Thousands of officers descended on Dallas during their time of need last week. La Vista K9 Officer John Danderand says it was an honor to make the trip.
“Every single day we had Dallas PD come up and shake our hands and thank us for making the trip and this is when they're dealing with the grief of their own loss. It was just amazing,” said Officer John Danderand.
From receiving anonymous notes, to handshakes and hugs in Dallas, Officer Danderand says he was feeling the love.
“After experiencing Dallas and all the support from the community down there, I came back feeling rejuvenated. Then all of the sudden just a couple days later, a few more officers are dead,” said Danderand.
On Sunday tragedy struck once again. Three officers were killed in an ambush in Baton Rouge.
“Many of us are still in disbelief, but we still have to get up in the morning and we still have to go to work. We have to do the best job that we can,” said Bellevue K9 Officer Jim Bartley.
Fellow K9 Officer Jim Bartley of Bellevue says now more than ever officers need support. Bartley says it's nice to have the tight knit group of Metro K9 officers to lean on during times like these. Officer Danderand agrees.
“As far as a support system, you couldn't do this job without one. We all have each other’s backs,” said Danderand.
Community support has also been instrumental in helping these officers heal so that they can continue to protect and serve.
“Overall the community is behind us, they're backing us. You can’t hardly go anywhere without someone wanting to come up and shake your hand and tell you that they support you and that you are doing a great job,” said Danderand.
