 officer shot and killed Saturday during a 26-hour-long standoff.
Authorities were serving a Douglas County mental health warrant on a resident at a home at 83rd and Keystone when the man barricaded himself in the home. Police attempted to negotiate with the man, identified as 59-year-old Mark L’Heureux.
Douglas County deputies, Omaha Police, and the FBI all responded to the scene. L’Heureuxallegedly fired shots at deputies Friday night. Omaha Police sent in a K9 officer Saturday afternoon named Kobus. Kobus was shot and died from his injuries.
Kobus was a nine-year-old Belgian Malinois who’d been with OPD since 2008. He was preparing to retire. In a statement, Chief Todd Schmaderersaid “Kobus died in the line of duty in order to protect the lives of sworn law enforcement.” Officer Matthew McKinney was Kobus’s handler.
On their Facebook page, OPD says they're working on plans to honor Kobus. A fund has been set up in Kobus’ memory.
L’Heureux is charged with three counts of attempted first-degree murder, four counts of use of a weapon to commit a felony, and one count of harassment of a police animal. Authorities found nine guns inside his home.