Community can honor JSO K-9 Fang at public memorial site

K-9 killed in line of duty to be added to memorial monument in Jacksonville

JSO K-9 Fang will be added to a public memorial site for police dogs in Jacksonville.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Jacksonville Sheriff's Office K-9 killed in the line of duty Sunday will be honored with a monument at a Jacksonville pet memorial park next week.

The Jacksonville Pet Funeral Home and Pet Memorial Park on Beach Boulevard announced Friday that the public can pay tribute to K-9 Fang next week ahead of a private funeral service for the 3-year-old police dog.

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The private memorial service will be held for law enforcement personnel and immediate family members only, but the community can share their condolences with the JSO K-9 Unit and Fang's handler through a public memorial register book.

The book will be available at the memorial site, where tributes can be left to Fang. The established site already honors six other police K-9s, and Fang's name will be added to the memorial.

The memorial at 4969 Beach Blvd. in Jacksonville will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The memorials, tributes, flowers cards and personal messages will be collected by the JSO K-9 Unit and delivered to Fang's handler and squad ahead of the private service.

Fang was shot and killed Sunday while chasing down a suspected carjacker. Jhamel Paskel, 17, is charged with killing a police dog, armed carjacking and two counts of kidnapping.

According to state of Florida statutes, killing a law enforcement K-9 is a third-degree felony charge that carries a prison sentence of up to five years.

According to police, Paskel, who was wearing a camo mask and carrying a black handgun, approached two women sitting in a red four-door sedan at a gas pump at the 7-Eleven on Lem Turner Road.

He made one of them drive as he held her at gunpoint and then ordered her out of the car a short distance later, police said.

The car had OnStar, which allowed police to track the vehicle. As officers chased the car, OnStar shut off the engine at Interstate 10 and Cecil Commerce Center Parkway -- about 18 miles away from the gas station.

At that point, Lt. Craig Waldrup said, Paskel got out of the car and as he ran off, one of the officers released K-9 Fang.

Police said Paskel fatally shot Fang with a 9mm handgun and continued running into a wooded area, where was taken down by another service dog and his officer. 

Waldrup said Fang's handler was upset.

"The officers and their dogs are very close,” Waldrup said, “so it's very upsetting to him.”


About the Author:

A Jacksonville native and proud University of North Florida alum, Francine Frazier has been with News4Jax since 2014 after spending nine years at The Florida Times-Union.