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Died 8/5/15
Flagler sheriff’s K-9 euthanized after biting deputy
A Flagler County Sheriff’s Office K-9 was put down last week, one day after biting a deputy and sending him to the hospital, a sheriff’s spokesman said Friday. That makes two K-9 deputies on medical leave, including one who injured his knee during a training exercise on July 13, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Those two worker’s compensation absences, along with another deputy who recently was transferred out of the unit after failing to complete K-9 training, means there are three K-9 teams on the road — a 50-percent reduction from full strength. Sheriff’s spokesman Jim Troiano said the euthanization of 5-year-old Char, a German shepherd, was a “sad day” and a “tragedy” for the office. “We extensively called around to place Char with an appropriate owner and home,” said Troiano, who added that K-9 rescues were among those contacted. Char — pronounced “car” —chomped down on Deputy Brandon Fiveash’s hand Tuesday while Fiveash was on duty, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Char was not assigned to Fiveash or anyone else in the unit at the time, but Char was being kenneled on Fiveash’s property. The deputy arrived home, while on duty, to feed Char when he was bitten, Troiano said. Char was put down the next day. That instance of apparent “food aggression” toward Fiveash was a strong sign that Char was not safe enough for the street, so calls were made to try and get the dog adopted or fostered, Troiano said. “That limited our ability to place him,” he said of Char’s behavior issues. “That, based on our veterinarian’s recommendation, led to the decision to euthanize him. “We did everything appropriately,” Troiano said. “Our decision was based on fact and not assumptions.” Meanwhile, Fiveash has been released from the hospital and he remains on medical leave, Troiano said. He didn’t know whether Fiveash’s injuries were career-threatening. Char was the K-9 assigned to Deputy Joe Barnett, who underwent a training class in New Smyrna Beach with Char. Barnett didn’t finish the class. It was due to “handler issues” and not because of Char’s behavior, said Troiano. Documents obtained by The News-Journal show Barnett’s shortcomings during his training were addressed by instructors on May 18 and by June 3, it was determined Barnett could not meet the expectations set by the trainers at the Southern Coast K-9 facility. The head of the Sheriff’s Office K-9 unit, Sgt. Jon Welker, stated he was advised by the instructor that “Deputy Barnett and K-9 Char would not be permitted to continue attending the training course.” Welker then recommended Barnett be reassigned to road patrol. Barnett’s additional bi-weekly pay of $209 for canine kennel care was eliminated effective June 4, according to Sheriff’s Office documents. Troiano reiterated that Char was not the cause for Barnett being removed from the course, but it was Barnett’s “inability to handle the dog.” Char had not bitten any of his two prior handlers before Barnett, but Troiano said he did bite Barnett and then Fiveash. He stopped short of blaming Char’s newly detected aggressive behavior on Barnett. “We can’t say that,” said Troiano. “That wouldn’t be fair to (him).” Barnett could not be reached for comment. Welker was on medical leave for a few months about four years ago after being bitten by the K-9 he was handling at the time. The dog, Blu, was returned to its breeders in Europe, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Bites are a regular occurrence among K-9 handlers, said Troiano. Often they have scars on their hands and arms and are even proud of them. “There are hazards involved,” Troiano said. “They know that when they go into it.” Four weeks ago, Deputy Joe Dailey was “catching” a K-9 during a training exercise. The dog, named Repo, launched and bit down on Dailey’s arm. Dailey was wearing protective gear at the time and suffered no injuries from the bite, but the impact caused him to fall and he injured his knee, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Dailey is one of two certified K-9 trainers in the unit. Welker, who doubles as head of the School Resource Officer unit, is the other. Welker handles Jax, an explosive ordinance detecting K-9, or bomb-sniffing dog. The other K-9s in the unit are patrol dogs that specialize in apprehension, narcotics searches, tracking and more. Dailey handles two dogs, Reno and Tag, which are kenneled on his property, said Troiano. The plan is for Tag to attain more training and certifications and replace Reno when the latter is retired. Fiveash handles Kaos and only kept Char on his property. Deputies Robert Tarczewski and Fred Gimbel make up the last two positions in the K-9 unit and each has one dog. Tarczewski is assigned with Repo and Gimbel is assigned with Marko. They are the only active K-9 deputies teamed with patrol dogs, according to the Sheriff’s Office. There has been upheaval with the K-9 unit at the Sheriff’s Office. In 2013, shortly after Sheriff Jim Manfre was sworn in, a lieutenant and sergeant who oversaw the unit were demoted. One took early retirement and the other was subsequently fired. Another K-9 deputy, Dominic Guida, resigned in December 2014. Most recently, Deputy Fred Smith resigned without giving notice. Troiano said Smith turned in his agency-issued vehicle and his dog, Tag, on May 8. He told his superiors he was starting a new job with the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office. Smith’s first day at his new job in Volusia was May 18 and he remains in the Field Training and Evaluations Program, said agency spokesman Andrew Gant. Troiano said that despite the euthanization of Char, the agency is down only one dog, and that’s after Reno officially retires. Bringing in another dog is being contemplated. “We are looking at the possibility of bringing that position back,” said Troiano. “We have to look at the financial aspects of it.” As for the deputies who handle them, Troiano conceded the unit is “pretty banged up right now.”
