Minneapolis Star Tribune
MINNEAPOLIS -- A Minneapolis police canine officer was found dead Sunday, and colleagues said she died on duty of an apparent aneurysm.
Lisa Kern, 35, ate dinner with officer Steve Laux about 10 p.m. Saturday. “She was her normal, pleasant, wonderful self,” he said.
About 11 p.m., she stopped at a precinct station to use the bathroom.
Dispatchers tried after that to reach Kern on her radio. When she didn’t answer, officers started looking. Two hours later, they spotted her squad car running in the parking lot. Her drug-detecting dog, Jag, was inside. Kern was found dead on the floor of the bathroom.
The medical examiner ruled she died of natural causes.
“She was a very vibrant woman who was highly respected,” said Sgt. Rob Skoro, supervisor of the canine unit. “She was involved with many successful apprehensions of criminals with her dog. She used good judgment and did a fine job, the kinds of things you’d pass on down the chain of command and say, ‘Hey, look at what she did.’”
She joined the force in 1990 and the canine unit in 1997.
“The untimely death of canine officer Lisa Kern rests heavily on our hearts,” Chief Bill McManus said. “As a department we are mourning the loss of one of our family members. Lisa was truly a gifted, professional police officer.”
Laux said her file is full of letters of commendation and appreciation.
“She wanted to be a very accomplished canine handler, and she fulfilled and accomplished that dream 10 times over,” he said. “She loved her job, and the medals and ribbons she won showed how good she was at it.”
Funeral arrangements are pending. Her family includes a 1-year-old son.