MARYSVILLE—The Marysville Police Department received two hand-drawn portraits of its late K-9 officers Copper and Steele from artist Michael Reagan of the Fallen Heroes Project during a presentation on Feb. 2, offering a tribute to the dogs’ years of service and the lasting impact of their loss on the community.
“We are deeply grateful to Michael Reagan for this moving gift honoring Copper and Steele,” Marysville Mayor Jon Nehring. “His portraits not only memorialize their service but also remind us of the deep bond between our officers, their K9 partners, and the community they serve and protect.”
Reagan, an Edmonds-based portrait artist and Vietnam combat veteran, delivered the artwork to honor the K-9s, who died in October 2025 shortly after their retirements. The portraits captured the bond between the dogs and their handlers, Officer Derek Oates and Sgt. Brad Smith, and served as a reminder of the sacrifices made by law enforcement K-9s.
Copper, a German shepherd born in 2015, joined the department in 2016 and worked alongside Oates, a veteran officer with experience in SWAT and firearms training. Steele, a Belgian Malinois of the same age, served for more than eight years with Smith, a certified master handler in narcotics detection. Together, the pair handled over 600 deployments, aided in nearly 400 arrests and seized hundreds of grams of narcotics during their careers.
As the first dual-trained patrol and narcotics detection dogs in Marysville’s history, they tracked suspects, executed search warrants and managed high-risk operations, often putting themselves in harm’s way to protect officers and residents.
The dogs retired at the end of 2025 after nearly a decade on duty, but their time in retirement proved brief. Copper underwent emergency surgery and died on Oct. 3, while Steele passed peacefully on Oct. 16.
In November 2025, the community gathered for a celebration of life and memorial ceremony at Delta Plaza outside the Marysville Civic Center. On Nov. 14, uniformed K-9 teams from across the region, including some from Canada, lined the streets in tribute. The event featured a final radio call to mark the end of their watch, along with vehicles displayed for public messages and remembrances.
During the ceremony, Police Chief Erik Scairpon reflected on the unique partnership between police handlers and their K-9s.
“These dogs didn’t clock out at the end of a shift,” he said. “They rode in the patrol car, trained in the field, curled up at home. In many ways, they spent more time with their handlers than anyone else and that kind of closeness builds something powerful.”
He added that the K-9s represented the best of service, leaving a void but also a standard for others to follow.
Author: Mario Lotmore
