MONTICELLO, Ark. – Police and the community of Monticello are mourning the passing of a cherished K-9 officer.

On Friday, Monticello Police Department officials announced that Cezar has passed away after he was critically injured a storm last Tuesday.

The K-9 officer had been apart of the police department for many years and was trained in narcotics detection and tracking. 

Cezar was a nationally certified K-9 and was the recipient of multiple grants for equipment and training, according to officials.

Department officials said Cezar was an active and well-known officer in the community and will be sorely missed by those he protected.