HOUSTON – Harris County Sheriff’s Office deputies and Houston police officers captured an inmate on Monday evening in downtown Houston about two hours after he ran from deputies while being booked into county jail.
A HPD helicopter crew helped located Johnathon Richmond, 29, hiding in underbrush on the south bank of Buffalo Bayou at Austin and Commerce about 50 yards from the jail’s inmate processing center at 7:15 p.m.
The crew used thermal detection equipment to identify the escapee’s likely location and directed a boat crew and officers on foot to the inmate.
Richmond was returned to jail in a patrol vehicle. Investigators said he has used several aliases and was booked into jail Monday night as Timothy Sonnier, 31, police said.
In addition to the Jefferson County larceny warrant that led to his arrest during a traffic stop, he was also a fugitive on charges of aggravated robbery and injury to a child, deputies said. Harris County District Clerk’s Office records also show he was charged in Harris County with giving false information in 2013 and 2007 and marijuana possession in 2007 and 2002.
The man was charged with felony escape late Monday evening. The Harris County Sheriff’s Office said it will review booking procedures.
Find out how man’s best friend has become crime’s worst enemy! Canine cops are a great resource to snuff out crime in Houston. Learn how these hero hounds have been recognized in a big way. and with your help could get the “barking rights” around town.
Senior Cpl. Dave Nails of the Dallas Police Department helped Baron show off a Kevlar vest Thursday at the Hall of State in Fair Park.
Argo, Baron and Pico are used to chasing after bad guys, unprotected and unarmed, except for their teeth. But now the Dallas police German shepherds and eight other dogs from K-9 units in McKinney and Holliday, outside Wichita Falls, have new bullet-resistant and stab-proof vests, courtesy of Vest ’N PDP. “These dogs are going in the danger before us,” said Senior Cpl. Armando Dominguez, Pico’s handler. “They will confront people before we can get to them. … These vests are definitely going to help.” Dallas resident Carol Archer helped bring the vests to Dallas, working as a liaison with Vest ’N PDP, which stands for police dog protection. During a citizen ride-along with Dominguez, she asked why Pico didn’t have a vest. “There was an armed suspect and here come all the officers,” Archer said. “And I see the dogs, ahead of everybody with nothing.” So she contacted Susie Jean, a New Mexico resident who created Vest ’N PDP about a decade ago after watching an episode of America’s Most Wanted in which a K-9 was killed. The dog managed to knock down the criminal who shot him, but then fell at his handler’s feet and died. Having just lost two of her own German shepherds to cancer, Jean empathized with the police officer and was shocked to learn that many police dogs work with no protection. “I called my local police department, asked if they needed [vests] and raised the money,” Jean said. Since then, she’s vested 733 police dogs in 43 states. Dominguez said police K-9s are killed almost weekly, and although Dallas police haven’t lost a dog, there have been close calls. The local K-9s will now be outfitted in Class 3 bullet- and stab-proof vests made of Kevlar, a synthetic material used in military armor. The dapper dogs modeled their new accessories Thursday in a presentation at the Hall of State in Fair Park. “It makes the dogs safer; it’s like a police officer wearing a vest,” Sgt. Tracy Smith said. “They’ll only wear them on certain calls, especially in the heat.” According to Jean, the vests can cost $16,000 per department, but she gets them at $750 a vest from her supplier. “A lot of times, departments can’t afford the vests,” said Jean, whose organization relies on public donations. Archer hung posters of Dominguez and the now-retired Pico at Dallas pet stores, and local donors helped pay for 11 vests for dogs from Dallas, McKinney and Holliday. Jean transported them in her RV from New Mexico. “I’m proud of the public,” she said. “I am a one-person organization, but it takes teamwork to make this possible.”
K9 handler Bryce Lewis gives Billy, a 2-year-old Golden Retriever, a belly rub while meeting the media at the Provo Police Department Tuesday, July 16, 2013. Billy is one of two new bomb sniffing dogs at the police department.
PROVO– While other officers were out on patrol or doing investigations, the newest members of the Provo Police Department spent Tuesday morning playing fetch.
Billy, a two-year-old golden retriever/labrador mix, and Zima, a three-year-old German Wirehair, joined the police department a month ago after they were donated to the Provo Police by the Department of Defense.
