Roy Halladay's furry, four-legged legacy

NEW PORT RICHEY (FOX 13) - Investigators are taking a closer look at Roy Halladay’s plane, which has been removed from the Gulf of Mexico after yesterday’s fatal crash.  Meanwhile, deputies are remembering the former All-Star pitcher for his generosity and concern about this community.

Halladay was killed around noon Tuesday when his amphibious plane hit the water off the coast of Pasco County.  Pasco Sheriff Chris Nocco was the one to officially confirm the news that Halladay was indeed killed in the crash.

“Many know Roy as a Cy Young winner, future Hall of Famer, one of the best pitchers ever to pitch the game of baseball,” Nocco said.  “We know Roy as a person. As a caring husband, who loved his wife Brandy.”

“The worst-case scenario happened,” he continued.  “This breaks our hearts.”

Wednesday, Deputy Brian Hernandez introduced reporters to ‘Doc,’ the drug-busting K9 officer the department purchased with funds donated by Halladay. 

“He’s definitely the brains of the operation.  I just hold the leash,” Hernandez joked, before turning serious.

Hernandez said Doc has the same uplifting personality as his human namesake, and his work should make Halladay proud.

“I’m eternally grateful to him for doing it.  I’m sure the citizens of Pasco should feel the same,” Hernandez offered.  “Roy cared so much about the citizens of Pasco County that he wanted to get the drugs off the streets and make the community that we all live in a lot better and safer.”

Miles away, federal investigators were working to load up the wreckage of Halladay’s plane.  The ICON A5 was pulled from the water so that an NTSB could determine the cause of the crash.

TMZ.com reported that witnesses recalled seeing Halladay’s plane flying “aggressively” in the days leading up to the crash, diving down close to the water before climbing and repeating the pattern.