January 2019 Catch
JEREMY MATTHEWS
K-9 BOHDAN
EVANSVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT (INDIANA)
I responded to a holdup that just occurred. While enroute, officers determined that the holdup actually occurred at another location. Officers advised that two black males took the victims cell phones and wallets at gunpoint and fled on foot, north west from the area. The victims advised that the suspects split up when they initially fled on foot, ran around an apartment building and joined back up on the street and continued running.
Confirming with officers that we had the robbery with a firearm, I returned to my vehicle and deployed my certified police K9, K9 Bohdan. I placed K9 Bohdan on a 30 foot tracking lead, returned to the area where I located the end of the suspect’s footprints and commanded K9 Bohdan to attempt to locate the armed, unsearched fleeing felons. I did not give my K9 warning due to the use of a firearm and the potential to give away our position to a suspect that may be close to our location.
I began to cast K9 Bohdan throughout the center of the intersection, thinking the suspect may have fled across the roadway (which at the time of this track was a complete sheet of ice due to a recent snow / ice storm) however K9 Bohdan show no interest toward the north. I then cast K9 Bohdan toward the west, at which time K9 Bohdan began to show interest in several of the newly formed footprints which I failed to notice. K9 Bohdan began to track in the direction of these footprints, at times placing his nose in each footprint. I was able to even notice a difference in K9 Bohdan checking a “newer” footprint compared to others that were located nearby. K9 Bohdan continued to track back to the west where the number of footprints began to diminish and only these “newer” footprints remained. K9 Bohdan then tracked back south and to the front porch of an apartment. At this time, I noticed that there were newer footprints leading to apartment A. I did not allow K9 Bohdan to cross these tracks up to apartment A in an attempt for responding officers to further examine the foot prints without his tracks contaminating them. I advised Officer Underwood who responded with his partner. I returned K9 Bohdan to my vehicle and returned to Apartment A to assist. Officer Underwood advised that he could determine that there were two different set of footprints going into apartment A.
Officer Underwood was able to contact the apartment owner, who allowed officers inside. Officers then two black males. Laying throughout the bedroom was the clothing of the suspects, as described by the victims.
Detectives arrived and located a cell phone and wallet, taken from the victims. Officers also located a handgun in the bedroom as well as in the top tank of the toilet.
Respectfully Submitted
Sergeant Jason Thomas
K-9 Unit Supervisor
Evansville Police Department