We often hear about how K-9 officers make tremendous sacrifices to assist their human counterparts, but today, I’m telling a tale where the roles are reversed.
In January 2023, an EF-3 tornado tore through Deer Park and Pasadena, leaving a trail of devastation.
As the tornado ravaged the Houston vicinity, officer Nitchman from the Deer Park police department risked his own safety by charging into the tornado. His mission was to rescue his furry companion who was trapped in the kennel of the squad car.
This is their touching narrative…
Nowhere Without Roni
Narcotics K-9 Roni and officer Joel Nitchman have been partners since 2018.
Officer Nitchman recounted to the KHOU 11 News that Roni had often placed himself in jeopardy to protect him, thus when Roni faced peril, he didn’t think twice.
This impressive pair must have numerous tales to tell, yet this latest incident has rapidly gone viral, capturing the emotions of individuals across the globe.
On that particular day, they had just come back to the police station after their training session when the winds began to pick up. A storm bringing tornadoes quickly erupted, annihilating everything in its path.
K-9 Roni remained in his kennel inside the patrol vehicle.
“I’ll never forget the sound. That’s when I realized it was a significant tornado,” Nitchman told KHOU 11. “The idea of debris or the car flipping over, you know, I couldn’t allow that to happen to him. I couldn’t let him be out there during that.”
Their duty often involves high risks, and while this situation was not their usual peril involving explosives or gunfire, the K-9’s life was still gravely endangered.
Surveillance footage outside the police station recorded officer Nitchman charging through the tornado and lightning towards his patrol vehicle to rescue his loyal friend.
The visibility was extremely poor, with debris swirling around, striking his face. However, things were about to worsen for both the officer and his K-9.
“As soon as I rounded the car, that’s when utter chaos erupted,” Nitchman mentioned.
The ferocity of the wind and rain made it nearly impossible to extract Roni from the vehicle.
“I could hardly open his door. Once I finally did, he’s a clever dog; he observed the mayhem outside and decided, ‘I’m not coming out,’” Nitchman recalled.
At this juncture, visibility had dipped to nearly zero, and the surveillance footage merely displayed the gray tornado moving through.
“I was encouraging him, ‘Come on, buddy. Let’s go,’” the officer recounted.
Seconds later, the duo appeared running into the police station, only to discover that the front door was nearly obstructed by a fence that had been twisted in the tornado.
“I have never experienced anything remotely similar to that before,” Nitchman stated.
Fortunately, the duo managed to enter the police station and wait for the storm to pass.
“I adore that dog. He’s my constant companion nearly every day. He’s a member of our family. You can’t abandon someone you care for like that. There was absolutely no way I was going to leave him,” Nitchman declared, emphasizing he would repeat it without hesitation.
One week after the incident, the footage captured by the surveillance camera went viral, and individuals began complimenting officer Nitchman for risking his life to rescue his best friend and partner.
“I’m just extremely thankful he’s safe. Every handler would have responded similarly for their K-9 partner,” remarked officer Joel Nitchman.
K-9 officers represent a crucial component of any police department, yet they serve as much more than that… a K-9 is not only a well-trained police aide but also a family member, pet, and a handler’s closest friend.
They deserve the utmost, and may K-9 Roni and his handler, officer Nitchman, enjoy many more years in service in good health.
