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Mounted patrol horse retires after 8 years with KCPD

Posted at 5:26 PM, Jan 18, 2017
and last updated 2017-01-18 19:42:30-05

On Wednesday, mounted patrol horse O'Sullivan, or Sully, took his final bow after working for the Kansas City Police Department for the last eight years.

Police Officer Jake Emig learned everything he knows from Sully.

"On day one he was the horse I was assigned to, but after that I mean shortly after that Sully and I we became best friends,” said Emig.

Sully is named after fallen Kansas City Police Officer John O'Sullivan, who was shot and killed by a gunman in 1978 as he sat in a parked police car.

"Sully represents a lot more to me than just a horse, you know so he is kind of an extension of my dad's memory,” said Maureen O'Sullivan Darr.

She is Officer O’Sullivan's daughter; she came from New York to meet Sully and to be there as he retired.

"You always want an officer to hit retirement age, and for Sully he did that and you know he kept his partner safe and his partner kept him safe. I am just glad that he is going to be able to live out his years doing what horses love to do,” said O'Sullivan Darr.

"We've tried every day to honor Officer O'Sullivan's family the absolute best we can, and hopefully we did it justice while he was here," said Emig.

Sully will live out his days at a stable with his original owners.

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Ali Hoxie can be reached at ali.hoxie@kshb.com

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