National Police Canine Association
P.O. Box 538
Waddell, Arizona 85355
Phone: 877-362-1219
info@npca.net
N.P.C.A. Member Awards*
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The National Police Canine Association is proud of its members accomplishments. These members were selected from nominations from their peers, for acts above and beyond the call of duty.
2010 Case of the Year Awards
Patrol Case of the Year and Medal of Valor
Officer Glenn Thompson and K9 Rosco, Ft. Myers Police Department, Florida On Tuesday September 7, 2010 Officer Glenn Thompson and K-9 Rosco responded to an armed robbery in progress at the McDonalds located at Metro Parkway and Colonial Boulevard in Fort Myers, FL. As the first officers arrived on scene, they observed the armed suspects fleeing out the back door. Officer Thompson arrived moments later and observed a suspect running across an open field. Officer Thompson sent K-9 Rosco to apprehend the suspect. As Officer Thompson and K-9 Rosco closed in on the suspect, the suspect turned and fired a handgun. One round struck K-9 Rosco. Officer Thompson returned fire and neutralized the suspect. K-9 Rosco succumbed to his injuries. K-9 Rosco’s brave actions most certainly saved the life of his handler, Officer Thompson. Runner up Patrol Case of the Year and Medal of Valor
Officer Deanie Earthman and K9 Oldo, Grand Junction Police Department, Colorado
On 081110 at approximately 2339 hours Officer Earthman was requested to assist the Mesa County Sheriff’s Department. The sheriff’s department was investigating a Burglary. The home owner interrupted the burglary and as the suspect walked away he fired one round from a gun into the air. Officer Earthman deployed K9 Oldo to track the suspect from the area where the suspect was last seen. Three other officers assisted on the track as cover officers. K9 Oldo tracked for approximately ½ mile through sage brush and tall grass. K9 Oldo began to alert on fresh human scent just past a dirt road. Officer Earthman and the cover officers were able to see the suspect laying on the ground on his left side with his right side slightly off the ground facing the Officers. The officers began to verbally challenge the suspect. The Officers ordered the suspect to show his hands. The suspect refused to comply. Due to K9 Oldo’s position he was not able to see the suspect. K9 Oldo remained quiet. Officer Earthman moved K9 Oldo so that K9 Oldo could get a visual on the suspect. K9 Oldo was released to apprehend the suspect. K9 Oldo bit the suspect on the right flank and pulled the suspect backwards. As the suspects arms raised K9 Oldo moved his bite to the suspects left elbow. The suspect grabbed Oldo’s fur saver collar and twisted it choking Oldo. The suspect pulled Oldo into nearby water and began to push Oldo’s head under the water attempting to drown Oldo. The water was five to six feet deep. Officer Earthman and the cover officers rushed in behind Oldo. Officer Earthman grabbed Oldo’s leash and began pulling on the leash trying to pull Oldo’s head above the water. The suspect kept a hold of Oldo’s collar and kept Oldo’s head under water. K9 Oldo maintained his bite on the suspect. The cover officers entered the water and began fighting with the Suspect. Officer Earthman then felt the leash go limp. K9 Oldo released his bite on the suspect. The suspect with one hand pushed Oldo further under the water. Officer Earthman kept pulling on the leash and was nearly pulled into the water. The three cover officers were able to get the suspect away from Oldo and Officer Earthman was able to pull Oldo out of the water. K9 Oldo was unconscious when he was pulled out of the water. Officer Earthman began first aid attempting to drain the water out of Oldo’s lungs, in an attempt to revive K9 Oldo. Oldo regained consciousness after one minute. The other officers were able to drag the suspect out of the water. The suspect continued to fight with the officers. Subsequently the suspect was taken into custody. K9 Oldo was rushed to an Emergency Veterinary clinic where Oldo was treated. K9 Oldo had water in his lungs and water and rocks in his stomach. Officers on scene recovered a loaded handgun, three folding blade knives with the blades locked open and a small baseball bat.
