K9 Diablo – New Castle, Delaware

Handler – Master Cpl. Chris Sarnecky
Retired New Castle County Police K-9 Diablo, shot in 2009, dies

A retired New Castle County police K-9 that was shot while trying to apprehend a suspect in 2009 has died, the department said Tuesday. K-9 Diablo was forced into retirement following the Nov. 11, 2009, shooting, which unfolded outside a Philadelphia Pike apartment complex in Brandywine Hundred around 1 a.m. Diablo and his handler, Master Cpl. Chris Sarnecky, had responded to the area after a woman called 911 to report that her boyfriend, Eric Weit, threatened to kill her. Officers surrounded the complex, but couldn’t find Weit — until Diablo caught his scent in a nearby wooded area. Diablo “dashed through a thicket, where he found and bit” Weit as the man tried to run, according to a Delaware Online/The News Journal article from 2009. Weit, who had a handgun, yelled, “I’ll shoot. I’ll kill this (expletive) dog and all of you, too” at officers before they opened fire on him, a Delaware Department of Justice report said. The 34-year-old was shot five times before yelling, “I’m down and I’m done.” He survived the shooting. Though Diablo had been shot twice during the incident, he didn’t let go of Weit until Sarnecky called him back. The K-9 then collapsed at his handler’s feet. Sarnecky rushed Diablo to a local veterinary hospital. He was then transferred to the University of Pennsylvania’s veterinary hospital, where he underwent surgery. The K-9 made a full recovery, but never went back to work. He lived out his days with Sarnecky. New Castle County police said Tuesday that Diablo was “faithful until death.”

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Submitted By Jim Cortina

James A. Cortina has been involved with police dogs since 1972 and currently on the Board of Directors for the Connecticut Police Work Dog Association Inc. Jim has been appointed as Treasurer since its inception in 1991. Jim is one of the charter members of the C.P.W.D.A. organization. Since 1975 he has been a certified professional dog trainer and received his Master Trainer Certification in 1985. During his career he has provided armed K-9 strike crowd control for security agencies in Connecticut and out of state security companies. In conjunction with other members of the Connecticut Police Work Dog Association Inc. Board of Directors, he helped to draft Connecticut Statute 53-247(e) "Intentional Injury or Killing of Police K-9" which was passed by the Senate in 1993 and also assisted in implementing the prestigious Daniel Wasson Memorial K-9 Award in 1992. In 1993 he helped coordinate the North American Police Work Dog Association Nationals in New London, Connecticut. He was appointed Training Director for the New London County Work Dog Association from 1985-1987. He performed decoy work for Connecticut Police Work Dog Association Inc. in police K-9 demonstrations, trained several local police department canines, and coordinated training workshops for out-of-state police departments. He participated in the United States Police K-9 Association Trials in Croton on Hudson, New York in 1985 as a decoy. He is an avid photographer and received photography awards in 1989, 1990, and 1991 and currently takes photographs for the Connecticut Police Work Dog Association Inc.
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