Boynton Beach Police K9 Officer Joe Crowder, 44, died on 12/12/16 at JFK Medical Center after going out for a run. Officer Crowder was a 14-year veteran of the force and had been a member of the K9 unit since 2012. Crowder’s famous partner, K9 Daxxx, had to retire last December due to health reasons. Daxxx had an illustrious career, with some major take-downs that made headlines. The dog tracked down murder suspect Michael Correa-Ortiz on Valentine’s Day in 2013. Correa-Ortiz is now serving 60 years for killing Lyssa Moody and seriously injuring her husband in Tara Lakes. Daxxx also took down the driver of a car that had led police on a 50-mile chase from Miami Gardens. The chase took officers along Interstate 95 to Gateway Boulevard where one suspect ran from the car and jumped over a barrier wall. Daxxx chased the man down into some bushes in a nearby neighborhood. After Daxxx retired, Crowder became teamed up with K9 Iro, a 4-year-old Czech-Shepherd. In April, 2013, Crowder was named officer of the month for when he tracked down a man who was hiding from police after his alleged involvement in a fatal home invasion case. Before joining the Boynton Beach Police Department in June, 2002, Crowder served as a community service officer at the Chickasha Police Department in Oklahoma. Crowder served in the U.S. Army as a staff sergeant. Crowder was the father of two young boys, Jeremiah and Kaleb. His K9 Iro was transfered to a new handler,Officer Chris Schalk, who had to euthanize K9 Iro on 8/6/21 due to bone cancer.
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