A K-9 officer who died Wednesday in Edinburg outside of a police dog competition was suspected to be caused by a faulty air-conditioner, according to a police report.
Edinburg police were called around 1 p.m. after the body of Pharr-San Juan-Alamo ISD K-9 officer Tilin, a three-year-old Belgian Malinois, was found unresponsive inside a police unit at the Bert Ogden Arena where a police dog competition was held, according to the Edinburg Police Department incident report.
Juan Rene De la Garza, a police officer with the school district, told the responding police officer he took Tilin out of his police unit, a white 2022 Ford F-150. Tilin took a walk and drank some water before he was sent back inside the truck with the engine running and the air-conditioner turned on.
When De la Garza returned to check on Tilin, he opened the truck door and found the dog laying on his side and not moving. De la Garza noticed the air-conditioner had stopped blowing cool air and was blowing hot air instead.
After De la Garza picked Tilin up and placed him on the ground, he noticed vomit on the K-9 and on the spot he was laying in the truck.
“At the time, he stated that he realized that Tilin had in fact passed away, apparently from a heat-related condition, caused as a result of the vehicle’s air conditioner system either malfunctioning and/or failing which caused hot air to be produced from the vents instead of the cold air that he had initially set the controls to,” the report stated.
K-9 officer Tilin’s body was taken to Memorial Funeral Home.
“Our PSJA Family is saddened by the news of the sudden passing of our beloved PSJA Police Department Canine Officer Tilin,” a statement from the school district read. “Officer Tilin was representing the PSJA Police Department at the Inaugural RGV Police K9 Competition at the Bert Odgen Arena on Wednesday, January 4, 2023 when he was found unresponsive inside his unit. Tilin’s career with the PSJA ISD Police started in August 2022.”
The incident is under investigation by the Edinburg Police Department and PSJA ISD which will conduct an internal investigation.
