Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Deputies Mourning K-9 Officer’s Death

New Iberia, LA (KPEL News) - An Iberia Parish K-9 Officer has reached the end of his watch, and deputies are mourning the death of their beloved colleague. According to the Iberia Parish Sheriff's Office Facebook page, retired K-9 Officer Storm passed away peacefully at his home last week. He was living with his handler and partner Sergeant Scott Legendre, affectionately known as Legend.

K-9 officers partner with handlers in the military and law enforcement agencies across the country for a variety of tasks including suspect apprehension, drug and explosives detection, and search and rescue. Law enforcement has used canines since the Middle Ages to assist in their peace keeping efforts.

Dogs go through extensive training both individually and with their partner to prepare for duty. They are often Belgian Malinois or German Shepherds, although other similar breeds have become members of law enforcement organizations. According to the National Police Dog Foundation, Basset Hounds, Bloodhounds, and Labrador Retrievers may be used because of their particular strengths, like tracking and trailing. They may be trained as single purpose or dual purpose officers. K-9 officers perform their duties with unique precision and act solely on their handler's commands.

Storm, a Belgian Malinois, was vested for the Iberia Parish Sheriff's Office K-9 Unit in 2014, along with four other dogs. Storm was integral in the apprehension of criminals, helped get narcotics off the streets, made public appearances, and protected his fellow officers.

A spokesperson with the Iberia Parish Sheriff's Office told me that Storm would wait each morning for his handler and was always excited to go to work. Storm lived out his last days in the loving home of Legend and his family.

Storm served "with diligence" from 2013 until his retirement in 2021. Dozens of messages of support followed the announcement of Storm's passing, with one person commenting:

Good times were had with ole Storm over the years!! Dude was a friggin machine!

The Iberia Parish Sheriff's Office post says Storm will be remembered as a crime fighter, an ambassador, and a member of the IPSO family.

Legend produced the following video upon Storm's retirement. If you listen, you can hear the emotion in his voice as he talks about his partner.

Rest in peace, Storm. Gone, but not forgotten.