The two dogs will be employed as bomb dogs after they go through eight weeks of intensive training. The dogs were originally selected by the Department of Defense to be part of their K9 bomb squad, but Officer Drew Hubbard with the Provo Police Department says that Billy and Zima didn’t meet the rigourous standards set by the military and were put in a program that donates dogs to local police departments.
“We are very grateful to have this tool in our city,” Lt. Matt Siufanua said. “Last month we had four EOD calls and had to go outside to the county to get dogs. Now we have those tools here and immediate access when we need it.”
Officer Hubbard and Det. Bryce Lewis, both members of the Provo Police Bomb Squad, were selected as the handlers for the two dogs and will make Billy and Zima part of their families. Hubbard says the dogs will go through eight weeks of training where they use toys to train the dogs on 16 different smells associated with bombs, guns and other explosives.
“The toy will be the reward. They are trained and once they smell the explosive they know they get to play,” Hubbard said. “Even when out on jobs if they find anything they get a reward.”
Hubbard says the dogs will be useful in being more proactive about protecting the city, rather than waiting for something to happen. Siufanua says the dogs will be used at major events like the Utah Valley and Provo Marathons, the Freedom Festival and the Stadium of Fire, in addition to responding to everyday calls. Lewis says that now when calls of a suspicious package come in, they can send Billy or Zima in to smell the package and determine if it is dangerous rather than deploying the entire bomb squad to dispose of the package safely.
“This is going to be an awesome tool for the city,” Lewis said.
Through the program with the Department of Defense, Provo didn’t pay anything for the dogs, which typically cost between $5,000 and $10,000, but will have to pay for their training and care. Once Billy and Zima complete the eight-week training they will have to spend four hours a week in training to keep up their skills. Lewis says they will be taught to sniff out black powder, dynamite and a number of chemicals used to make homemade explosives.
But training the dogs isn’t always an easy task. Hubbard, who will be Zima’s handler, says she has a very high drive and harnessing that will be a challenge.
“She wants to do nothing but play and hunt,” Hubbard said. “We want her to be obedient but don’t want to subdue that drive. It will a challenge to harness that energy.” Zima had been picked to be a breeding dog for military but was let go after having a stillbirth and has no bomb training. Billy has minimal training in bomb detection but both dogs will start training in August.
“Billy and Zima will play an extremely valuable role in Provo,” said Mayor John Curtis, “Unfortunately we live in an increasingly dangerous world and we have to take a more proactive role in protecting our city.”
Billy and Zima bring the total number of bomb dogs in Utah County to five and 18 statewide. Siufanua says that both dogs will be used for calls throughout Utah County.
It may be the dog days of summer in Houston, but not so for Harris County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) K-9 deputies Boomer and Tommy. These hard-working, elite canine officers, who are available 24/7 for duty, have been nominated for the American Humane Association Hero Dog Awards 2013. Winners are decided by public voting held online now through July 30.
K-9 officers arrive at HCSO trained in handler protection, but then go through a rigorous 14-week HCSO training course with their handler to learn tracking, scouting, building searches, vehicle stops, and drug or bomb training. Most law enforcement K-9s are German Shepherds or Belgian Malinois, cost $12,000 and retire after 5-8 years of service. K-9 Boomer and K-9 Tommy are black German Shepherds who take a bite out of crime every day with a proven record of finding drugs, explosives, and bad guys on the run. In almost two years with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, K-9 Boomer has helped take more than $6 million worth of illegal drugs off the streets and assisted in the arrest of 26 suspects accused in crimes involving narcotics, evading arrest and/or burglary. K-9 Tommy, a new addition and rising star on the HSCO team, has aided in cornering 36 suspects, found an elderly missing man and located important evidence in a sexual assault case.
It may be the dog days of summer in Houston, but not so for Harris County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) K-9 deputies Boomer and Tommy. These hard-working, elite canine officers, who are available 24/7 for duty, have been nominated for the American Humane Association Hero Dog Awards ™ 2013. Winners are decided by public voting held online now through July 30.
K-9 officers arrive at HCSO trained in handler protection, but then go through a rigorous 14-week HCSO training course with their handler to learn tracking, scouting, building searches, vehicle stops, and drug or bomb training. Most law enforcement K-9s are German Shepherds or Belgian Malinois, cost $12,000 and retire after five to eight years of service.
