Killer of K9 Sentenced

The Seattle Times reports that a Lake Oswego, Oregon man was sentenced to 18 months in prison for ramming a police car with his truck, throwing a knife at officers, and biting the nose of a police dog. Three and a half weeks after it was bitten, Ronnie, a Dutch malinois, died from streptococcus infection. Police officers are assaulted with TWO deadly weapons, a canine officer dies, and the guy gets 18 months? What's wrong with this picture?

It's Jake with Him

The Bellevue Journal American reports that on July 1, 1996, a 34-year-old Bellingham, Washington man was collared by Kirkland police and their K9, Jake. The man was found trying to break into storage units on NE 124th Street in Kirkland. When police arrived at the storage facility, the man attempted to flee, but stopped running when canine officer Jake gave chase. Jake's handler called the dog off, but the man took off running again, prompting Jake to pursue and capture once again. The man suffered minor injuries from a dog bite. He was found to be driving a stolen car with a loaded handgun in the vehicle. Score: Jake 1, bad guy, 0.

Nah, I'll Pass on the Pepper

The Seattle Times reports on May 29, 1996 that a 31-year-old Lake Stevens, Washington man was jailed on suspicion of robbery after being apprehended by Officer Robert Franklin and his police dog, Kwin. The K-9 team tracked the alleged robber to a bowling alley and found a pepper-sprayed shirt that proved the dead giveaway. It seems the suspect had confronted two women at about 10PM as they were trying to deposit store receipts at a bank night deposit in Everett, Washington. Though he indicated that he had a weapon, one of the women resisted and she was struck and knocked down. He made away with the money, but not before the victim was able to douse him with pepper spray.

The bad news is, the money wasn't recovered. The good news is, the suspected robber was. And once again, Kwin earned his kibble and then some.

He Could Run, But He Couldn't Hide

The May 14, 1996 Journal American reports that a police tracking dog from Ellensburg helped catch a robbery suspect on May 13. The suspect, a 23-year-old Eastern Washington man, allegedly stole a car in the Eastern Washington city of Spokane on Sunday, then robbed a food store in Ellensburg Monday afternoon. Washington State Patrol Troopers chased the suspect over Snoqualmie Pass and report that he jumped out of the car near milepost 34 at the Seattle East truck stop after spikes laid across Interstate 90 punctured at least two of his tires. The man ran into nearby woods but was soon tracked down by the dog from the Ellensburg Police K9 Division. The suspect was captured and returned to Ellensburg to face robbery charges. Attaboy!