Rockford Police K9 Officer Shot on Duty: Here’s How She’s Doing Now

The Rockford Police Department has posted an update about K9 Officer Andii who was shot in the line of duty on April 19, 2025.

A 'Shining Example of Courage and Resillience'

I love animals more than most people, especially dogs, and when I saw that a Rockford Police Department K9 Officer has been shot during an incident at a Circle K gas station on East State Street, my heart broke.

The first place my brain went upon seeing the headlines was that K9 Andii had been shot and killed during the incident, but thank God that was not the case.

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A mystateline.com article reports that a 38-year-old man from Madison, Wisconsin named Vernon Hills shot the K9 while fleeing from cops after a traffic stop, and has since been arrested.

K9 Andii received injuries to her paw and shoulder, but Rockford Police have made it known that her life was spared in big part thanks to the ballistic vest she was wearing.

Following the shooting, K9 Andii was rushed to the emergency vet for surgery, and this morning the Rockford Police Department shared that Andii is "doing great!"...

What a beautiful, brave girl!

Punishment for Shooting a K-9 Officer in Illinois

Following the Saturday, April 19 incident, Vernon Hills was arrested on several charges including:

• Attempted Murder of a Police Officer
• Unlawful Use of a Weapon by a Felon
• Aggravated Discharge of a Firearm at a Police Officer
• Armed Violence
• Possession of a Controlled Substance
•  Injuring a Police K9
• Obstructing Justice

One thing that is important to note here is that the Attempted Murder of a Police Officer charge was not for shooting K9 Andi, it was for shooting at Officer Andii's handler and the other officers at the scene.

Injuring a police K9 is a class 4 felony in Illinois, but is not considered attempted murder. I'm not sure how I feel about that.