Columbus officers hold memorial for police horse that died

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Police in Ohio's capital city are holding a memorial service for a police horse that died earlier this month after serving on the force for 11 years. Columbus police say the memorial is part of a Friday open house by the department's mounted unit to honor the male horse, known as Equine Officer Willie. A surgery in early January revealed that the 24-year-old Saddlebred had a fatty tumor wrapped around his colon. He died a week later, on Jan. 11. The agency says the horse helped with crowd control and was popular at community events. A police honor guard is slated to stand guard by the horse's ashes during the memorial service, and the Columbus Pipes & Drums is scheduled to perform.