𝕎𝕒𝕪 Bₑₗₒw 𝔸𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕒𝕘𝕖

It is with great sadness we share about the sudden passing of Austin Police (APD) Patrol K9 “Jax”. Jax, an Eastern European native Belgian Malinois, began his training with his partner Senior Police Officer (SPO) Wagner, in August of 2016. Over more than nine years of service, SPO Wagner and K9 Jax made 227 arrests, including nine apprehensions. Among those arrested, 11 were wanted for murder. In addition to assisting APD Patrol, K9 Jax supported SWAT, the Violent Crimes Task Force, the Special Victims Unit (SVU) and the U.S. Marshals Lone Star Fugitive Task Force. He also responded on multiple occasions to assist the Travis County, Williamson County and Hays County sheriff’s offices. On December 27, 2025, K9 Jax suffered a medical complication and was rushed to the veterinarian. Despite the efforts of dedicated and talented doctors, his condition was beyond recovery. Although he was deteriorating quickly and could barely stand, he made one last trip around the room, hoping someone would throw his beloved Kong one final time. Jax passed away shortly after 7 p.m. surrounded by his loving family. K9 Jax is the first APD Patrol K9 to pass away while still actively working. He was scheduled to retire in less than two weeks, on January 8, 2026. K9 Jax can rest easy knowing that his nine K9 Fur-Brothers will continue to follow the scent to find dangerous criminals and keep each and every one of us safe. Thank you for your service, Jax. We’ll take it from here.