Lt. Kevin Theriault and his dog, Trigger Photo courtesy city of South Portland
SOUTH PORTLAND — Trigger, a beloved canine member of the South Portland Police Department, has died after providing a decade of faithful service tracking dozens of crime suspects and lost individuals and leading investigators to drug and weapon seizures throughout Greater Portland.
Trigger’s handler, Lt. Kevin Theriault, recently learned that the black German shepherd had cancer, according to a statement Tuesday from the department.
As his K9 partner became increasingly uncomfortable, Theriault consulted with a local veterinarian and the difficult decision was made to end his suffering, the statement said.
The department named Theriault its 2016 Officer of the Year for his work with Trigger in several high-risk incidents in Greater Portland, including the tracking and arrest of an armed robbery suspect in Portland.
Trigger, who was 12 years old, was not only Theriault’s partner, but also a devoted coworker to all who serve the city and a protective guardian to Theriault’s family.
“We are forever in his debt and will never forget his loyalty, courage and intelligence,” Chief Dan Ahern said. “Lt. Theriault, his family and the South Portland Police Department are deeply saddened today.”
Theriault and Trigger’s list of accomplishments is long and their reputation has become legendary, Ahern said.
They assisted Portland police when a driver ran off from a traffic stop, tracking the suspect to a nearby yard and finding keys that the suspect dropped while running. They conducted a drug search of a vehicle in South Portland that led to the seizure of marijuana and $4,000 cash.
They also worked in Gorham, where a driver had fled during a traffic stop and ditched drugs that he was suspected of carrying. Theriault and Trigger ultimately found a container with 19.5 grams of heroin in a nearby yard.
Theriault joined the department in January 2011.
The department has two other K9 teams: Sgt. Shane Stephenson and Zak, and Officer Ezekiel Collins and Sauer.
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