Police dog teams compete in Des Moines
Around 100 police K-9 teams from around the country are in central Iowa this week to determine who has the “top dog.” The 2009 United States Police Canine Association’s National Trials opened Monday in West Des Moines. Office Brent Kock with the West Des Moines Police Department says the dogs and handlers are tested in activities that are similar to what they might encounter on the job.
“Which includes tracking, criminal apprehension…if you get in car or foot chases and the dog is deployed, the dog will know which person to go after and how to detain the person until officers can get there,” Kock said. That means the dogs need to show skill in picking up scents, climbing ladders and jumping fences.
“Those are all things that we encounter when we’re out going through back yards. When somebody is jumping over fences, we don’t want to stop and lift the dog up over every fence that we come to,” Kock said. “So, you want the dog to be able to jump over the fence, pick up the scent again and keep going. We try and keep it as realistic as possible with all of our testing.” When West Des Moines added a K-9 team to its force, Kock spent six weeks at a training school in Indiana and now handles a dog named Ronnie. Like most police K-9 dogs, Ronnie’s a German Shepherd.
“They’re great around people. They have a very good nose, not necessarily the best nose out of any dog, but they’re good at tracking. They’re strong dogs, so they can apprehend people and you don’t have to worry about too many injuries,” Kock said. This week’s competition will conclude with a free public demonstration from 6:00 to 7:30 Thursday night at Principal Park in Des Moines.
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NS, Jewett City get new resident troopers
Jewett City and North Stonington have some new “residents” coming to town.State police Lt. Michael Darcy, the commanding officer of Troop E in Montville, announced today the new resident state troopers that will be assigned to the borough and town.
Troopers Thomas Fabian, Steven Rief and David Abely were assigned to North Stonington.
Troopers John Saucier and Jeffrey McDermott were assigned to Jewett City.
Fabian, a 19-year veteran, was a temporary replacement in North Stonington before his permanent assignment. He also served as the town’s resident trooper from 1999 to 2004.
Rief, a 20-year veteran, previously served as a detective with the Eastern District Major Crime Squad.
Abely, an 11-year veteran, was a former iron worker before becoming a patrol trooper with Troop E in Montville.
Saucier, a nine-year veteran, served as a patrol trooper in Troop E and also worked as a Capitol police officer in Washington, D.C. for two years.
McDermott, also a nine-year veteran, was a patrol trooper in troops E and H in Hartford. He also served as a K-9 officer for five years.
Jewett City and North Stonington were left without permanent resident troopers since July when the state’s retirement program resulted in the retirement and reassignment of the former resident state troopers.
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Off-duty cops act fast to save young girl
As Sara Murphy finished an impromptu hike down Stone Mountain, Ruth Stringer was set to begin a five-mile run.
Patrick Leithead was there, too, lurking near the restrooms. They were among the few people at Stone Mountain on this dreary Sunday afternoon, Sept. 20.
“Something was off about [Leithead],” said Murphy, a GBI agent based in Athens. “He was acting very strangely.”
Stringer, a lieutenant with the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office, also noticed the hulking stranger. “He was just sitting there on the bench,” she said. “I probably wouldn’t have paid him any mind had there been more people around.”
As Stringer finished stretching, Murphy continued tracking Leithead. “He was checking out everyone who walked by,” she said. She briefly lost sight of him, but not for long.
At about the same time, Stringer had stepped into the restroom, unaware that Leithead had already snuck inside. She spotted male feet sticking out from under one of the stalls, “as if he was kneeling.”
“I thought maybe it was a couple making out, or a father helping a child,” Stringer said.
Then she heard the muffled cries of a child.
“I knew I could handle myself,” said the unarmed ex-Marine, “but at the same time I didn’t know what would be coming out at me.”
In her most commanding voice, Stringer ordered the man to release the child. She repeated the command. And again. Finally, a teary-eyed 13-year-old girl emerged.
“There’s a man inside there,” she told Stringer.
The off-duty lieutenant escorted her outside. Standing at the door, she yelled for someone to call 911.
Murphy was already heading her way, looking for Leithead.
“I was glad to see Sara coming,” Stringer said. By then the 36-year-old suspect had emerged from the bathroom.
“I should’ve run,” he told Murphy. Armed with the Glock she retrieved from her vehicle, Murphy held him down until park police arrived. Leithead, arrested and charged with aggravated child molestation, remains jailed without bond in DeKalb County.
“He admitted he had gone there with the intention to rape,” Murphy said. Fortunately, he didn’t get that far.
Fate played a hand.
Murphy said she wouldn’t have been at Stone Mountain had I-85 not been clogged by traffic.
“We figured why not hike?” she said. “I really feel like God put us there.”
Stringer said she was compelled to act.
“You’re on-duty 24 hours a day,” she said.
Murphy agreed: “There’s no such thing,” as being off the clock.
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