Detection Case of the Year
Agent Okamura and K9 Decenna, Lakewood Police Department, Colorado On March 3, 2010 at approximately 2218 hours Agent Okamura and his K-9 Decenna responded to assist to assist a Detective who had stopped a vehicle for a traffic violation. The Detective developed reasonable suspicion to search the vehicle for narcotics. Agent Okamura deployed K-9 Decenna around the vehicle. K-9 Decenna. alerted three separate times to the rear, exterior of the vehicle. Once deployed inside, the K-9 again alerted to the vehicle. The K-9 also alerted to the spare tire in the trunk of the vehicle. Due to a possible extensive search, Detectives elected to impound the vehicle pending a search warrant application. On March 4, 2010, Detectives executed the search warrant. During the search, Detectives examined the spare tire on the vehicle that Agent Okamura's K-9 partner had alerted to while sniffing the vehicle during the traffic stop. He cut open the spare tire and observed a white foam material taped over an object. Inside the foam material, there were two bicycle tires taped together with electrical tape. Inside the bicycle tube was a brown granular substance. There also was an immediate odor similar to vinegar. Detectives conducted a field-test and received a presumptive positive reaction for the presence of heroin, a schedule I controlled substance. The gross weight of the heroin (inside the bicycle tubes) was 2.27 kilograms. Runner up Detection Case of the Year
Deputy Jeff Hoslet and K9 Tommy, Los Angeles Sheriff's Office, California On 11-23-10 Deputy Hoslet responded to the shoulder of the 5 freeway just south of the 99 and 5 fwy split. There was heavy traffic with big rigs driving by right next to them (they had previously asked the patrol unit to stop the vehicle off the fwy). Jeff asked for consent to search from the suspect, but did not get it. He didn’t need it, but asked anyway. He then deployed Tommy inside the vehicle. Tommy alerted on a large duffle bag full of personal items on the back seat. He found no contraband inside of it. He also alerted on the driver side, rear speaker, which was on the side panel. He checked the speaker and it appeared normal. Thinking there may be a clavo, he took one of his clavo searching tools and pried away part of the plastic siding from the wall near the speaker. With the aid of a flashlight, he saw some bondo, an added metal swing arm, and a black piece of duct tape. He assumed the bondo was for the added swing arm/clavo and the tape was the corner/edge of a kilo, so he opened the siding more and saw a kilo (coke). He assumed there was more, then advised the deputies who in turn arrested the suspect. A thorough search of the vehicle revealed 20 kilos of cocaine.
Case Summaries for Second Quarter 2011 North Central Region Sgt Taylor and K9 Benny, Hawley Police Department, On May 23, 2011, at approximately 0221 hours Sgt. Taylor was contacted at home. He was requested to assist an outside agency with a vehicle sniff. Upon arrival Sgt. Taylor was briefed on the circumstances of the stop and suspicion. K9 Benny was then deployed to sniff the vehicle exterior. Immediately K9 Benny showed interest in the car. K9 Benny sat at the passenger door of the van. Sgt. Taylor informed the Troopers of the K9s alert. The Troopers began searching the inside of the vehicle. The Troopers recovered a small amount of Marijuana and a large amount of U.S. Currency. The Troopers recovered approximately $400,000. Officer Pruitt and K9 Duke, Kansas City Police Department, On May 16, 2011, at approximately 2025 hours Officer Pruitt responded to assist Nighttime COPPS who were on a traffic stop. Officer Pruitt was asked to search the vehicle with K9 Duke. K9 Duke was deployed to sniff the exterior of the vehicle. K9 Duke alerted on the trunk. Once inside the vehicle K9 Duke alerted on the rear deck. A physical check of the trunk revealed a shoe box which contained approximately 459 grams of suspected methamphetamine. Northwest Region Officer Earthman and K9 Joker, Grand Junction Police Department, On June 11, 2011 at approximately 1355 hours, Officer Earthman was contacted via telephone and asked to respond to a rollover crash in which the occupants ran from the vehicle. Upon Officer Earthman’s arrival she learned the occupants who fled from the vehicle were involved in a stabbing. K9 Joker was deployed to track the occupants from the vehicle. The track went through a rural area over gravel roads, asphalt, dirt and brush. Along the track K9 Joker recovered two concealed bloody shirts. K9 Joker tracked for nearly two miles and tracked to the suspect’s residence. Officers attempted to make contact with the suspects, however the suspects would not answer the door. Officer Avila and K9 Matzo, Arvada Police Department, On April 20, 2011 at approximately 1239 hours Officer Avila and K9 Matzo responded to a local High School to assist Officers who were searching for a student. The student had a warrant for his arrest for assault. When the SRO contacted