The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF) on June 2 announced Officer Brian Sanchioni and his K-9 partner, Titan, of the Milford (Mass.) Police Department as its Officers of the Month for April 2025. Officer Sanchioni and Titan were selected for their actions when they located a missing 8-year-old, nonverbal autistic child who had wandered away from home. While searching for the child, Sanchioni and Titan located him in chest-deep water, clinging to a tree so as not to go deeper into the water.
On April 29, K-9 Officer Sanchioni and Titan responded to a call after a child’s mother reported that her son had climbed out of a bedroom window and disappeared. The mother informed dispatch that her son was nonverbal, autistic and drawn to water. Officer Sanchioni and Titan, who have trained together for over seven years, began tracking through residential backyards and along a nearby stream. Titan entered the water and navigated under a small bridge before locating the child, who was holding onto a tree in stomach-high water. The officers entered the stream and brought the child to safety, where he was later reunited with his family unharmed.
“Officer Sanchioni and Titan demonstrated the critical importance of training, trust and teamwork in high-stakes situations,” NLEOMF CEO William Alexander said. “This case is a reminder of the essential role that K-9 units play in protecting our communities. We are humbled and proud to honor Officer Sanchioni and Titan as our Officers of the Month for April 2025.”
The Officer of the Month Award Program is sponsored by the Police Unity Tour and recognizes federal, state, and local officers who distinguish themselves through exemplary law enforcement service and devotion to duty.
—www.NLEOMF.org—
