August 2019 Catch

OFFICER JEREMY MATTHEWS

K-9 BOHDAN

EVANSVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT (INDIANA)

I responded to the area of Kenmore and S Hebron Av to a foot pursuit officers were engaged in. The suspect, fled the scene of a car stop and was being chased by Officers Green and Giles. The other occupant that was in the vehicle advised that the suspect had a gun on him. Officers chasing after him also stated that they observed him reaching for his waist as he was running. Officers lost the suspect in the 900 block of S Kenmore, running north.

When I arrived, I was briefed by Officers Giles and Green. With the information of the suspect in possession of 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 and presented the area were the suspect was last seen. I did not give a verbal K9 warning due to the probability of the suspect being armed and the potential of him in a position of advantage even before a verbal warning would warn him of mine and other officers presence.

K9 Bohdan began to track north on Kenmore, turning into the Brice De Morey apartments. K9 Bohdan continued into the apartment complex until coming to a large, freshly sealed asphalt parking lot. This lot had numerous stairwells throughout the complex that I felt the suspect could be hiding. As we were searching this area of the complex, officers on the perimeter advised that they just observed the suspect directly north of our location, running south, directly to Officer Giles Officer Green and myself. Officer Harper advised that he saw the suspect running.

I had Officer Harper and Officer Wiseman return to the area where they last observed the suspect, which was still north of our location. I once again cast K9 Bohdan in the area, where he picked up the track and began to pull north, coming up to Bellemeade Av. Once K9 Bohdan came to the area of Bellemeade, he made a circle from east to west, finally jumping into the landscaping area incasing the "Brice De Morey" sign for the apartments. K9 Bohdan then apprehended the suspect, who was laying down in the landscaping. K9 Bohdan apprehended the suspect by the left leg / calf area. I then began to give commands to the suspect to show his hands and keep them where I could see them. Officer Wiseman arrived to place the suspect in custody, as I commanded K9 Bohdan to release his apprehension.

The suspect was then transported to Deaconess ER where he was treated for the K9 apprehension and released. I photographed the suspect’s injuries with my body camera.

The suspect gave several different names and dates of birth but was finally identified through Illinois Prison records. Officers back on scene also located a handgun under the suspect`s seat in the vehicle he fled from.

I was later contacted by our local ATF agent who advised that the suspect has several previous convictions including several car jackings over a multi-day crime spree in Chicago. ATF advised that they would be attempting to charge the suspect federally.