Hundreds Honor Fallen K-9 Officer at Memorial Service

Columbia, SC – Over hundreds of mourners converged at the SC Criminal Justice Academy on Wednesday to pay their respects to a fallen hero, SLED K-9 Coba, who lost his life in the line of duty on June 11th.

A Fallen Hero Remembered

Special Agent Cole Powell, along with his family, was solemnly greeted by numerous K-9s and their handlers from across the state as they all came to honor Coba.

“The Lord sent an angel. He sent Coba as that protective shield. That angel. So that our folks went home that day,” expressed SLED Chief Mark Keel.

The Incident that Took a Hero

According to the Newberry County Sheriff’s Office on the date of the incident, SLED agents in collaboration with deputies were in the act of serving a felony warrant in Prosperity. The suspect, James Robert Peterson, was discovered hiding inside his mother Scarlett Boyd’s residence. Unfortunately, on breaking into the house, Peterson fired shots that led to the tragic death of the four-year-old K-9, Coba.

Law enforcement promptly reacted and apprehended the suspect, incapacitating him. He was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment and is now facing further criminal charges. The suspect’s mother was also arrested for hindering the law enforcement officers serving process.

A Partner, A Friend

Special Agent Powell described his fallen partner as fearless. He also made mention of K-9 Buddy Rico, another brave dog who was also killed in the line of duty last September.

“It’s hard to understand why this happened again so soon after my brother Richard lost Rico. But I do understand one thing. Both of them were right where they were meant to be. Tuesday morning Coba was surrounded by people who actually truly loved him. Our training and our fate were met in the final seconds of his life. I will forever be thankful for him, and the memories we have of him will live on forever,” added Powell.

Honoring A Loyal Servant

American flags were presented to Powell and his family by Governor Henry McMaster and Chief Keel during the memorial.

In a reflective tone, Governor McMaster said, “We all love our animals, love our dogs, but this relationship between these law officers and these dogs is unique. And it gives you hope that if only people could be like these animals,”.

Chief Keel pointing towards Powell’s family emphasized, “If you looked today and saw Cole’s family, Alex and CJ and McKinley… to think what could’ve been… we could’ve been planning an entirely different memorial service today,”.

According to SLED, K-9 Coba and Special Agent Powell had been partnered together for over 300 deployments and were responsible for 16 criminal apprehensions.

The loss of Coba underscores the incredible bravery and dedication our K-9 officers exhibit daily. As a community and as a nation, we stand in solidarity mourning the fearless K-9 Coba and honoring the valor of all the officers who put their lives on the line for public safety.