Habersham County K9 Roxy works shooter case, Swift concert

Last weekend was busy for Habersham County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Roxy and her handler, Sgt. Eugene Kemp.

Friday afternoon, the pair responded to Stephens County to put Roxy’s skills to work with deputies there to find the weapon involved in an earlier active shooter incident where deputies were fired on 18 times by an individual who had been reported as suspicious.

Two Stephens County Sheriff’s Office patrol vehicles were struck numerous times in the windshield and on the driver’s side. One deputy there was grazed by one of the multiple rounds being fire.

Habersham County Sheriff’s K-9 Roxy is trained to detect explosives and firearms-related evidence and she and Kemp work closely with federal and state agents and local law enforcement officers to seek out explosives, guns, and spent ammunition.

Habersham County Sheriff’s Office successfully secured federal grant money through Georgia Emergency Management Agency/Homeland Security to help fund the unit, including the vehicle.

Roxy and Kemp complete about 16 hours of training per month to Homeland Security and GEMA standards.

In addition to explosives and weapons detection after an incident like the one Friday in Stephens County, Kemp and Roxy work to help secure major public events, schools and federal buildings statewide when called upon.

Over the weekend, Kemp and Roxy worked 13 hours per day Saturday and Sunday to keep the 65,000 people each day attending the Taylor Swift concerts at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta safe.

Working with about 10 other K-9 units, their time there was spent sweeping the stadium area, conducting inside sweeps and performing vehicle searches of those entering the VIP area.

Kemp has had 6.5-year-old Roxy since she was 1 year old, and the pair sweeps the Habersham County Courthouse daily and works in the sheriff’s office Civil Division serving papers and providing court security.

– Habersham County