Cops Shoot Their Own Drug Dog Busting 85 yr Old (IN)

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Skyhawk

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K-9 Slain in Drug Bust of 85-Year-Old
Cops Say Friendly Fire Claimed Life of Rookie Police Dog
July 18, 2000

By Seamus McGraw

INDIANAPOLIS (APBnews.com) -- Police are mourning the death of a canine gunned down by a confused officer in a raid on the home of a suspected 85-year-old drug dealer, police said.

Rookie police dog Balco, a Belgian Malinois, became the first police dog killed in action in the city's history during a raid on the home of Charles Howard on Monday night, Sgt. Paul Ciesielski said.

"He got away from his handler, and one of officers thought it was a strange dog coming at him," Ciesielski said.

"It's not the first time we've shot a strange animal, but it is the first time since the canine unit was established in 1961 that a police dog has died in the line of duty."

A history of drug busts

It happened at about 9 p.m. as plainclothes officers were preparing to serve Howard, a senior citizen with a history of drug arrests dating back more than a decade, with a warrant charging him with marijuana possession and possession of drug paraphernalia, Ciesielski said.

Police had decided to bring Balco along for an extra measure of security, he said.

"We often use police dogs in drug arrests," Ciesielski said, both for their commanding presence and because "if a suspect runs, a dog can chase him better than we can."

Dog breaks free

But Balco, who joined the department's canine unit less than a year ago, broke free of his handler at precisely the same moment officers were preparing to rush Howard's door. One of the officers saw the dog running toward him, wrongly believed that it was an attack dog sent by the suspect, and shot and killed it, Ciesielski said.

Howard gave up without a fight, Ciesielski said. Bail information on the man was not immediately available.

It was not immediately clear what, if anything, the department planned to do to honor the slain pooch.

"That hasn't been decided yet," Ciesielski said. "We feel that we ought to do something. Regardless of the circumstances, he did die in the line of the duty."
 
"We often use police dogs in drug arrests," Ciesielski said, both for their commanding presence and because "if a suspect runs, a dog can chase him better than we can."

Those 85 year old druggies are a real threat to society.

Much to leave unsaid.

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Sam I am, grn egs n packin

Nikita Khrushchev predicted confidently in a speech in Bucharest, Rumania on June 19, 1962 that: " The United States will eventually fly the Communist Red Flag...the American people will hoist it themselves."
 
Is the 85 year old suspect to be charged in the dogs death also?

What freekin' genius planned this raid? :rolleyes:

Sorry all I can think is, nyuk, nyuk, nyuk, nyuk! :D :D :D :D

Don't mean to slam LEO's (my son is one) but.......
 
Well, I love dogs. But I have to admit, if governments paid a real price everytime we do something so worthwhile as busting an 85-year-old for marijuana, well ... that would be a good thing, in my book.

Glad to hear they're doing such a great job in Indy. Must make all the 'War on Drug' fans very proud.

Regards from AZ
 
"...broke free from his handler..."

Yeah, right. The guy let his dog go in to get a little "nip" as a reward for doing his job.

In LA they used to let the dog bite the perp every time the dog was sent in. This according to a Dr. friend working in the jail ward at LA County Hospital. Any suspect arrested using the dog would have puncture wounds on the calves or forearms. This was curtailed around the time of the Rodney King fiasco, so I don't know about their practise today.
 
from the local paper http://www.starnews.com/news/articles/DOG19.ART.html

Officers mourn dog who died in the line of duty

By John Masson

Indianapolis Star

July 19, 2000

A black flag is fluttering from the antenna on the trunk of Sgt. Donald Enyart's police car, a universal symbol of an officer killed in the line of duty.

But the fallen Indianapolis Police Department officer Enyart mourns didn't carry a gun. He was armed only with claws, teeth and a supersensitive nose.

Valco, a police dog, was shot to death by another officer during a Monday night drug raid on the Near Northside.

His handler, Patrolman James Thomas, had stumbled at the rear of the targeted house and dropped Valco's lead. Valco, hearing the commotion caused by shouting officers at the front of the house, charged around a corner. An undercover narcotics sergeant didn't know the threatening animal was a police dog and shot Valco three times.

"He saw a threat and made a split-second decision," Enyart said.

Valco is the first IPD police dog killed in the line of duty since the K9 program, one of the largest in the country, was established in 1960. But that doesn't make the loss any easier for Thomas, his family or the nearly 30 other officers in the program.

"Since we take the dogs home and they live at our houses, . . . the dog gets real close to the family," Enyart said. "Not only is he your dog at home, he's your dog at work. It's pretty tough when something like this happens."

Valco and Thomas had been partners for about a year, Enyart said. On Tuesday, he didn't want to talk about the shooting.

The department bought his Belgian Malinois, cross-trained for drug detection and tracking, in March 1999. The dog cost about $4,000; by the time Valco's training was complete, Enyart estimates IPD had $7,000 to $8,000 invested in him.

