memorial2001

Memorials to Fallen K-9s

2001 page 5

National Police Week - May 13 -19, 2001

F.A.S.T. Co. donates cards to all partners of all working dogs/horses sent by priority mail

Please feel free to send condolences to partners - P.D. address below

In Loving Memory of K-9 MAKO May 5, 2001

Partner: Deputy Dennis R. Cunningham Manatee County Sheriff's Dept. FL 515 - 11th Street West Bradenton, FL 34205-7722 941-747-3011

The "playful" side of Mako. He is missed so very much!

TO: Dave Bristow, Keith Noordzy Sr. & "Rich," Thank You for all of your help in presenting the facts in this tragedy. Cards mailed priority, but too late for service. Thank you Rich & Christie for your e-mails. Memorial service was held 5/9/01.

The part about Deputy Cunningham giving the dog a command to release is not true. Deputy Dunn was giving the dog the command to release. Since Mako was not his dog, Mako would not release. Deputy Cunningham did not realize that his dog was attacking Deputy Dunn until he heard the gunshots.

I hear from Chrstie, Rich's wife, who keeps me up to date with their lives. Chris is beautiful inside & out. And..she loves to fish!

Everything happened so quickly...reactions were to save the officer. A real tragedy! A Manatee County deputy shot and killed a K-9 Corps dog early Saturday after the canine attacked him. Mako and Deputy Jeff Dunn wrestled after the dog mistook him for a car jacking suspect. The dog bit the deputy in the arm and hand and would not let go, even after being ordered by his canine handler. Dunn shot Mako, who may not have heard the commands or was confused in all of the commotion, sheriff's spokesman Dave Bristow said. "There were lots of lights and sirens going off," Bristow said. "Nobody feels as bad about this as Dunn. He's a canine handler himself." Dunn was taken to Manatee Memorial Hospital, where he received 14 stitches. This is the first time in decades that a deputy has had to shoot a police dog, Bristow said. Any time a deputy is involved in a shooting, the department usually conducts an internal investigation. The shooting occurred shortly after 12 a.m. near Ninth Street East and 35th Avenue in Bradenton. Deputies were searching for a car jacking suspect, who forced a man out of his truck and drove off in it. The deputies spotted the vehicle in the same area, after the owner called 911. Deputies chased the suspect, later identified as Kenneth Whitfield, for 10 minutes. He ran from the car, and canine units were called in to look for him. Whitfield was captured and charged with car jacking, fleeing to elude and having no valid driver's license. This was not the first violent incident for Mako and his handler, Deputy Dennis Cunningham. Outside of the Outer Limits nightclub last October, Cunningham and Mako were attempting to clear the parking lot. After Cunningham signaled for club patron Craig Holloman to leave, Halloman ran over the five year veteran and Mako with his car, reports said. Cunningham could see his attacker smiling while running him over, he said in his report. Cunningham got up, drew his weapon and ordered Holloman out of the car, but the deputy was hit with the car again. Holloman, who had gotten out of his vehicle, did not have the car in park.

A correction to the story as follows:

Deputy Cunningham released K-9 Mako on the suspects of the truck as they ran from it. K-9 Mako followed the passenger and Cunningham followed Mako. The driver turned and got back into the truck. Deputy Cunningham grabbed the driver to keep him from running the truck into a deputy or starting the chase again. No one realized another deputy was on the other side of the suspect's vehicle. Mako came around the truck and grabbed the deputy by the hand. Deputy Cunningham got in a brief struggle with the other potentially armed suspect, when he got a back-up unit to grab the suspect. Cunningham went for Mako, but it was too late. Deputy Dunn had to do what he did not want to. Deputy Dunn and Cunningham are very good friends and continue today. K-9 Mako did what he was trained to do. The suspects created the confusion ultimately leading to Mako's untimely death. Mako spent three years certified on the road with 75 apprehensions and numerous narcotic alerts. He recently spent 4 hours tracking a burglary suspect through a residential neighborhood catching him in a house. This ended a crime spree of that area. The arrest totals are amazing considering the Deputy Dunn and K-9 Bronco accumulated 80 plus apprehensions during the same period. The two K-9 teams worked the same times together and frequently helped each other on tracks. The arrest totals are only the arrests the K-9 found during his service. "THEY WORKED HARD FOR THEIR COMMUNITY TO MAKE IT SAFER. "

In Loving Memory of K-9 SHADOW April 2001

Partner: Officer Don Anderson Edmonds Police Dept. WA 250 -5th Avenue North- Edmonds, WA 980202-3146 250 5th Ave North - Edmonds, WA 98020 425-771-0200 (voice) 425-771-0208 (fax)

