'He's a hero": K9 Justice receives award for serving community
OCONOMOWOC, Wis. (CBS 58) -- A police K9 injured in the line of duty was honored Friday night.
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K9 Justice was stabbed in the Waukesha County highway standoff in early June.
Justice's handler says after the K9 was stabbed, the department got countless letters and donations for him.
On Friday, Justice actually got an award on stage in front of hundreds of people.
Hearing a K9 was stabbed during a highway standoff was difficult for the Waukesha County community.
It was even harder for Justice's handler, Waukesha County Deputy Sheriff Kurt Thompson, who says once the standoff was resolved, he was able to focus on Justice.
"It was all about him," Thompson said. "Making sure he was okay both mentally and physically. And just getting him the time off that he needed."
Justice was able to recover in just a few days, but not before an outpouring of support from well beyond Waukesha County.
"We've gotten packages from Alabama. We've gotten cards from California. So it's just been awesome to see the support that he's gotten."
The support went a step further when Justice got a medal up on stage in Oconomowoc for his service to the community.
"He's a hero. So what if he's a dog? He's awesome."
Justice is now eight years old. His handler says he has about two years left on the force.