the student the student resisted arrest, ran from the SRO and pushed a school security officer. Officers chased the suspect on foot but lost him. Officer Avila responded from home. Upon arrival Officer Avila began an area search beginning where the student’s hat was recovered. The hat was used as a scent article. Officer Avila and Matzo cleared a house, and the back yard of another residence. The back yard and a van within the back yard had previously been searched by other Officers. Matzo searched the yard and alerted on the van. Matzo located the suspect hiding under seats in the van. Matzo grabbed hold of the students’ heel and maintained his bite on the students’ heel until Officers took control of the student. Matzo was then lifted off the bite and the suspect was taken into custody. Officer Laas and K9 Duke, Arvada Police Department, On April 06, 2011 at approximately 2222 hours Officer Laas and K9 Duke assisted another Officer who had stopped a vehicle. There were two occupants with the vehicle, neither had identification. During an inventory search Officer Laas located a Marijuana cigarette. Officer Laas then deployed K9 Duke to sniff the exterior of the vehicle. K9 Duke alerted on the rear driver’s side door and on the front passenger door. During the interior search K9 Duke alerted on the center console on the front seat, then again on the rear seat near a red sweatshirt. During a search of the vehicle following K9 Duke’s search Officer Laas located a large plastic bag inside an arm rest on the back seat. Inside the large plastic bag were several other plastic bags which contained Methamphetamine. 119 grams of Methamphetamine was located in the arm rest. Lt. Tkach and K9 Buddy, Buffalo Police Department, On March 22, 2011 at approximately 1237 PM, Lt Tkach responded to a motel to assist Officers who were on scene investigating a narcotics complaint. The Officers contacted a male and female who were smoking marijuana inside their motel room. The Officers located the subject’s vehicle and asked for permission to search the vehicle. The male was the owner and replied they could walk a dog around the outside of the truck. Lt. Tkach deployed K9 Buddy around the outside of the vehicle. K9 Buddy alerted on the passenger side of the truck. A total of five pounds of Marijuana was recovered from the bed of the pickup and from the back seat. South Central Region Chief Deputy Warden and K9 Castor, Oldham County Sheriff's Office On April 8, 2011, at approximately 1132 hours Chief Deputy Brent Warden and K9 Castor assisted a Texas Trooper . The Trooper had stopped a vehicle on Highway 40. The Trooper suspected the occupants and vehicle were involved in criminal activity. The owner of the vehicle refused to give consent for a search. The Trooper requested that Warden deploy K9 Castor on an open air sniff around the exterior of the vehicle. K9 Castor was deployed to sniff the exterior of the vehicle. K9 Castor alerted on the trunk of the vehicle. The Trooper was advised of the alert. The Trooper began a search of the vehicles interior. The Trooper located 66.2 Kilo sized bricks of cocaine in the trunk of the vehicle. The bricks were in vacuum sealed bags inside luggage. A controlled delivery of the seized cocaine yielded a second arrest and $100,000.00 in U.S Currency. Case Summaries for First Quarter 2011 North Central Region Officer Mark Wilcox and K9 Rico, Kansas City Police Department On 03-17-2011 at 2030 hrs Officer Wilcox assisted the Narcotic and Sheriff Department on a search warrant at a residence. After the residence was secure Officer Wilcox was asked by the Narcotic Unit to have his K9 do a search of the residence for narcotics. Officer Wilcox deployed K-9 Rico inside the front room. We started at the west wall and the K9 turned and went to the couch that was in the middle of the room. Rico jumped up on the couch and continued sniffing until locating a scent and then alerted on the center arm rest of the love seat. Officer Wilcox then had Rico check the rest of the front room and Rico showed no interest. As they were walking past the kitchen to go into a bedroom Rico stopped and pulled towards the kitchen. Rico began going back and forth in the kitchen and then began sniffing at the kitchen sink area. Rico was staying low and then going up the drawers to the counter. At this time Rico's nose went up towards the cabinets above the counter and began barking and didn't want to leave this area. Rico then placed his front paws on the door of the refrigerator and his nose was pointing towards the top. Rico continued to breathe hard and then he began barking wanting to get at the top of the refrigerator. Rico then was directed away from the refrigerator and Rico wouldn't leave and began sniffing the lower part (freezer). Rico continued sniffing this and then gave a alert by scratching at the freezer. Rico then checked the rest of the residence including the basement and showed no odor interest in these areas. Officer Wilcox notified the Narcotic Officers of the alerts. The