Lansing Police Officer Ali Cutler and her K-9 partner Ace found a beaten, unconscious man in a downtown alley in March 2025 after patrol cars and a drone came up empty. That rescue helped earn Cutler the Lansing Police Department's Officer of the Year award, WILX reported Thursday, Sept. 17.

Cutler, who has served the department for more than seven years, described the incident in an interview with the station. On March 13, 2025, officers responded to a call about an assault in downtown Lansing. The suspect had marks on his hands and said he had beaten someone but would not say where the victim was.

Officers searched by car and by drone. Neither found the victim.

Cutler then deployed Ace. The 6-year-old Belgian Malinois picked up a scent, tracked a couple of blocks through downtown, turned down an alley and located the man. He was unconscious with a swollen face.

"There was no better feeling, really … we just, we just saved that guy's life," Cutler told WILX.

The victim survived. Ace received a life-saving award from the department for the rescue. He also earned the Distinguished Service Award in 2024 from the National Association of Professional Canine Handlers, a group that represents hundreds of K-9 teams nationwide.

Ace is one of six K-9 teams at the Lansing Police Department. He has been on the force for five years and is trained to track suspects, find evidence and locate missing people.

Lansing Police Chief Rob Backus said the award reflects Cutler's dedication beyond her shifts. Backus told WILX that Cutler spends hours of her own time training with Ace, calling that off-duty work a key factor in the team's results.

Cutler now helps lead and train the department's entire K-9 unit. She and Ace are together around the clock.

She named the dog after her grandfather, who had been diagnosed with cancer. Ace is a family name, Cutler told the station, and the dog has lived up to it.