It shocked our community, and today Wayne State University Police Sergeant Collin Roses' death remains an open investigation.
PHOTOS | Remembering slain WSU Sgt. Collin Rose
Person of Interest Raymond Durham remains behind bars, charged with the non-fatal shooting of 2 other officers.
But, many wonder about another part of the story: Roses' partner, his beloved K-9 Wolverine.
Now, 7 Action News has learned 7 months after Collin's killing, he's working with a new handler who had a special connection to Collin.
"When I think of Collin, I think of the prime example of how a person and a professional would act," says officer Greg Roberts.
He says the 29-year-old Rose was both a friend and mentor to him.
"A month or two before he passed, I was searching for my own personal dog to do protection with, and Collin overheard me talking about that. I was able to go to a couple classes with him and see him on the road. He opened my mind to that, and I'm thankful for that and the time I had with him as well," says Roberts.
Following Collin's death, the department sent Greg to a specialized school with Wolverine, where he trained with the 2-year-old German Short Haired Pointer to detect 10 different kinds of explosives.
Roberts says, "The dogs were already trained for this type of work, but really it was about getting our training in."
Searching luggage, vehicles and buildings for explosives is highly skilled work requiring extensive training as Greg showed us in various videos.
He and Wolverine are now working at venues such as Comerica Park, Ford Field and soon Little Caesar's Arena.
Greg has also brought Wolverine home to live with him, and the two have formed a close bond.
"It's the biggest honor of my life, and I never thought I would get the opportunity to become a K-9 handler. Obviously, this isn't the way I wanted it to happen, but I couldn't be more honored to follow in Collin's footsteps," says Greg.
He adds, "Mr. and Mrs. Rose, and Nicki helped me get to this point. They put in a good word with the Chief and expressed Collin would have wanted me to have this position. It's the biggest honor of my life, and I can't express it enough."
Officer Roberts asks that people stop and say hello to him and Wolverine at various events. He says he would love for people to meet his K-9, and that it's what Collin would have wanted.
