SOUTHINGTON, Conn. — K9 Roso, who was assigned as a partner to fallen Trooper First Class Aaron Pelletier, is set to retire and remain with the Pelletier family, according to Connecticut State Police Thursday.
Pelletier was laid to rest in a funeral service Wednesday after being hit and killed by a pickup truck on May 30 while outside his cruiser as he conducted a traffic stop on Interstate 84 in Southington.
State police said on the day of the crash that Roso, who was in Pelletier's cruiser at the time, was not injured and was taken to their K9 unit by another trooper who came to the scene. Pelletier was still assigned to Troop H patrol with Roso at the time of his death.
State Police Lt. Anthony Cristy released a statement to "canine friends and family" on behalf of the CSP K9 Unit, expressing "heartfelt gratitude for your unwavering support during the challenging time following the tragic line of duty death of TFC Aaron Pelletier #536."
"Your professionalism, dedication and compassion has been inspiring and truly made a significant difference to Aaron's family and our entire canine program," Cristy said. "As we remember TFC Pelletier and honor his memory, we will continue to move forward with our mission. Your exceptional work is a testament to our shared commitment and we are profoundly grateful for each of you."
State police added in the release that they anticipated an "imminent" retirement for Roso, who will stay with the Pelletier family.
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According to Pelletier's obituary, he graduated from the Connecticut State Police K9 Academy with Roso in December of 2021 as part of the 223rd patrol K9 class. Together, they became a certified Firearms Detection Team in February of 2022.
Pelletier was also assigned to the Tactical Team as a canine handler, the obituary said.
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