MARION COUNTY, Fla. – K9s United held a fundraising event Saturday in St. Augustine that will benefit four-legged law enforcement throughout Northeast Florida and beyond.
This year’s 9K for K9s event honored the memory of Marion County Sheriff’s Office K9 officer, Leo, who was recently killed while keeping his human partners safe.
“I was really fortunate. He was my first canine,” Corporal Justin Tortora, Leo’s handler, said.
In February, deputies — including Tortora and Leo — responded to a report of a suspect accused of battery by strangulation in Silver Springs.
Deputies said they located the suspect in the backyard, and he started shooting toward them. As a result, Leo was injured.
Leo was rushed to the UF Veterinary Hospital, where he died three days later.
“I gotta say, that was best probably day or night of my life, when I came home and I saw my wife, saw my baby and it was thanks to him,” Tortora said. “It’s tragic, the outcome of the situation, but you know, really from here on, I pretty much owe him each day that I’m here and I get to see them. Because honestly without him there could have been a totally different outcome.”
Tortora said seeing the support from the community Saturday morning at the fundraising event meant the world to him.
“It’s amazing. It truly is and it just helps with the whole coping for me personally and my wife,” Tortora said.
Debbie Johnson, founder and president of K9s United said this event is a way to show people the dangerous job she says these K9s have.
“We want the community to understand how valuable and how important our K9s are and the dangers that they face every single day to keep us safe,” Johnson said. “They are invaluable to me. They do so many things in the community. It is not just about taking down bad guys. It’s about finding missing children, missing elderly, taking drugs off the street.”
In this year’s 9K for K9s race, participants received a medal with Leo’s face on it and his end-of-watch date.
Some participants also received a commemorative K9 Leo T-shirt.