Rebel, the Albuquerque police dog that died in the line of duty in May was killed with friendly fire according to the Albuquerque Police Department.
Now, the Albuquerque community is rallying to honor K-9 Officer Rebel by raising funds for a new state-of-the-art K-9 training facility.
Rebel was killed by friendly fire during an attempt to apprehend a suspect near the Albuquerque International Sunport. The incident occurred at the Comfort Suites when officers were trying to arrest a 39-year-old man who had fled from a previous SWAT standoff. At a press conference Friday, Medina said that the situation was “difficult” and confirmed that Rebel’s loss was due to friendly fire. The suspect was also killed during the incident.
In response to the tragedy, APD and Sandia Peak Tramway have launched “Rides for Rebel,” a fundraiser aimed at creating a cutting-edge K-9 Training Track at the APD Reality-Based Training Facility. Sandia Peak Tramway will donate $1 for every ride from June 9-22 to support the initiative. Direct donations can be made through the One Albuquerque Fund and through Sandia Peak Tramway.
“What the loss of Rebel has highlighted is that we haven’t necessarily had a proper support network for our canine units,” Mayor Tim Keller said.
Keller also praised APD Chief Harold Medina for coming with the idea of the new facility, which will provide a permanent training space for police dogs and their handlers.
The planned training track, to be named in Rebel’s honor, will include hurdles, tunnels and realistic obstacles designed to enhance the skills and safety of APD’s K-9 Unit. Rebel’s training facility will be built next to Daniel Webster Park. Webster was an APD officer who lost his life in the line of duty in 2015.
“Our canines are here to preserve human life, both for suspects and officers,” Medina said.
The new training facility is estimated to cost around $200,000 and is slated to be open by the fall.
The community is encouraged to support this initiative by riding the Sandia Peak Tramway or donating directly, as part of an effort to invest in the safety and readiness of both human and canine officers.