WATCH: ‘He’s just gonna be missed’: Colorado K-9 Officer killed in action laid to rest

GOLDEN, Colo. (KKTV) - Graffit, the K-9 officer shot and killed in the line of duty, was laid to rest Monday.

The fallen K-9 officer’s ashes were escorted on I-70 west by a small motorcade, and a K-9 cordon also stood by by to greet Graffit.

Graffit was a 10-year-old German Shepherd who had been with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department since he was 2, which made him the most senior K-9 officer.

Graffit is also the first K-9 officer the department has lost.

The department wrote that while they’ve always known Graffit was brave, he proved a hero.

“He puts forward 110% effort, he’s a hard-working dog,” Jenny Fulton with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office told our sister station in Denver. “He’s just gonna be missed.”

11 News previously reported that Graffit had been ordered to apprehend the armed suspect, who has now been identified as 29-year-old Eduardo Armando Romero. This means Graffit was helping officers pursue Armando Romero, who was running away on foot into the woods near the Colorado School of Mines.

Graffit was not wearing a protective vest.

Armando Romero has since been formally charged, including with aggravated animal cruelty.

Our sister station in Denver reported that he claimed to have thought he was firing at the ground.

“People might say it’s just a dog, but it’s part of our family,” Fulton said.

Graffit’s handlers told reporters that he was a big part of their lives, and that it’s “unreal” he’s no longer with them. They say Graffit sacrificed himself so no officers were killed.

If you’d like to contribute financially, you can donate online to the “Graffit Memorial Fund.” The sheriff’s department has tweeted that donations will be used towards the memorial service, as well as a permanent memorial in their Memorial Garden and/or other relevant needs.

Click here to watch the procession for Graffit, held earlier this month.