COLORADO SPRINGS — K9 Officer Roam officially retired from his law enforcement duties on Monday, but his journey in the Colorado Springs community will continue.
Colorado Springs Police Officer Robert Comstock, who was Roam’s handler, said the canine will become an ambassador moving forward, making appearances at community events, meet-and-greets, and other outreach opportunities.
“Roam was injured in the line of duty. His recovery's been fantastic. He's full of life. He's full of energy,” said Officer Comstock. “He's probably the happiest dog we've ever had. He's been happy through the whole ordeal. His tail's always wagging.”
Roam was injured in October last year when Officer Comstock and the dog responded to what was initially a domestic violence call. It turned into a barricade situation, and upon entry into the home, Roam was stabbed multiple times.
He had emergency surgery, and his back left leg was amputated.
“You'll see him running and you can't even tell he has three legs when he's running,” said Comstock. “So it hasn't slowed him down at all.”
Roam’s injury and subsequent recovery brought widespread, international attention. Comstock said support for the recovery efforts came from multiple states and countries.
He recounted one message that stood out on social media, which came from a woman with Stage 4 cancer.
“She said that until she started following Roam and seeing Roam’s story, she didn't really have a will to live anymore,” Comstock said. “And now she wakes up every morning with a will to see Roam and see what he's doing for the day and see his happy spirit.”
An Instagram account detailing Roam’s journey (along with his canine brother Milo) has provided consistent updates on the dog’s recovery.
In a Monday post announcing his retirement, the account said the “decision wasn’t easy.”
“While there were a couple of options that would have allowed Roam to remain with the department, after difficult conversations and careful consideration, we chose what we felt was best for Roam and our family- retiring him from CSPD,” the post said.
Calling Roam a partner and member of his family, Comstock said it’s been “extremely difficult” these past few months.
“At that particular time, there was nothing I could do to help him or prevent this from happening,” he said. “It's been tough, but we're moving forward, and Roam’s resilience has been a huge factor in helping the family move forward with everything.”
As for the man accused of stabbing Roam, Anthony Bryant is due back in court for a preliminary hearing on Feb. 11.
He underwent a competency evaluation, and his attorney told KOAA that he has been found competent to proceed.
At the time of the stabbing, Bryant was an active duty soldier stationed at Fort Carson, with base officials confirming he was a Sgt. 1st Class assigned to the 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne). But they have not responded to requests inquiring if Bryant is currently still with the Army.
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