Officers checked the alerts and located a Glock handgun in the arm rest of the love seat. In the kitchen above the counter there was a scale and two bottles what appeared to be PCP. They then located two baggies of crack cocaine (34.9 grams) inside a cereal box on top of the refrigerator. And inside the freezer there was a bag containing a brown substance (heroin) 119.9 grams. Officer Brian Hale and K9 Chaiver, Hazelwood Police Department On 02-22-2011 at approximately 1230 PM Officer Hale responded to the BridgetonPolice Department to assist the DEA for a vehicle sniff. Upon arrival he contacted a DEA agent who stated that he wanted his K-9 partner Chaiver to sniff a vehicle, which they had stopped. K9 Chaiver began to sniff the air space around the parked 1996 Ford F-150 pick –up truck, starting at the front passenger side working towards the front driver’s side door. As he worked his way by the front driver’s side of the vehicle he had a quick head snap, his breathing began to change, he then began to scratch and bite at the front wheel well on the driver’s front side of the vehicle. Officer Hale instructed him to again search at which time he began to sniff the remaining portion of the vehicle until he reached the front side of the passenger side. Officer Hale then reversed his pattern working from the front passenger side of the vehicle towards the rear of the vehicle, as he approached the front drivers side of the vehicle the wheel well area he again began to alert by scratching the wheel well. . As he approached the hood area of the vehicle towards the passenger side he jumped up on his rear legs and began to scratch the left side of the hood area. He then finished to sniff the rest of the vehicle without any further alerts. Officer Hale contacted the DEA agent who was on the scene and informed him of the two places that his partner had just alerted to. DEA agents then began to remove from the front drivers side of the vehicle the air conditioner compressor that was located on the front drivers side wheel well .The location that K9 Chaiver had just alerted to. Located inside the compressor was a large quantity of heroin, which had been molded in a round cylinder shape. It had some sort of grease on the outside of the heroin in an order to mask the odor. DEA agents then removed the power steering pump from the front passenger side of the vehicle where Chaiver had also alerted. Located inside the power steering pump was a large quantity of heroin. Total was approximately 3 pounds of heroin. Street value approximately $120.000.00 . South Central Region Officer Billy Coley and K9 Marley, Loxley Police Department On March 29th, 2011 at 1400 hrs, Officer Coley conducted a traffic stop on I-10 at the 48 MM for an expired Texas tag. The driver was very nervous and gave a conflicting travel story compared to the passenger. Officer Coley could smell and overwhelming odor of air freshener. He was given consent to search the vehicle but could not locate the source over the cover scent. Officer Coley did not have tools to gain access behind the interior panels. He then deployed K-9 Marley. K-9 Marley indicated on the front the passenger fender. Officer Coley looked through a gap in the fender with his flashlight and saw two sealed packages. A total of 28 lbs. of marijuana was recovered from several locations on the vehicle. Corporal Craig Mickel and K9 Butsch, Alexandria Police Department On March 15th, 2011 Cpl. Mickel heard Cpl. Butler in foot pursuit of a suspect. Cpl. Mickel located Cpl. Butler in front of a residence. Cpl. Butler advised that he had tried to stop the suspect for traffic violations on a bicycle and the suspect refused to stop and fled on his bicycle. Cpl. Butler advised that the suspect jumped off the bicycle in front of another residence on Beech St. and fled on foot into a thick wooded area behind the residences. Cpl. Butler advised that when he exited his unit to pursue the suspect he saw a black object in the suspect’s hand, a possible weapon, and he chased the suspect, but at a safe distance. Cpl. Butler advised that he chased the suspect until he saw the suspect running full speed and then jumped over a 6 foot metal fence. Cpl. Butler advised that he heard all of the units, including me, on the radio and knew we were close and we were setting up a perimeter. After giving K-9 warnings Cpl. Mickel had K-9 Butsch search the area. Butsch began searching the thick wooded area behind houses and then he worked his way through into the back of 1800 Beech St. Butsch then went under the residence. We moved over to where we heard the yelling and Butsch was biting the suspect. The suspect was fighting with Butsch and they were moving around underneath the residence. Cpl. Mickel yelled at the suspect to stop fighting his dog, but he refused to comply and he continued to fight with Butsch. Cpl. Mickel then yelled to Butsch to release the bite on the suspect and Butsch immediately released the bite, but the suspect turned over and hit Butsch. Butsch immediately