Officer Crescent, a Wilmington police horse, died Saturday after a brief illness

Officer Crescent, a horse with the Wilmington Police Department's Mounted Unit, has died.

According to a news release, Officer Crescent died Saturday after a brief illness. The release stated he was transported to N.C. State University's Veterinary Clinic Saturday morning where veterinarians determined the colic he was suffering from "was worse than originally believed."

In an earlier release, the department said Crescent's illness was discovered after officers checked on him.

"Our officers check on our horses every single day, even when they are not on duty," the release stated.

When officers determined that something was "not quite right," they contacted the local veterinarian who referred him to N.C. State Veterinary Clinic for treatment. He was suffering from colic, a condition that causes severe abdominal pain, impaction, and is usually caused by problems in the gastrointestinal tract.

The department said Crescent had suffered from a mild case of colic before, and Elton, another horse in the department's Mounted Unit, was treated at N.C. State University's Veterinary Clinic and was able to recover.

Crescent served the department for 20 years. For the last 17 years, his partner was Officer Jason Watts, and during that time Crescent assisted with numerous calls for service and community events.

"We will be forever grateful for all that he did for our city and its residents," the release stated.

Crescent, a Percheron Draft Cross horse, was 22 years old. The department said he is being cremated, and his remains will be sent back to Wilmington.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Wilmington police mourn passing of horse in its mounted unit