Remembrance - K-9 Nyx

K-9 Nyx - Rockford Police Department

On the afternoon of January 28 2024, police in Rockford, Illinois responded to an apartment for a report of a domestic dispute where the suspect had stolen a woman’s cell phone and fled the scene. Just as Rockford Police officer Jon Vargas and his K-9 partner Nyx were able to track the male down, he took off on foot, with the K-9 duo in pursuit. The male jumped over a fence and Nyx quickly caught up to him. Officer Vargas heard three gunshots, and as he got closer, saw his faithful K-9 partner on the ground suffering from gunshot wounds. The suspect exchanged gunfire with the officer. The gunman was wounded in his leg and taken into custody at the scene. Nyx passed away a short time later.

Nyx joined the Rockford Police Department in 2018, and was the first female dog in the city’s history. The Belgian Malinois was trained in narcotics detection, evidence recovery, human tracking, and apprehension. She was 7-years old.