HOUSTON — The Houston Police Department is blaming a "tragic accident" for the death of a K-9 officer.
"The handler left Aron in a running, air-conditioned patrol vehicle, which is a necessary and common practice when the K-9 partner is not actively engaged in police work," HPD said in a statement.
When the officer returned to the vehicle, he said the engine had shut off and Aron was in distress. He was rushed to an emergency veterinarian clinic but they couldn't save him.
HPD said the vehicle's alert system should have notified the handler when the engine shut off.
"HPD K-9 vehicles are equipped with a system that notifies the handler, sounds the horn, activates cooling fans and rolls down the car windows if, for some reason, the vehicle shuts down," HPD said. "This did not happen in this instance."
HPD is investigating the incident and said all K-9 vehicles will be immediately inspected.