Honoring the Fallen

Photos courtesy of Police and Fire: The Fallen Heroes.

He was lost in a round of friendly fire during an officer-involved shooting in Cambodia Town a few months ago.

On Sunday, he was honored as one of Long Beach’s—and the country’s—own.

 

Long Beach Police Department (LBPD) K-9 Credo was honored along with all of the other officers who died this past year at a ceremony sponsored by Police and Fire: The Fallen Heroes during the halftime of the Oakland Raiders game.

“It was amazing,” said Long Beach Police Department Commander Randy Allen, who was selected for the trip after Credo’s handler, Officer Mike Parcells was unavailable. “When we entered the field, the Raiders’ announcer read off all the names. After every name, there was a firework… and at the end, there was a standing ovation. It made you feel like those lives mattered.”

Fallen Heros

Allen, a longtime Oakland Raiders fan, jumped at the chance to attend the ceremony, a trip he fully paid for himself, without city funds. Credo was one of just four K-9s that were honored during the ceremony. It was the first time the LBPD participated in the ceremony, spearheaded by The Fallen Heroes organization in 2009.

“Fortunately, we hadn’t qualified to participate until this year,” said Allen, who said that although Credo was a dog, losing him affected the police force deeply. “We use K-9s to make things safer for our officers,” said Allen. “But when we lose them, it hurts just the same.”

He and the entire department were appreciative of the gesture, especially given the scrutiny police are currently facing.

“It means a lot for the Raiders to make time, particularly when law enforcement is under attack” said Allen, who said support from the community has encouraged officers as well. “It’s a huge deal. Even when law enforcement is under such scrutiny… there are so many animal lovers in the community. The support is incredible.”

The officers honored included:

  • Jojo | San Bernardino Sheriff K-9
  • Jag | Twin Rivers Unified School District K-9
  • Scott Ballantyne | Tulare County Sheriff’s Deputy
  • James Chavez | Tulare County Sheriff’s Pilot
  • Lyka | Alameda County Sheriff K-9
  • Nathan Taylor | California Highway Patrol Officer
  • Michael Katherman | San Jose Police Officer
  • Credo | Long Beach Police K-9
  • Jonathan Deguzman | San Diego Police Officer
  • Ryan Osler | Ventura County Fire Engineer
  • Steve Owen | LA County Sheriff’s Sergeant
  • Jose Gilbert Vega | Palm Springs Police Officer
  • Lesley Zerebny | Palm Springs Police Officer
  • Jack Hopkins | Modoc County Sheriff’s Deputy
  • Al Lopez | LA County Sheriff’s Sergeant 
  • Chris Cuzynski | San Gabriel Fire Captain
  • Rod Lucas | Fresno County Sheriff’s Sergeant
  • Dennis Wallace | Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Deputy 

This report was updated on 11/30/2016 at 10:17AM, correcting the spelling of Officer Mike Parcell’s name and including the names of the officers honored.