Officer Don Anderson came to trust Shadow through the years as a worthy officer who nabbed 107 suspects. They tracked the man for blocks when the trail ended abruptly at a backyard tool shed. Anderson's gut hunch told him the suspect was holed up inside, and his best bet was to send his 90-pound partner in first. "Shadow went in and grabbed him," Anderson said. "It was a good thing -- this guy was sitting behind a door with a screwdriver waiting to stab the first cop who went in." Shadow, an Edmonds police dog, protected the city from 1988 to 1995. Now, Anderson wants to ensure that Shadow can continue to protect the city in the future -- in spirit. "I would love to spread his ashes in Edmonds. That's where he played, worked, grew up," Anderson said. Shadow, a 13-year-old German Shepherd, was put to sleep last month. In his six years with the Edmonds Police Department,

cards mailed 5/10/01

Shadow found 71 pieces of evidence, guns, cash and burglary tools, chalked up 107 arrests. They worked graveyard, and always were on the hot calls. During part of Don's career, Shadow was one of the few police dogs in south Snohomish County. The sheriff's K-9 program was down,so they got a lot of the calls. Shadow was the most intense, agile, athletic driven dog he ever worked with. Officer Andereson also had his share of chuckles working with Shadow. The pair once arrested a suspect who had broken into an arts and crafts store. This guy, who'd been sniffing model airplane glue, was laying on his back, terrified. Shadow was standing over him, eating from a pack of donuts the guy had brought along for a snack. Shadow was also known for good manners and showmanship. They did demonstrations at all the local schools, clubs and malls. He was known to hundreds of school children throughout south Snohomish County. Det. Julie Jamison of the Mountlake Terrace Police took Shadow home after he retired from the Edmonds force. His first four years with the department, he worked with officer Mike Blackburn. In 1992, Anderson became his handler. They were together for more than three years until physical problems forced Shadow to retire. In his later years, his legs buckled under him, and he teetered when he walked, but his nose still worked the keen, black nose that kept Anderson from being stabbed with a screwdriver. His nose was 100 percent, Jamison and Anderson plan to spread Shadow's ashes in a place where he can keep watch. He did his job, Now he can run free again and protect the city in spirit.

What has happened since Shadow was put down: I didn't get another K-9 following my stint in the unit as Shadow's position was eliminated (we had two K-9 positions at the time). After the department retired Shadow in 1995, I went into the Detectives Unit and worked primarily as a property crimes Detective for four years. In 1999, I was promoted to the rank of Sergeant, went back to the patrol division and have been supervising a shift of patrol officers ever since. I can still say though, without a doubt, the years I spent in K-9 were the best of my career. Every once in awhile, when I'm lucky, I'll jump out and run with a K-9 handler and their partner, as back up, in pursuit of a crook. It's not nearly the same, but it does serve as a reminder of how good I had it at one time.

In Loving Memory of K-9 OTTO May 3, 2001

"A piece of me died." quoted by Jessey Partner Officer Jessey Hiebert Hillsboro Police Dept. KS 102 S. Main St. P.O. Box "N" Hillsboro, KS 67063 620.947.3440

2 Separate articles from Hillsboro Newspapers Police department mourns loss of K-9 drug officer By: Brenda Conyers May 09, 2001 ph: Free Press 620.947.5702 Aileen.Ratzlaff .. Officer Jessey Hiebert with Otto in 1998, soon after the dog joined the department. Otto died Thursday at home. After initial suspicion of foul play, a K-State autopsy confirms that Otto died of natural causes. Otto, the Hillsboro K9 officer, died Thursday of natural causes at his home. "It is not only a loss to the department but to the community as well," said Hillsboro Police Chief Dan Kinning. Otto, a German Shepherd dog, joined the Hillsboro police department in October 1997. He immediately began obedience and drug recognition training in Wichita with trainer Brad Agnew. He graduated from training school April 1998. Law enforcement officers Otto and Jessey Hiebert also underwent training together so Hiebert could learn how to properly groom and handle the dog. All of Otto's commands were given in German. According to Kinning, after Otto was found dead, the event was reported to the Marion County Sheriff's Department and investigated for possible foul play. "There are Kansas statutes relating to Otto," Kinning said. "(The dog's death) was investigated as if it were the death of an officer. The dog was taken to Kansas State University for testing, and results came back, stating that the dog died of gastric torsion, commonly known as a "twisted gut." "He was our most popular officer," Kinning said. "He visited every school in the county. He will be missed." Kinning also said Otto not only worked in drug detection, but he also was an invaluable public relations tool. A memorial service for the police dog will be held Friday, May 11, at Hillsboro Memorial Park, with pastor John Ryding speaking at the service. Chief Kinning said he had been contacted by the Wichita Police Department regarding the service. The WPD had wanted to bring the bagpipes to Hillsboro, but they had a prior obligation. Kinning said he was later contacted by the Kansas City Police Department. If possible, the department will bring bagpipes to the service Friday. Marion County Sheriff Lee Becker also expressed his regrets at the loss of the drug dog. The K9-drug work, however, will not end with Otto's death. Kinning said a fund has already been started for the purchase of a new dog as a memorial to Otto. Becker said the Sheriff's Department would donate $500 from the drug-dog fund toward the purchase of a new drug dog. Anyone wanting to make a donation to Otto's Memorial Fund may do so at the Emprise State Bank in Hillsboro.

