Fallen Miami-Dade K9 officer to be honored in Washington DC

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. — A fallen South Florida K9 officer will be among 23 four-legged heroes honored by the National Police Dog Foundation.

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Roxi was an 8-year-old yellow lab who started in the Miami-Dade Narcotics Unit in 2017.

“She’s a police officer in our eyes, just like a human, and we hope that today we can show everyone that we honor her and we miss her,” said Miami-Dade Sheriff’s K9 Unit Sgt. Samantha Machado.

It was late January of 2025 when deputies were trying to arrest a suspected drug supplier after months of undercover work.

When Anthony Medina, then 33 years old, tried to get away, deputies said he intentionally slammed his car into the K9 SUV, forcing the vehicle into a concrete wall in the area of Northwest 72nd Street and First Avenue.

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Medina is now in jail facing a long list of charges and awaiting trial.

“There’s a bond between the K9 and the K9 handler that is like no other bond, and to lose your partner in a tragic crash is just, it’s beyond words,” said Machado.

Roxi’s handler, Deputy Jared Hahn, was also injured in the crash.

He made his way to Roxi’s memorial that February and will be in Washington D.C. on Monday to speak I honor of his partner.

“It’s been a pleasure to work with her, she was amazing,” said Machado.

Roxi’s name will now be etched among other heroic K9s who were killed while in the line of duty.

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