bit the suspect again. Cpl. Mickel was already crawling underneath the residence to assist Butsch due to the suspect fighting him. When Cpl. Mickel got to where Butsch and the suspect were at under the residence he told the suspect to stop fighting the dog and this time he complied. Butsch was told to release the bite and was put in a down position. Cpl. Mickel began to place the suspect into custody and then the suspect began to resist him so Butsch started to bite the suspect. Cpl. Butler had to help him get the suspect into custody. Finally the suspect was in custody and Cpl. Butler pulled the suspect from underneath the residence Corporal Craig Mickel and K9 Butsch, Alexandria Police Department On 02-10-11 Cpl. Mickel responded to assist Officers on a traffic stop. Upon arrival he saw Officers had a 2003 Nissan Altima on a traffic stop. The driver of the vehicle, suspect #1, was in custody on felony warrants. The passenger, suspect #2, was standing with an Officer. Officers could smell the odor of Marijuana coming from inside the vehicle. Cpl. Mickel deployed K-9, Butsch, and performed a free air sniff around the exterior of the vehicle. Butsch displayed a positive response to the odor of an illegal narcotic on the front passenger door. We finished the free air sniff around the exterior of the vehicle and put Butsch back into the unit. Cpl. Mickel then began to search the interior of the vehicle and located a set of digital scales on the rear passenger seat. One of the Detective’s arrived on scene and advised he had information that suspect #1 hides his illegal narcotics and a handgun in hidden compartments inside the vehicle. As Cpl. Mickel began his safety sweep he saw a black wool cap sitting in the center of the back seat. As he grabbed the black wool cap it opened up and he saw 3 plastic bags containing a large amount of suspected Marijuana. He secured the suspected Marijuana and digital scales inside his unit and deployed Butsch for an interior Narcotic search of the Nissan Altima. Butsch immediately went towards the center of the rear passenger seat. Butsch displayed a positive response to the odor of an illegal narcotic by scratching and biting the seat. Butsch was trying to get underneath the seat and he knew the odor of an illegal narcotic was coming from underneath the rear passenger seat and not the top of the rear passenger seat where he had located the suspected Marijuana. Cpl. Mickel lifted the rear passenger seat and that is when he saw the Glock .40 caliber pistol. From the vehicle they recovered: Marijuana – 4 oz. packaged for sale; 1 set of digital scales; 1 Glock .40 caliber handgun. Detective Sean Cursain and K9 Rex, Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Department On January 20th, 2011 Detective Sean Cursain and his K9 partner, Rex, assisted members of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office narcotics division to execute a search warrant of a suspected cocaine distributor. During the course of the search K9 Rex responded to the presence of narcotic odor throughout the residence. A search of those areas yielded items associated with kilo level distribution. Large capacity digital scales were found, packaging products as well as a hydraulic press, which is commonly used to compress the cocaine back into “brick” form after cutting the product to maximize profit. However during the search only cocaine residue was found. Detective Cursain decided to deploy Rex in the attic of the residence as a last resort. The attic was large and mostly floored with plywood but contained no property. Upon reaching the top rung of the attic staircase Rex began to respond to the presence of narcotic odor. The K9 jumped over an air condition duct then began digging under the plywood removing the insulation which partially exposed a white object. The object was one of two kilos of cocaine Rex located under the insulation and plywood.
West Coast Region Deputy Brian McBride and K9 Max, Los Angeles Sheriff's Department On March 23rd, 2011 at approximately 2 PM a multi agency task force had a patrol unit conduct a stop to recover what they believed would be 2 pounds of methamphetamine. After a vehicle stop by patrol and searching the car with no finds, Narcotics K9 Team handler McBride and canine Max were called. When Deputy McBride arrived, he found the car open and partially disassembled. Dep. McBride deployed Max and from the inside, Max alerted where the rear side window meets the interior panel. Max alerted to the same area on both sides of the car. Using knowledge Mcbride gained through DEA's Training program and the tools provided by them he was able to "jump" the traps open. Both rear quarter panels had traps built in. From inside the traps 8 pounds of Meth, packaging, scales, a small amount of money and a loaded pistol were recovered. If not for Max's alerts, this contraband may not have been found and these criminals may have had to be released.
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Awards Archives for previous years