A suspect wanted on a variety of felony charges was caught by a Florida K-9 officer named ‘Gator’ last week.
This animal was no crocodilian. ‘Gator’ is the police dog’s name, not its species.
In a twist, the dog sniffed out suspect David Hallaman underneath a pile of dirty laundry and trash, according to WTVT-TV.
The suspect was reportedly hiding under the pile in a bid to evade arrest.
Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey briefed the public on the arrest in a video uploaded on the agency’s Facebook page last week.
Law enforcement photos showed the suspect with grievous police dog bite injuries — perhaps severe enough to prove that “Gator’s” name is well-earned.
“We will send a dog in to take a bite out of crime and that’s exactly what Corporal Lance Behringer did when he unleashed K-9 Gator and showed Mr. Hallaman what happens when you play hide and seek with the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office,” Sheriff Ivey said.
“After his little encounter with K-9 Gator, Mr. Tough Guy — you know, Mr. Hallaman — he’s crying like a little baby, and quickly gave up.”
Should more police departments have access to working dogs?
Hallaman recieved medical treatment at an emergency room after his arrest, requiring several stitches, according to Sheriff Ivey.
Hallaman is facing several felony charges after his arrest, according to WTVT.
The suspect has been booked on charges of false imprisonment, kidnapping, criminal mischief, battery and felony battery by strangulation.
He’s being held in the Brevard County Jail with no bond, and potentially faces extradition to Massachusetts on an armed robbery charge, according to the sheriff.
K-9 dogs are valuable police tools in the apprehensions of suspects who don’t intend to surrender to law enforcement peacefully.
The California Highway Patrol deployed a dog to apprehend an armed carjacking suspect who had led authorities in a chase down a highway in an allegedly stolen truck in July.
The dogs can be used in narcotics detection as well as the apprehension of suspects.
A Colombian drug cartel reportedly placed a $7,000 bounty on a police dog that continually sniffed out their products for authorities in 2018.
