K9 Kim – Bay City, Texas

Died – 1/3/17
Handler – Officer Keith Hatton

K-9 OFFICER KILLED BY CAR AFTER FIREWORKS SCARE

A K-9 officer frightened by fireworks has died after being hit by a car in Bay City. Bay City police said K-9 officer Kim was killed Tuesday after escaping from her partner Officer Keith Hatton’s yard in the middle of the night. Hatton called dispatchers, asking for backup. A short time later, officers found Kim dead on the roadway near Hatton’s home. A driver was found stopped behind Kim’s body. He told officers the K-9 officer had ran out in front of his vehicle, and didn’t have time to stop. Hatton said Kim had become agitated by people popping fireworks nearby earlier in the evening, and climbed a 6-foot fence to find a way to Officer Hatton’s front door. The officer said Kim was allowed to come in to calm down, but later found a way out of her enclosure again. The K-9 officer climbed the 6-foot fence again, this time going out to explore. That is when Kim was struck by the driver. The Bay City Police Department said Kim will be greatly missed, and that she was part of the family. “Kim had two personalities,” said animal control officer Dottie Grandstaff. “She had her off-duty, playful personality, and she had her on-duty personality. When Kim was on-duty, she was all business.”

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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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