From Prince William police:
GOODBYE HAWKEYE: It is with heavy hearts we announce that Retired K9 Hawkeye passed away this past weekend. Hawkeye served a distinguished career from 2006 – 2015, along with his partner Master Police Officer Bill VanAntwerp. Hawkeye passed peacefully, with his family by his side. He was 13 years old.
Hawkeye was a valiant K9 who worked diligently catching criminals who were wanted for serious offenses. He was an instrumental piece of an effective dog team handled by Master Police Officer William VanAntwerp. He was a dual purpose dog certified in narcotic detection and criminal apprehension. He made countless apprehensions, ultimately locating suspects in every possible environment. There was comfort knowing K9 Hawkeye was on the street patrolling at night.
See Hawkeye in action in 2010
In addition to his regular patrol duties, K9 Hawkeye was assigned as one of our SWAT dogs. MPO VanAntwerp and K9 Hawkeye were the first SWAT dog team with the Prince William County Police Department. They were a valuable tool that aided the Department in critical moments. This requires additional testing into a dog’s behavior/response when working in an environment that is highly volatile and in close proximity to SWAT Team members. Preparing a K9 for this type of an assignment is a lengthy process which requires a lot of patience with both dog and handler. Hawkeye was an effective tool used in this assignment and was deployed in many situations.
Hawkeye received several certifications and awards presented by the United States Police Canine Association. This team certified annually in tracking, suspect search, agility, criminal apprehension, and basic obedience. This team also certified at the National level with the USPCA. Only the top dogs receive a certification at a national level.
We were lucky to have Hawkeye serving our Department and the citizens of Prince William County. He was a true hero. #NeverForget
