December 2018 Find

OFFICER DALTON SPAULDING

K-9 RAJI

WARRICK COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE (INDIANA)

On 12/17/2018 at about 02:36 Deputy Brewer requested a K9 sniff on a vehicle that he had stopped near State Road 261 and Lincoln Ave. Upon arrival Deputy Brewer briefed me on his stop and requested that I run my partner around the stopped vehicle for a free air sniff. Before deploying my partner, I went up to the driver and requested that he shut the vehicle off and step out for officer safety and had him stand next to Deputy Brewer’s car. After conducting an outer clothing pat down on the driver, I went back to my commission to get my K9 partner, Raji.

I brought Raji up to the front of the stopped vehicle and started him from a sit position. I then gave him the dope seek command and he began to work around the vehicle. As Raji came around the front of the car and worked towards the driver’s door I observed behavior changes that I recognized through my training and experience as him being in odor. Raji first showed a head snap towards the driver’s door and had a change in breathing by closing his mouth. Raji’s tail began to wag as he bracketed the trailing edge of the driver’s door. Raji showed abnormal behavior by jumping up trying to get closer to source in the window. Raji became rigid towards the door and began to sit alerting to the presence/odor of illegal narcotics. I praised him and continued to work the rest of the vehicle. Raji again showed interest and behavior changes at the rear passenger door. He continued to work the odor and went up to the front passenger door. Raji again showed abnormal behavior by jumping up in the window attempting to get closer to source. Raji alerted again on the front passenger door. I praised my partner and brought him back to my vehicle as I advised Deputy Brewer of the K9 alert.

I stood by with the offender/driver while Deputy Brewer searched the vehicle. As Deputy Brewer finished his search, he brought back some items that he located. He had a clear plastic baggy that had the words, “noo tropics, not illegal drugs,” written on it and it contained 4 clear capsules that had a white powdery substance inside them. The substance inside the capsules field tested positive for cocaine and had a field weight of 2.56 grams. He also located a marijuana roach and a tooter straw that contained a white powdery residue. The driver was arrested for possession of cocaine, possession of marijuana and possession of paraphernalia.