K9 Harlej – Fishers, Indiana

Died – 11/13/19

K9 officer killed while tracking 2 suspects

The death of a Fishers Police Department K-9 officer early Wednesday morning was the first line-of-duty death in the department’s history. K-9 Harlej (pronounced Harley), a 5-year-old Belgian Malinois, was killed during a manhunt for two suspects. The incident began when officers attempted to stop a possible drunken driver just after midnight on I-69. After a brief chase, the suspects stopped in the Saxony neighborhood and fled from their vehicle. K-9 Harlej was deployed to find the suspects and while he was searching in a wooded area, officers heard what they believed were shots fired from a gun. Harlej was later found dead in the woods and two suspects, a man and a woman, were taken into custody. Their identities have not been released at this time. The male suspect was treated for dog bite injuries and released back into police custody.”It is my belief that he saved lives last night and we’re thankful for his sacrifice,” Fishers Police Department Chief Ed Gebhart said during a press conference early Wednesday morning. Police are still searching for a weapon in the area where the suspects were taken into custody. Harlej joined the Fishers Police Department in 2015 and has had a “very successful career,” according to Chief Gebhart. “We would ask for the community to be patient with us,” Gebhart said. Harlej’s death is the first line-of-duty death for the department since it opened in 1994.Services for Harlej will be announced at a later date. Donations to the department in Harlej’s name can be sent to the Fishers Police Foundation.

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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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