History of New London K-9s

Officer Wasson was a Milford, Connecticut Police Canine Officer who was shot and killed in the line of duty. Officer Wasson made the ultimate sacrifice; it is in his memory that these awards are given each year.
New London Officers and their K-9s who have been presented the Wasson award:
These annual awards are chosen from line of duty deployments that exemplify the highest tradition of police canine law enforcement:


1995: Trooper Todd Lynch and K-9 “Uriah“, Connecticut State Police. Uriah sustained multiple stab wounds during the tracking and apprehension of an armed felony suspect. Uriah recovered from his injuries and returned to duty.


|1998: Officer Gregory Williams and K-9 “Nero”, New London Police Department. Officer Williams and K9 “Nero” were selected for numerous felony apprehensions.
1999: Officer Gregory Williams and K-9 “Nero“, New London Police Department. Nero’s efforts resulted in 13 felony apprehensions during his first year of service. In 1999 Nero engaged a subject and stayed engaged during an exchange of gunfire in which Officer Williams was shot in the forearm.
Officer George Potts and Sequia – 1st runner up
2003: Officer Morales & K-9 “Niko” of New London Police Department were selected for responding to a robbery in progress by three suspects at approximately 1:00a.m. at a local bar. When they arrived the suspects had run into a wooded area where Niko had tracked the suspects and was shot by one of them with a 9 mm which passed completely through him missing all his vital organs, but still continued tracking them. All three suspects were later apprehended. Niko recovered fully from his wound and faithfully still serves and protects his handler with the New London Police Dept.

2004: Officer Morales & K-9 “Niko” of New London Police Department were selected for responding on July 2nd 2004, at approximately 2244 hours, to assist Norwich Police Department in locating a male suspect who had just committed a robbery and murdered his victim with a shot gun blast to the chest. K-9 Niko was deployed into an apartment where the suspect was believed to be hiding. K-9 Niko located the male hiding in a completely dark basement. The suspect surrendered to avoid a K-9 apprehension. K-9 Niko was recalled and the suspect later identified as the man responsible for the robbery homicide and was taken into custody without incident. Also during the past year K-9 Niko had many successful tracks and apprehensions along with finding a total of 28.9 grams of crack cocaine for the year 2004.

2008: Officer Matthew A. Galante & K-9 “Ike” of New London Police Department were selected for numerous successful tracks and apprehensions in New London and also neighboring towns. The team also located a suicidal person and may have saved the victim from ending his life.

K9 Unit Gallery