INDEPENDENTNews Conflicting reports surround CCSO K-9 incident
Alana Cook The attorney representing 24-yearold Brannon Badley, who was bitten by a Carroll County Sheriff’s K-9 on Sept. 20 in Green Forest, said the dog’s handler and arresting officer was “somewhat lax” in how he handled the dog during the arrest, and police reports obtained from a Freedom of Information Act request blame the victim for the incident. “How did the dog get loose? Why didn’t they put him in his cage? The boy was cooperating and [CCSO Sheriff Deputy D.J.] Harlan was obviously having trouble controlling the dog. Deputy Harlan never said in the police report how the dog got loose. Maybe someone should ask him that,” Badley’s attorney, W.H. Taylor, told the Independent. “That dog was vicious and mean.” In an interview two weeks ago, Carroll County Sheriff Bob Grudek pointed to a news article with a picture of Tyson sitting in a classroom with young children. “That’s the same dog.” He said, indicating that as a drug education dog, Tyson, an 8-year-old Belgian Malinois obtained by CCSO in 2010, is safe. Taylor said he had only had time to view the video and police reports he received a few days ago as a result of a FOIA. When asked whether Badley was planning to file a civil suit against CCSO and the deputies, Taylor said, “I told Grudek in a letter with the FOIA the decisions he made will dictate what I plan to do in this case. We want to see what the sheriff decides to do,” he said. “We need to figure out where we went wrong,” Grudek said while recounting details about the incident. A video that went viral shows Tyson biting Badley’s thigh for approximately 90 seconds despite Harlan’s repeated commands for the dog to release. Tyson barks loudly while Harlan, his handler, attempts to calm him. After pursuing Badley, whom Grudek said had a gun but later got rid of, a Green Forest officer cuffs Badley, who is on the ground. The video shows Tyson appearing to pull away from Harlan. At that point, Tyson bites Badley’s left thigh. Harlan appears to order Tyson at least three times to release, but the dog does not let go of Badley’s leg. Grudek said Tyson, who was trained by Vohne Liche Kennels in Denver, Ind., to check buildings for insurgents in Iraq, said, “The dog wasn’t following the command to release. He was doing what
he was trained to do.” Calls to the company’s director were not returned. The company’s website gives insight into how they train dogs. “Our dogs have become recognized by their ability to pinpoint source. We train our dogs to work to source and maintain that position until rewarded. A Vohne Liche Kennel trained dog will stick his nose in a package up to his eyebrows. It happens consistently in over 5000 law enforcement agencies in 20 countries.” Vohne Liche Kennels’ website indicates their dogs are prepared for all environments but they also say no situation can be guaranteed 100 percent. Grudek said Monday he responded to Taylor’s FOIA request for all documents concerning the background of Tyson and his handler, Harlan. CCSO has contacted their contract risk management firm, Rainwater and Associates, to notify them of the FOIA. Tyson was “looking for movement,” Grudek said. He indicated that there was a breakdown in communication when the “[Green Forest] arresting officer went to help Badley get off the ground.” Green Forest officers were conducting the arrest while Harlan and CCSO deputies were responsible for handling Tyson. “There is a rumor about contention between Green Forest [officers] and CCSO deputies. I want to know why CCSO deputies were out there,” W.H. Taylor said. Tyson has been placed on restricted duty, “limited to searching buildings for drugs or for traffic stops where it’s suspected drugs are in the vehicle,” Grudek said in the latest news reports. Taylor questions why Tyson was present during the arrest. “We want to know what the dog was doing there,” he said. In previous news reports from 2010, Grudek told the Quorum Court that Tyson is a “police dog trained in tracking people and sniffing out drugs,” but in Iraq he was used to “check buildings to see if they were occupied before troops entered.” It could not be confirmed whether Tyson was trained to pursue suspects and search for drugs in buildings in a law enforcement setting. CCSO Lt. Michael Zimmerman told the Independent the incident has caused a political fiasco for the department. Grudek cited budgetary concerns, low pay of his officers and contention between him and the Quorum Court related to those concerns for reasons as to why the video was released to the press. www.esINDEPENDENT.com | October 22, 2014 |
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