The German shepherd barked at the coffin of its deceased owner. Opening the lid, people screamed in horror…….

That night, for the first time since losing his previous owner, Rex went home with Michael instead of staying in the kennel at the station. Over the next year, Rex and Michael continued to grow closer, and after 15 months of working together, it seemed the pair was inseparable. All the other officers who had failed to become the dog’s partner were happy for their unusual friendship.

Everything was going well until a late July evening in 2013. Over the past few months, there had been a series of robberies in the town, with thieves targeting warehouses with minimal security. At first, the group just stole goods from the warehouse grounds, until one night a security guard was found shot just outside a warehouse.

After that, the police elevated the robbers’ status to dangerous criminals, and their capture became the top priority for the station. Because of this, Rex and Michael teamed up with another officer named James Carter. He was a rookie who had joined the station a few months earlier.

Due to a shortage of personnel, leadership allowed James to assist with the warehouse robbery investigation if accompanied by a more experienced officer. That night, they were patrolling a new warehouse that had recently opened outside the town. In recent weeks, the robbers had grown bolder, and due to budget constraints, the warehouse owners hadn’t hired security or installed cameras…

However, the company used this facility to store high-value goods, making it a tempting target for the gang. So, leadership decided that Michael, James, and Rex would wait outside in an unmarked car, watching for any signs of activity. Hours passed, and they were about to leave when Rex growled softly, and his partner looked closer and saw a dark figure sneaking along the building’s wall.

Michael quickly signaled James, and the trio cautiously approached the building. Getting closer, James decided to go left of the facility, while Rex and Michael went right. Shortly after the group split, the dog growled softly again, and Officer Thompson looked up, seeing three people in black hoodies trying to open the warehouse’s back door.

He carefully drew his service weapon, ordering the group to stop and put their hands up. The bandits froze, and everything was going according to plan until James suddenly screamed, and gunshots filled the air.

One of the other robbers had sneaked up behind James as he approached alone, and as soon as the rookie turned the corner to join his colleagues, the suspect opened fire.

The situation quickly spiraled out of control. Michael had only a moment to radio a distress signal before he saw a man charging at him. By the time other officers arrived, the gang had fled, locking Rex inside the warehouse, and both police officers were wounded.

They were quickly taken for medical evaluation, and though the wounds weren’t too severe, the hospital reported that Officer Thompson had died from his injuries…