K-9 Boomer and K-9 Tommy are black German Shepherds who take a bite out of crime every day with a proven record of finding drugs, explosives, and bad guys on the run. In almost two years with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, K-9 Boomer has helped take more than $6 million worth of illegal drugs off the streets and assisted in the arrest of 26 suspects accused in crimes involving narcotics, evading arrest and/or burglary. K-9 Tommy, a new addition and rising star on the HSCO team, has aided in cornering 36 suspects, found an elderly missing man and located important evidence in a sexual assault case.
Winners from each of the eight hero dog categories (Service, Therapy, Hearing, Emerging Hero, Military, Guide, Search & Rescue, and Law Enforcement/Arson) will be announced on August 6 with their respective charity receiving $1,500. The finalists receive airfare and accommodations for two to attend the American Humane Association’s Hero Dog Awards™ Gala held October 6 at the Beverly Hills Hilton in Los Angeles. The overall Hero Dog of the Year winner will be announced that night with the winning dog’s charity receiving an additional $5,000 for a total of $6,500 total prize monies. Harris County Sheriff’s Office has named K9s4Cops as their charity recipient.
To vote today for K-9 Boomer and K-9 Tommy, please visitwww.herodogawards.org/contestants, look under “Choose a Charity Partner,” click on K9s4COPS, the wonderful Houston-based group that donated the money for HCSO to acquire many of our special dogs. Hit the voting button and cast your vote daily for K-9 Boomer and K-9 Tommy. You can also vote directly from the Harris County Sheriff’s Office website at http://www.harriscountyso.org/community_engagement.aspx.
A deputy who inspired the creation of a local charity has been honored twice this month for his bravery.
Deputy Ted Dahlin, who currently works for Harris County Precinct 4, was chosen as the recipient for the State of Texas Law Enforcement Achievement Award for Valor.
Deputy Dahlin was also chosen as a 2013 Law Enforcement Award Recipient by the 100 Club.
“I am humbled and honored by these awards,” said Deputy Dahlin. “I was so surprised to be chosen for these – and consider myself lucky every day to be able to work in this field.”
Dahlin’s bravery also inspired the creation of a local nonprofit foundation, K9s4COPs, in June 2010. In December 2009, Kristi Schiller saw a news story about Dahlin’s then partner K9 Blek, who was killed in the line of duty.
To compound the tragedy, the department was not going to be able to replace K9 Blek due to budgetary constraints. Moved by Blek’s death and frustrated by the lack of K9s on patrol, Schiller knew she had to do something extraordinary to help solve this growing problem for K9 departments. From this, K9s4COPs was created.
Since its creation, K9s4COPs has given 45 dogs across the country.
The recent awards were even further inspired by a new act of bravery that happened May 5, 2012. A few minutes before the end of his shift, Deputy Dahlin pulled over a car for making an illegal left turn.
He approached the driver’s side window – and the driver became very argumentative. Dahlin saw a rifle in the vehicle and asked the driver to step out of the car. He asked the driver if he had any other weapons. At that point, the driver pulled a pistol out and a struggle began.
The driver fired at Deputy Dahlin and struck him three times. Dahlin returned fire, killing the driver. His actions preserved his own life – and the safety of the citizens traveling along that roadway.
“Ted Dahlin exemplifies the bravery that we see across the nation with our law enforcement agencies,” said Liz Lara-Carreno, the executive director of K9s4COPs. “We are so proud to have the inspiration for our foundation honored by these two incredible organizations.”
For more information on K9s4COPs, contact communications director Jenna Jackson via Jenna(at)K9s4COPs(dot)org or 917 922 8146.
Six New K9’s Hit the Streets to Help Keep Us Safe.
K9s4COPs, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit, is pleased to present its Third Quarter K9 Roll Call – the nonprofit foundation is gifting six K9s this quarter. Founded in 2010, K9s4COPs mission is to ensure every law enforcement officer in need of a K9 has one at their side, well trained and ready for action.
K9s4COPs receives applications from law enforcement agencies across the nation requesting a K9 for their department and community. Since receiving its nonprofit status in 2011, K9s4COPs has gifted 45 dogs across the nation.
