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Died – 5/22/17
Handler – Officer Zach Livingston, Sgt. Doug Black, Officer Matthew Pinson, Officer Cody Wyatt, & Officer Charlie Burke
To honor for service: Flag ceremony remembers former Coweta Police canine officer
Coweta Canine Officer “Chalet” was remembered at a solemn flag lowering ceremony Tuesday, May 23 at the Coweta Police Department, where he served faithfully in office from October 17, 2006 until February 9, 2015. The police service dog died on Monday, May 15 which ironically was National Police Officer Memorial Day. Several Coweta officers were joined by representatives with the Broken Arrow Police Department, Wagoner Police Department and Wagoner County Sheriff’s Office to pay their final respects to Chalet for a job well done. “The bulk of Chalet’s professional career was spent rooting out illegal narcotics,” Coweta Police Chief Michael Bell said. “He was deployed many times for apprehensions, article recoveries and to track suspects and lost persons.” When he was first certified, Officer Chalet was assigned to Officer Zach Livingston. During his career he was also assigned to Sgt. Doug Black, Officer Matthew Pinson and Officer Cody Wyatt. His most recent handler was Officer Charlie Burke, and Bell called them the “right fit” as the department’s longest running controlled dangerous substance detector team. They worked together nearly five years. The American flag retired in front of the department during Chalet’s memorial service was presented to Officer Burke who, along with his family, provided the service dog with his forever home after his retirement.“Officer Burke and his family, Amanda and the kids, will miss Chalet greatly and so will all of his law enforcement family,” Bell assured. Chalet went through a number of handlers, and at one time in 2012 there was talk about donating him back to the kennel. Burke volunteered to take him in and began the necessary training. “Going through training, the bond you have with your dog is unmatched to any human partner you could have,” Burke explained. “You spend more time with them, it’s 24-hours a day, 7-days a week. They are with you all the time and there is no getting away or days off. You still have to keep the dog fresh for training.” The officer called Chalet “temperamental”, saying he had his moments when he would let people know he was a dominant figure in the world. “He had a switch, and when you put him in the patrol unit, he went into work shift mode. If you got near his car, he would let you know,” Burke recalled. “I could tell the days when he was feeling really good and the days when he wasn’t. You could tell if it was going to be a good work day.” The canine officer only had one live bite during his tenure. In 2012, Burke was conducting a pedestrian check at Kum and Go and the man ran from police after repeatedly being told to stop. Chalet chased him down. “It turns out that same guy is the one who drug my dad (former Wagoner County Deputy Kelly Burke) down Highway 51 for about a half a mile after making a traffic stop in 2000.” Kelly Burke had stopped to give the driver a motorist assist. As he was reaching to turn off the ignition, the driver jumped in and drove off with the officer’s arm stuck in the steering wheel. He did time in prison for the incident, and when he got out, he had outstanding warrants against him. Charlie Burke said that is likely why he ran on the call in 2012. “Chalet showed me the first sign that karma is true,” Burke said referring to that incident.On a positive note, the officer recalled when Chalet helped locate someone who suffered from dementia and had walked away from home in the middle of the night. Burke said the May 23 flag lowering ceremony means more to him than most people know as it shows others care. “You are told the whole time you are a canine handler that your dog is nothing but a tool, and then something like this reassures you that they do care and notice things,” he said. “I was his fifth handler, and there were four other guys who had a bond with him as well. They understand what it’s like to lose something like this and know the feelings I have.” The flag presented to Burke in Chalet’s memory will be on permanent display in the Burke home. The officer continues to work with his current canine partner, Zee.
