Original Article Police dog 'had as much courage as any I've seen' R.J. followed his orders to the end during car chase William Hermann The Arizona Republic Aug. 16, 2005 12:00 AM As the partner of a slain Phoenix police dog grieved Monday, the man who had trained Rusty Junior said the Belgian Malinois had fulfilled his mission by protecting his handler when he lost his life Saturday. Rusty Junior, or R.J., was hit and killed by the driver of a stolen vehicle during a chase. "We look for courage first in our dogs, and R.J. had as much courage as any dog I've seen," canine unit trainer Officer Jon Howard said. "When his handler put him in the 'down' position (telling the dog to remain still), he stayed; the officers got away when the car came at them, and R.J. died." Officer Bryan Hanania had trained for more than 600 hours with R.J. under Howard's direction. Dogs like R.J. cost the department between $4,000 and $6,000. Hanania was on patrol about 5:30 p.m. Saturday with R.J., one of 18 dogs in Phoenix used for dangerous duty, when a call came that was typical for the unit. There had been a theft and a carjacking near Roosevelt and 26th streets, and a suspect was racing away from police. If the suspect bailed from the car, it would be a perfect pursuit job for R.J. "We send the dogs to track people, to enter buildings where there may be an intruder . . . to go where it is particularly dangerous for a human officer to go," canine unit Sgt. Trent Crump said. "We support first-responder patrol units 24 hours a day, and we get about 300 calls a month. We're working 24/7." And paying a price. Four canines, including R.J., have been killed in the line of duty since 1984. As Hanania and R.J. arrived at the pursuit scene Saturday, the suspect dove out of the stolen car, leaving it in an alley between Garfield and Roosevelt streets, police said. Hanania heard what was happening on his radio, and when he and R.J. got out of their car, R.J. was in the lead. The suspect came face to face with the dog, police said. "That stopped him, and he turned around and ran down a sidewalk between some apartments and back to the car," Howard said. "Bryan and R.J. were behind him, and when the suspect got in the car, Bryan gave R.J. the 'down' command, to lay down and await orders." R.J. held his ground between the vehicle and the officers, even as he was run over. Then the car screeched forward, dragging R.J. about 30 feet, police said. Officers in the area chased the suspect and arrested him nearby. He is being held on numerous felony offenses, including cruelty to animals. Other officers helped Hanania load R.J. into his patrol car, Crump said. R.J.'s spine was broken, an emergency clinic veterinarian said. The only thing to do was put the dog out of his pain. Hanania was at his partner's side when he died. On Monday, Howard, Crump and the other canine unit officers were somber but put on a brave face. "When Bryan is ready to come back, we're ready to have another dog for him," Howard said.