“K9s4COPs is committed to supporting law enforcement and keeping communities safe by gifting skilled K9s across the nation,” says Executive Director Liz Lara-Carreño. “We continue to add to the safety of officers in our own backyard by gifting three additional dogs to Precinct 4 and neighboring cities Conroe and Angleton.”
K9s4COPs wishes to congratulate the following agencies on their selection and thank our board and donors for their continued support in making this happen.
The following are this quarter’s recipients:
Roberta Police Department, Roberta, Georgia Dual purpose – patrol and narcotics K9
For more information, please visit https://k9s4copsprd.wpengine.com, or contact K9s4COPs Communications Director Jenna Jackson at jenna(at)K9s4COPs(dot)com or at 713.523.COPS.
HCSO K9 Tommy, left, with Deputy Jason Bullock and K9 Boomer with Deputy David Thomas.
HOUSTON – Two four-legged members of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office have been nominated for a prestigious national award, and they need your vote.
K-9 deputies Boomer and Tommy are among 15 finalists in the law enforcement category for the American Humane Association Hero Dog Awards.
Boomer and Tommy are black German Shepherds that underwent a rigorous 14-week HCSO training course with their handlers to learn how to find drugs, explosives and bad guys on the run.
In less than two years with the HCSO, Boomer has helped nab more than two dozen suspects and taken more than $6 million worth of illegal drugs off the streets.
Tommy, a new addition and rising star on the HSCO team, has already aided in cornering 36 suspects, found an elderly missing man and located important evidence in a sexual assault case.
Boomer and Tommy are the only finalists from Texas.
Supporters are encouraged to vote online daily atherodogawards.org through July 30.
Winners from each of the eight hero dog categories (Service, Therapy, Hearing, Emerging Hero, Military, Guide, Search & Rescue, and Law Enforcement/Arson) will be announced on August 6 with their respective charity receiving $1,500.
The finalists receive airfare and accommodations for two to attend the American Humane Association’s Hero Dog Awards Gala held October 6 at the Beverly Hills Hilton in Los Angeles. The overall Hero Dog of the Year winner will be announced that night with the winning dog’s charity receiving an additional $5,000 for a total of $6,500 total prize monies.
Harris County Sheriff’s Office has named K9s4Cops as their charity recipient. The Houston-based group donated the money for HCSO to acquire many of its K-9 deputies.
Rocco, a Belgian Malinois, chases a tennis ball thrown by Sgt. Mike Thomas as a reward for finding a bag during bomb-detection training.
Rocco thinks it’s time to play hide-and-seek.
The police-dog-in-training sticks his sensitive nose into one box, then another. At the third box, he sniffs, then sits. He’s found the hidden explosives, and he looks to his human partner for applause and a favorite ball.
“The dogs have to think that this is a game,” says Sgt. Mike Thomas, in charge of the canine unit for the Harris County Sheriff’s Office. “But it’s for real. It’s life and death.”
Since 1990, the number of canines with keen noses, great speed and firm bites has grown in the sheriff’s office from none to 24. Here and in law enforcement agencies across the country, rising numbers of highly trained dogs help with patrol work, hunt and rescues, and the detection of narcotics and explosives.
“I hope none of our dogs ever finds a bomb,” Thomas says, “but we are prepared.”
Before explosives hidden in backpacks wreaked havoc at the Boston Marathon, the sheriff’s office had two dogs trained in bomb detection. After a recent $48,000 gift from the nonprofit group K9s4COPS, Thomas was able to add four more to the mix.
Finding a match
Over Memorial Day weekend, Thomas and four officers new to the canine unit piled into a Ford F-350 and drove 19 hours to Denver, Ind., the Vohne Liche Kennels and police dog central.
The men, strangers to one another, bonded during the long, cramped trip. Then they had four days to forge similarly strong connections with new canine partners, ranging from 14 to 20 months old.
Watching almost a dozen dogs go through their paces, each man searched for a connection, a match. With each one they wondered – is this dog as talented a bomb dog as advertised? Will he protect me in an emergency? And since this dog is going to be living with me even during off hours, how will he respond to my wife and kids?
Deputy James Love’s car is specially equipped to transport Diesel.
Deputy Alex Chapa says Rocco was the eighth or ninth dog he met.
“I saw him, and I knew. And he responded to me, too.”