Cards received to honor OTTO.....

"Thanks for thinking of us, and giving so much of your time to my lost partner. Otto would have liked you . . ." e-mail excerpt received from Jesse. And I would have like Otto too . Your e-mail means so much to both Bob & I. Thank you for accepting our sympathy & bringing some comfort.

THE FINAL CALL By: Don Ratzlaff - March 11, 2001 Area law enforcement respond to the loss of a canine comrade. Arriving in a procession of almost 20 vehicles, about two dozen law enforcement personnel and 35 civilians bid farewell Friday to Otto, the Hillsboro Police Department's K-9 drug dog that died of natural causes May 3. Law enforcement officers from at least seven communities and McConnell Air Force Base including five of the K-9 variety gathered on the east side of the Scout House in Memorial Park at 11 a.m. for a solemn tribute to the popular canine. Hillsboro Police Chief Dan Kinning said he wasn't surprised by the strong turnout. In fact, it could easily have been much larger. "We had gotten a lot of condolences," Kinning said. "A lot of departments sent us teletypes saying they wanted to be there, but it was May Day and All School's Day in McPherson. Plus it was the kick off for the River Festival in Wichita, so the highway patrol and a lot of departments were tied up. The service included brief comments from Officer Jessey Hiebert, Otto's handler, plus written messages of condolences from Attorney General Carla Stovall and U.S. Rep. Jerry Moran, and a brief meditation from John Ryding, HPD chaplain and pastor of the Zion Lutheran Church in Hillsboro. Ryding noted the unusual nature of the gathering-a first for him in 24 years of ministry. He said Otto was "faithful and dependable, and will be missed by all." Two memorial plaques were presented to the department, one from Kansas Specialized Dogs, the organization that trained Otto for duty, and one from the Peace Officers Association. The service ended with a "final call" for Otto radioed via the PA system in HPD's K-9 unit vehicle. It noted the dog's three years of service and called for Otto to "rest in peace." Ryding followed the final call with "Taps." As they dispersed, more than a few of the law enforcement officers wiped tears from their eyes. Several comrades and guests shared words of condolence to Hiebert afterward, some with a handshake, others with an embrace. Kinning said his department had originally planned on marking Otto's passing with "a little prayer" and by presenting a memorial plaque to Hiebert. "It kind of took on a life of its own," he said. The event received media attention far beyond Hillsboro. KAKE-TV 10 was on hand to cover the memorial program. Earlier in the week, the Wichita Eagle had carried an article about the emotion surrounding Otto's death. Kinning said he also had been interviewed by a reporter from the Kansas City Star. Reportedly, the story had gone out over national news. "I wasn't expecting that much media attention," he said. "I know the Eagle had been looking for a small-town story and this sort of fit the bill for them." Kinning is aware that not everyone in the community understood or appreciated the groundswell of attention Otto's death generated. "It was more than just a dog," Kinning said. "It was a police officer, by law. Also, it was a member of the community. Everybody knew the dog, especially the children. I think if school hadn't been in session, we probably would have had a good turnout of children." He said the gathering was never intended to be a "funeral." "It was a memorial for the officers and whoever in the community wanted to say good-bye," he said. A fund has been established at Emprise Bank in Hillsboro to receive contributions for acquiring a new K-9 officer for the department. Kinning said Otto's trainer has already offered to donate a replacement dog. Such dogs normally cost between $5,000 and $10,000. If this particular dog is selected, Kinning said about $3,500 still will be needed to train it for duty. About $1,400 had been donated by Mon. afternoon. If the money can be raised, Kinning thinks the local K-9 unit could be back in service in as little as three months. Otto's remains were cremated and the ashes likely will be placed in Hiebert's custody, Kinning said.

OTTO's FINAL CALL- Service May 11, 2001 Hillsboro Press Jeff Arriving in a procession of almost 20 vehicles, about two dozen law enforcement personnel and 35 civilians bid farewell Friday to Otto, the Hillsboro Police Department's K-9 drug dog that died of natural causes May 3.

Jeff Soyez, Marion County deputy, turns to his canine partner, Jag, for comfort during the “final call” for Otto.

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