NHP Names K9 Officer After Fallen NHP Trooper

Nevada Highway Patrol is honoring a fallen hero by keeping his name and memories alive with a K9 officer.

Skipper, the one-year-old German Short Haired Pointer, starts his first day as an NHP K9 officer today, according to KTNV.

The four-legged pup earned his name as a tribute to fallen trooper Sgt. Ben Jenkins. Jenkins was shot and killed on March 27th when he stopped a motorist he was trying to help in Ely, Nevada.

He was an avid outdoorsman, hunter and animal lover. Earning Jenkins the nickname "skipper" from his friends and coworkers.

Jenkins was also a K9 handler and was partnered with Thor, a Belgian Malinois.

Officer Skipper is trained in narcotics detection and will be introduced to his fellow K9 officers today.