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The Sandia Peak Tram announced on July 4 its contribution of $20,000 to the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) K-9 unit, a donation made in honor of K-9 Officer Rebel, who died in the line of duty in May.
Rebel was killed by friendly fire during an attempt to apprehend a suspect near the Albuquerque International Sunport. The incident occurred at the Comfort Suites, where officers were attempting to arrest a 39-year-old man who had fled from a previous SWAT standoff. APD Chief Harold Medina confirmed last month that Rebel’s death was due to friendly fire, and the suspect also died in the incident.
Following the tragedy, the Albuquerque community has rallied to honor K-9 Officer Rebel by raising funds for a new state-of-the-art K-9 training facility. In response, APD and Sandia Peak Tramway launched “Rides for Rebel,” a fundraiser dedicated to creating a cutting-edge K-9 Training Track at the APD Reality-Based Training Facility. Sandia Peak Tramway contributed $1 for every ride from June 9-22 to support the initiative.
“We are so grateful to everyone at the Sandia Peak Tramway. We cannot thank this organization enough for their generosity,” APD said in a statement. “This donation will be used in K-9 Rebel’s honor to help construct a training park and train future K-9s.”
While the tram’s efforts raised $20,000, direct donations can still be made through the One Albuquerque Fund.
“What the loss of Rebel has highlighted is that we haven’t necessarily had a proper support network for our canine units.” Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller said.
The planned training track, to be named in Rebel’s honor, will feature hurdles, tunnels and realistic obstacles designed to enhance the skills and safety of APD’s K-9 Unit. Rebel’s training facility will be constructed adjacent to Daniel Webster Park, named after an APD officer who died in the line of duty in 2015.
“Our canines are here to preserve human life, both for suspects and officers,” Medina said.
The new training facility is estimated to cost around $200,000 and is projected to open by the fall.
“Our intention with this fundraiser is to honor and remember Rebel’s years of dedicated service in a meaningful and positive way,” Sandia Peak Tram said in a statement. “We helped to raise funds that will help provide training and safety resources for the K9 unit.”
