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Officer has to feel bad he lost his partner

select-fireselect-fire Member Posts: 69,518 ✭✭✭✭
edited May 2006 in General Discussion
and good friend.

K-9 Dies, Officer Suspended

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A K-9 officer died after being left in a car. Will Frampton reports.


Deputy John Baker


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(Columbia) The Richland County Sheriff's Department has asked the Humane Society to start a criminal investigation into the death of a K-9 officer. Officials say safety measures in the car were supposed to prevent this kind of thing from happening.

"What we believe is that the safety devices that are installed in the vehicle were not properly activated, and we believe that resulted in the dog's death," said Lt. Chris Cowan of the Richland County Sheriff's Department.

He couldn't say whether it was or was not the fault of the Richland County deputy who left his dog in the car. But a Humane Society official says it doesn't take much to make cars deadly hot.

"When you're parked in a parking lot on the hot asphalt, the temperature can sore up to 150 degrees in the car, which brings on heat stroke for the dog and eventually death," said Steve Stephenson of the Humane Society.

"What happens is the safety device lowers the windows in the vehicle, activates the horn and the siren in the vehicle," said Lt. Cowan. "We don't believe that device was active at the time of the incident."

Deputy Sheriff John Baker has been suspended without pay pending the outcome of the investigation.

Comments

  • allen griggsallen griggs Member Posts: 35,690 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Deputy Baker should be arrested.
    What a dumb * to keep a dog locked in a car on a sunny day with the windows rolled up.
    He could have left the windows rolled down 4 inches.
    Not too many thieves will stick their hand into a police car that has a German Shepherd inside.
  • CS8161CS8161 Member Posts: 13,596 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Had the same thing happen to a K-9 in Philadelphia. The police officer was absolutley destroyed by what he had done and left the job.
  • AlbertLumAlbertLum Member Posts: 1,343 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by allen griggs
    Deputy Baker should be arrested.
    What a dumb * to keep a dog locked in a car on a sunny day with the windows rolled up.
    He could have left the windows rolled down 4 inches.
    Not too many thieves will stick their hand into a police car that has a German Shepherd inside.


    i agree that no one would attempt to steal from a police car with a dog in it, however, i if an officer left the window down i could see someone come along and try to pet the dog and then sue the department after the dog bites them. either way, sad story the dog died.
  • mrseatlemrseatle Member Posts: 15,467 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    You gotta be careful on top of parking garages too.
  • BHAVINBHAVIN Member Posts: 3,490 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    It was standard SOP in Reno, Nv. to have two sets of keys. The vehicle would be left running for the whole 12 hour shift unless both officers are out of the vehicle. Running A/C in the summer and Heater in the winter. Special no spill water & food bowls as well. I have never met a K-9 handler worth his salt that wouldn't be devastated by this. I think it needs to be treated as crimminal case and a cop killing. If it was a defective system so be it. If the deputy is at fault then he needs to go to the pen.
  • wanted manwanted man Member Posts: 3,276
    edited November -1
    Around '90 a Cumberland County (maybe Spring Lake) N.C. LEO,left a dog in a "sealed " squad and killed a $10k Blood Hound IIRC. You would think guys who work with these animals day and night would just do "the right thing" out of second nature?! I sure hope it turns out the protective system caused this. A real shame the dog died, though!!![:(]

    I think the cop was terminated, also seem to recall, they TRIED to make him pay for the dog, not sure what ever came of it?
  • select-fireselect-fire Member Posts: 69,518 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    "What we believe is that the safety devices that are installed in the vehicle were not properly activated, and we believe that resulted in the dog's death," said Lt. Chris Cowan of the Richland County Sheriff's Department.
  • p3skykingp3skyking Member Posts: 23,916 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I wonder if his next partner will trust him like the dog did?

    Very sad.
  • willdallas2006willdallas2006 Member Posts: 285 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I just saw a report a few days ago on the same thing happening in a small city near here. They didnt have a safety system on the car,so they never knew anything was wrong until the chief (who was the dogs partner) went out several hours later and found the dog dead.
  • allen griggsallen griggs Member Posts: 35,690 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    For fear that the dog could escape, or that a citizen would stick his hand in and get bitten, weld screens over the rear windows, just like the cage that separates the front from the back.
    If a thunderstorm hits while Barney Fife is getting his donut, a little rain gets in the car, so what?
    Police cars are always getting vomit, blood etc. splashed on their seats, a little water wouldn't hurt.
  • Henry0ReillyHenry0Reilly Member Posts: 10,892 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I agree, the officer must feel awful.

    quote:
    "When you're parked in a parking lot on the hot asphalt, the temperature can sore up to 150 degrees in the car, which brings on heat stroke for the dog and eventually death," said Steve Stephenson of the Humane Society.

    Another allegedly professional writer apparently relies on spellcheck instead of a good proof reader.
    I used to recruit for the NRA until they sold us down the river (again!) in Heller v. DC. See my auctions (if any) under username henryreilly
  • n/an/a Member Posts: 168,427
    edited November -1
    These animal rights nuts take things entirely too far and I think it's absurd...if not an atrosity of justice. My electrician left a dog in his truck for about 7 minutes while he ran in to Home Depot one day. The temperature was 60 degrees. He left the windows down and had a bowl of water for the dog. When he came out, one of those animal "cops" arrested him. He had to go to court over the whole matter.
  • WranglerWrangler Member Posts: 5,788
    edited November -1
    Our K-9 officer locks his car and keeps it running with the A/C blowing on full blast. He has a second set of keys. He also cracks the back windows a few inches. There is a cage over the back windows, so no one can mess with the K-9, or vice versa.
  • tacking1tacking1 Member Posts: 3,844
    edited November -1
    was there this much outrage over the woman who did the same thing to her child in Asheville, NC?
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