Mesa Police Mourn The Loss of Service Dog Killed on Duty

Memorial Page

Mesa Police are mourning the loss of a police service dog killed in the line of duty. Leon, a two-year-old Belgian Malinois trained for patrol duties, suffered fatal injuries after a vehicle struck him during the course of a foot pursuit.

On March 20, at approximately 11:30 p.m., Leon was working routine patrol with his handler, Officer John Lafontaine, when Lafontaine stopped an individual behaving suspiciously in the 2800 block of East Main Street. Lafontaine identified the man as 19-year-old Michael Justin Rowe of Gilbert and confirmed that Rowe had outstanding warrants for probation violation and burglary. As Officer Lafontaine called for a back up officer, Rowe stuck Officer Lafontaine with a bicycle and attempted to run. As Leon ran south across Main Street in pursuit of Rowe, a vehicle struck him. Leon was immediately transported to an emergency animal hospital where he was pronounced deceased. A perimeter was established around the scene and Rowe was later located. Rowe was booked for aggravated assault, resisting arrest, false reporting and his outstanding warrants.

Leon, a dog well known within the department for his extreme competence as a patrol dog, as well as his playful personality, was no stranger to attention. He was thrust into the media spotlight seven month ago after assisting officers with a highly-publicized 90-minute standoff on the U.S. 60, where he assisted in the apprehension of a 350-pound suspect and the successful rescue of an infant inside the suspect’s vehicle.

Off duty, Leon lived with Officer Lafontaine and enjoyed the typical life of a dog.

The current Mesa Police Canine Unit was formed in January 1989. At that time, there were three police service dog handlers, each with a police dog. All three dogs were trained as dual-purpose dogs, with the ability to locate people and detect narcotics. Today, the Mesa Police Department has eleven police service dogs working in various capacities. Each dog is trained to find persons. All of the dogs are sociable.

Leon is the first Mesa Police service dog to be killed in the line of duty.