Officer K9 Kenzo
“Kenzo didn’t stop, and he won’t stop” were the words of his K9 handler, Michael Anderson, the day after Deputy K9 Kenzo was shot two times by a gunman in Palm Beach County Tuesday. When Officers could not see the man suspected of already killing his girlfriend, K9 Kenzo did. When Kenzo found himself in a potentially deadly situation, he did not back down. K9 Kenzo remained focus, lunging at the gunman at first sight. Officers said the dog shielded the deputies from most of the fire, taking two bullets himself. “Every scenario and every training that we do, the dog thinks that he can’t lose,” said Anderson.
Denise Davidson, the emergency Veterinarian that performed surgery on the deputy, said Kenzo was an amazing patient, staying calm and focused. One of the bullets passed through his body, while the other removed in surgery was very close to his spine. Missing only a few patches of hair after his short hospital visit, Kenzo was back on his feet less than 24 hours after the incident. “He was a trooper; I mean like I say, he came in limping a little bit but other than that no big problems for him, “said Davidson.
“If he hadn’t distracted the guy, maybe more than one of them would have been shot, and maybe not just in the leg,” Sheriff’s Lt. Richard Burdick said. Burdick was approaching the suspect with his partner K9 Kenzo, and sustained a single gunshot to the leg. Sheriff Ric Bradshaw says if it weren’t for Kenzo he would have likely been killed.
As soon as Officer K9 Kenzo recovers, officers expect him to return to work.
The suspect, Armando Gonzalez Filipe, was killed. An investigation of the incident is underway.
Lt. Richard Burdick’s wife issued the following statement in praise of the dog who saved her husband.
“To the Employees of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office,
I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to those that have reached out to my husband and I following the events of yesterday evening. Your thoughtfulness and gracious offers of help are greatly appreciated. My husband is doing well, he is resting at home. He is sore and tired but in good spirits and will be off the crutches in a day or so. Your calls, texts and emails have meant a lot to both of us.”
“It is during times like these that we see the true sense of family on display at the Sheriff’s Office. It has been comforting to know that we can call on so many friends should we need to. I’d like to personally thank K9 Kenzo for sacrificing himself so that my husband could come home to me. We wish him a speedy recovery. There are a lot of emotions that run through you when something like this happens and it can be hard to put into words but the greatest emotion is gratitude for you, his friends and co-workers, who daily put your lives on the line to keep the citizens of Palm Beach County safe and for that I say thank you!”