Tuesday's raid netted police a pistol and about 1 pound of marijuana, according to Sgt. Paul Ciesielski, an IPD spokesman. Detectives arrested 85-year-old Charles Howard, who police say has a criminal record going back to 1934.

In the last 10 years, Ciesielski added, Howard has been arrested 13 times for drug offenses. Eight of the 13 arrests resulted in convictions.

Before that, his other convictions included burglary, theft, disorderly conduct and public intoxication, Ciesielski said.

This time Howard faces a felony charge of marijuana possession and a misdemeanor charge of possession of paraphernalia.

Enyart said police work is as dangerous for dogs as it is for people, even though IPD doesn't knowingly send its dogs into situations with armed suspects. Nevertheless, several years ago one IPD dog was shot and wounded. The department retired that dog and sent him to live with his handler.

Some departments, notably the Michigan State Police, dress their dogs in $650 bullet-resistant vests. But Enyart said such a program in Indiana might overheat the dogs, limiting the amount of time they could work.

That's not to say Enyart, and the department's other dog handlers, wouldn't do whatever they can to protect their partners. And the feeling, he said, is mutual.

"You know this dog would go in and take a bullet for me," Enyart said.

"And yet, when we go home, he's like a puppy -- he just lays around like a big pet."

*******************************************
 
A week or so ago there was a program on TV - one of those "COPS"-type programs.

The incident pertained to a "deranged" man walking along a highway with a rifle (of some kind).

When the police responded, it was clear the man was upset, drunk, on dope or some combination of the above; however, I heard nothing to indicate he had fired the rifle or even pointed it at anyone. (We had company at the time so might not have heard the full story.)

At no time did the actor wave the rifle in the direction of the police or any other person. However, he refused to put down the gun after being told to do so.

So the police put the dog on him. The actor panicked and shot the dog which immediately made the wounded dog spin in circles (in pain). As soon as the actor shot the dog, the police opened up - sounded like a firing range! The police killed the actor and accidently killed the dog at the same time.

The was great remorse and concern shown by the police and the TV program - but only for the dog and his emotionally distraught handler.
 
Ehhh gads, certainly glad none of the officer swat team bros were not hurt in that raid. Those 85 year old pot smokers can be filthy beast to say the least. You could winde up with his false choppers deeply emplanted in your forearm...like lock jaw clampititus.

Too bad about the pooch, hope his replacement gets better training than he got, or the dude that shot the noble dog. Dog gone...sure is!
 
That durn police dog didn’t happen to be holding a “wallet” in his paw at the time of the shooting, did he? :D

Skyhawk
 
In some states the police would file charges for the death of the dog against the person being arrested.

Funny world, eh?

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Beware the man with the S&W .357 Mag.
Chances are he knows how to use it.
 
an 85 year old man who needs to be saved from the evils of marijuana, huh? :rolleyes:
Yeah, if I were gonna bust a senior citizen for posession of MJ and "paraphernalia" (like, what, a pipe???), I'd be very concerned for my own safety and the safety of the other 5 or ten (?) officers who accompanied me. I'd need a dog for my own protection, too! :confused:
 
Damn, I hate to hear about a good dog wasted.

And for such an abysmally worthless cause.

He's 85, let him do whatever the hell he wants in his own home (actually age doesn't matter in that regard)

Poor Dog!
JUST STUPID

-L
 
I believe the officers did the right thing by bringing the dog in event of a chase . Imagine . The old man clubs the first 2 officers through the door and crashes through a window . A foot chase begins . After the first 10 miles a couple of the senior officers begin to fade . The 85 year old man is just getting his stride . Another 15 miles and some of the middle aged officers begin to fall back leaving the chase to the newest , youngest AND of course the dog . The 40 mile mark and it's just the dog and the old man . At 50 miles the old man stops and the dog forgets why he's running continues on into Ohio .
Two days later the officers having rested finally come across the old man toking on a doobie in a park . He's holding a news conference with several dozen reporters and Mayor Brown of Oakland is in the process of bestowing employee status on the old geezer . He is to be an Ambassador at Large for Oaklands Medical Marijuana Office .
The Chief on the other hand wants a meeting for all officers concerned at the track by the gym . It's gonna be a rough day .
Let's hope that Klinton and Gore's War on Guns is a rousing success as their War on Drugs . We won't even know they're there .

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TOM
SASS AMERICAN LEGION NRA
 
Not mentioned: Was it a "no-knock", and were the LEO's dressed in black and hoods, brandishing MP-5's? (For their own protection, of course!)

Probably could've coaxed the guy out with a coupon for free Ensure. Idiots.
 
I'm just proud that I wasn't that rookie dog, leaving my fallen partner trying to get into the fray! What they didn't teach the dog was to stick with his partner.
Friendly Fire Always Sucks
 
I was born in Indiana and ya know what?

This is about par for the course.

Which is why I moved to Utah.

Nothing to do but eat corn, pick corn, cruise for "chicks" (sorry ladies) and, apparently, conduct raids on 85 year old officers with a dog.

:}
 
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