Body armor donated to Wyoming sheriff’s K9 officer

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) - A woman from Alaska has donated body armor to a Wyoming K9 officer, the Laramie County Sheriff’s Office said.

The bullet and stab protective vest for K9 officer Arie comes from a donation by Denise Nading of Anchorage, Alaska through a nonprofit organization called Vested Interest in K9s, Inc.

Nading made the donation in memory of Mel Nading, an Alaska State Trooper and pilot who died in a helicopter crash in March 2013 while returning from rescuing a stranded snowmobiler in Talkeetna, Alaska, according to news reports.

The vest is embroidered with: “In memory of Mel Nading, Pilot of Helo 1,” the sheriff’s office said in a Facebook post on Tuesday.

Arie, who joined the sheriff’s office this fall, is trained in narcotics detection, suspect tracking and apprehension, building search and officer protection.