It is with great sadness that we announce the passing yesterday of Boynton Beach Police Department K9 Iro, ID #973. Iro bravely served the community from July 5, 2016 to Aug. 6, 2021, first with our beloved brother, the late Officer Joe Crowder, and then with Officer Chris Schalk. Together, they apprehended dozens of criminals over the years, most notably an armed carjacking suspect who shot at his victim.
K9 Iro was trained to detect currency and firearms, and during the course of his career he found many guns, including an AR-15 hidden under a burglary suspects mattress, a gun used in a Delray Beach homicide, and in December 2020, he found a gun hidden inside a drawer in a murder suspect’s house in Boynton Beach.
There was never a question about K9 Iro’s determination at work; when it was time to go 10-8, he was raring to go.
Off-duty, Iro was a love who gave really sloppy kisses. He was recently diagnosed with an aggressive form of bone cancer. Please keep the Schalk and Crowder families in your prayers during this difficult time.
Rest easy, Iro our hero, and give our love to Joe and Daxxx.
