It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of K9 Steel. This morning, we said goodbye with a final salute to our Stafford County Sheriff's Office hero. Please keep his handler, Deputy Demirci, and his family in your thoughts and prayers as they mourn the loss of their K9 family member.

Deputy Demirci and Steel have worked tirelessly to protect the community—from searching for dangerous criminals and finding missing persons to detecting explosives and keeping schools safe. We will miss Steel and never forget his service to our county.

Thank you to our community and everyone who has offered their thoughts and prayers as we mourn the loss of K9 Steel. We would also like to thank the George Mason Police Department, Manassas Park Police Department, Virginia State Police, Culpeper Sheriff’s Office, Fredericksburg Police Department, Fredericksburg Sheriff’s Office, Fauquier Sheriff’s Office, Fairfax City Police Department, Iron Dog K9, and all our public safety partners for their support.