Rocky Mount Mourns K-9 Officer Michael Cotton, Killed in Off-Duty ATV Crash Days Before 30th Birthday

ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. — The Rocky Mount Police Department and the wider community are grieving the sudden loss of Officer Michael Cotton, a K-9 handler who died Tuesday evening in an off-duty all-terrain vehicle crash.
Cotton, 29, was killed June 10, 2026, in an ATV accident, the department confirmed in a statement posted to its Facebook page. Authorities said the crash occurred during evening hours while Cotton was off duty. No additional details about the location or circumstances have been released.
A seven-year veteran of the Rocky Mount Police Department, Cotton joined the agency’s K-9 unit in 2023 after prior service in the U.S. military and Army Reserve. He had recently completed training with his second dog, an explosives-detection K-9 named Leo. The department recognized Cotton as its first African American K-9 handler.
“Officer Cotton was more than a colleague; he was family,” the department said in its statement. The loss is compounded by timing: Cotton would have celebrated his 30th birthday on June 15, just days after the crash.
Fellow officers and community members described Cotton as dedicated, professional, and deeply committed to both his department and his country. His work with the K-9 unit reflected years of training and a bond with his dogs that those in the unit say was unmistakable.
The Wilson County Sheriff’s Office, North Carolina Highway Patrol, and Wilson County Emergency Services are assisting Rocky Mount Police in the ongoing investigation, officials said.
Authorities are asking the public to keep Cotton’s family, his K-9 partner Leo, and the department in their thoughts as they mourn.
Memorial and service arrangements have not yet been announced.
Officer Michael Cotton is remembered for his service in uniform and in the military, for breaking barriers within the department, and for the loyalty he showed to his community, his colleagues, and his K-9 partners. Rocky Mount has lost one of its own far too soon.