In time all four deputies – Thomas went along to facilitate – felt similarly committed. And as soon as they returned to Houston, canines in tow, they swung into an exhausting, 14-week training program.
“It’s just really neat to watch these dogs,” says Thomas, the Yogi Berra of sergeant/trainers. “They’re people just like us.”
Another Thomas wisdom: “It all goes down the leash. If a deputy comes in and has a bad attitude or doesn’t feel good or he’s moping around, that dog is going to be moping around, too.”
Rocco, Diesel, Gerard and Lucky are the new additions to the canine unit. Lucky is a black German shepherd; the rest are Belgian Malinoises. All four have the lean, hungry builds of young wolves, and they seem oblivious to Houston’s heat.
The deputies training with them are not so lucky.
“Hey,” a deputy hollers as the cool of the summer morning burns off. “Does anybody have some human water?”
Superstars at work and home
Thomas was working as a deputy in narcotics more than 20 years ago when his sergeant realized they could improve their success rates by adding drug dogs to the mix.
“We couldn’t see or smell the drugs,” Thomas says. “We’d stop a guy and know something was wrong, but we couldn’t find anything. The dogs pointed right to it.”
The canines also found crime scenes, rescued lost children and dementia patients and caught crooks.
“Most people know when a dog is coming,” Thomas says. “Guess what they do: They give up.”
Back in the day, Thomas says, “the dogs were known as land sharks because they would just bite everything.”
Over time, the dogs have grown more social. Thomas says his third dog, Eros, was a German shepherd who was a superstar at work and at home.
“My daughter, as a baby and a toddler, would sleep on that dog,” Thomas says. “They’d watch TV – they grew up together.”
He pauses and says, “You get attached.”
When Eros died, Thomas got a replacement dog who died of Addison’s disease.
“It was a tough year,” he remembers. “I got divorced, so I lost a wife and two dogs.”
Then Thomas paired up with Bart, another Belgian Malinois. “My guys were scared of Bart – he bit a few sergeants,” he says. “But really, he was a sweetheart. In the car he’d lick my ear or put his head on my shoulder. When he met my current wife, he just rolled over on his back. She says he doesn’t have a mean bone in his body.”
Once Thomas and Bart were tracking a 4-year-old lost in the woods. Bart ran ahead, found the child crying and calmed him with lick therapy.
“I have tons of stories like that,” Thomas says. “Tons.”
Group has supplied 50 dogs to agencies
Police dogs cost an average of $12,000 – a prohibitive expense for many law enforcement agencies. That’s where K9s4COPS comes in.
“Our group got started after a canine working for Harris County Precinct 4 was killed in the line of duty, and the county didn’t have the funds to replace him,” executive director Liz Lara Carreño explains. “Our founder, Kristi Schiller, said, ‘We need to get that deputy a dog.’ ”
That was in 2009, and since then the group has bought as many as 50 dogs for law enforcement agencies here, around the state and across the country.
All of the K9s4COPS dogs come from the Indiana kennel, where their training begins. For Rocco, Lucky, Gerard and Diesel – and their deputies – the work will continue through the summer.
Deputy George Love says the main thing he’s learned so far is to stand back and let his dog, Gerard, work.
“He already knows everything,” Love says. “Mostly it’s me learning to read him.”
Deputy James Love (no relation to George) agrees. “The dogs know what they’re doing. We just have to follow them.”
Rocco, Lucky, Gerard and Diesel go home with their deputies when they’re not working, but most live in kennels in the backyard. Until they mellow, they’re tough on home interiors, and they shouldn’t be left alone with young children.
James Love is careful to supervise the interactions between Diesel and his 4-year-old son, but he says the two are already good buddies.
“My son loves Diesel,” Love says. “He already knows most of the commands.”
Deputy David Bair describes his dog, Lucky, as a partner who is trustworthy and true-blue.
“If you’re getting shot at – you always wonder – will your human partner fight, flight or freeze. But a dog will always fight for you. A dog will lay down his life for you.”
This article is from the Houston Chronicle and was written by Claudia Feldman. Photo supplied by Nick De La Torre.
Senior Cpl. Dave Nails of the Dallas Police Department helped Baron show off a Kevlar vest Thursday at the Hall of State in Fair Park.
