The Duluth Police Department issued an emotional public statement Monday regarding the tragic loss of K-9 Officer Luna, while also sharing a special video of Saturday's procession.

The following post was made March 1 on the Duluth Police Department Facebook page:

On 2.25.2021 K9 Luna made the ultimate sacrifice to protect her human partners while responding to a domestic violence call. She was energetic, focused, and talented. While we mourn the loss of K9 Luna, we want to thank you all for the tremendous outpouring of community support during this difficult time. We got to see your support, which is depicted in this short video of our perspective of the procession on Saturday. We are humbled.

At the top of this page, you can watch the video they reference in its entirety. It's full of powerful footage and images of a community coming together in the face of tragedy. Some images may be tough for children to see, so parents may want to watch it ahead of time.

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K-9 Officer Luna, a Dutch Shepard who was the first female dog with the Duluth Police Department, was killed on Thursday, February 25 when Duluth police were responding to a domestic assault at approximately 8:30 p.m. in the area of the 2300 Block of W 4th Street. According to the department's public notice, "upon arrival officers learned the male suspect had felony warrants and refused to surrender. K-9 Luna was sent in to apprehend the suspect, at which point the suspect fired shots and hit K-9 Luna. Officers returned fire, retreated from the residence, and set up a perimeter to contain the scene". Tragically, K-9 Officer Luna later died at the emergency veterinary clinic.

The standoff would end the afternoon of Friday, February 26, when police shot and killed the suspect.

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