K9 Riddick – Nampa, Idaho

Died – 9/21/24
Handler – Officer Huss

Nampa police chase ends in rollover crash, K-9 dies, suspect and officer injured

A Saturday evening police chase ended with two people hospitalized, an intensive search through a farmer’s field and a police dog’s death.Nampa Dispatch received a tip shortly before 6 p.m. that a man on parole was “on his way to a commercial location to sell drugs,” the Nampa Police Department said in a Sunday news release. Patrol officers located a vehicle they believed the man was in and attempted a traffic stop, according to the department. Police said officers began to pursue the vehicle when the woman driving it failed to pull over. “When attempting to perform a Precision Immobilization Technique (PIT Maneuver), the suspect vehicle turned into the police vehicle, ramming it, and causing both vehicles to roll and leave the roadway and land in a cornfield,” Carmen Boeger, Nampa police spokesperson, said in the release. Police said the driver and Nampa officer Cody Huss were treated at a local hospital and later released. The male suspect escaped the crash near Ustick Road and Polara Way, leading to a nearly four-hour search of the surrounding area and fields with assistance from the Canyon County Sheriff’s Office, Meridian Police Department, Caldwell Police Department and Idaho State Police, according to Nampa police. “Not long after the search was completed, dispatch received information that Howe was at a local convenience store,” the release said. “Nampa police officers responded, found him, and arrested him without further incident. ”The 27-year-old male suspect from Caldwell was arrested on a parole agent’s warrant, which allows a person on parole to be detained without a traditional warrant.The 33-year-old female driver was arrested on felony charges of battery of a law enforcement officer, eluding law enforcement, trafficking methamphetamine and possessing controlled substances, as well as misdemeanors for possessing psilocybin mushrooms. Both were booked in the Canyon County Jail in the early morning hours of Sunday.A police K-9 named Riddick died in the crash. The department said Riddick’s body was transported with a police escort to a Nampa veterinary hospital.Riddick, a 3-year-old German shepherd, was trained in apprehension and drug detention, according to the department.“Officer Huss and K-9 Riddick were assigned to a late shift patrol team, where they were relied upon each shift to help keep our community safe,” the department said in a Facebook post. “It is the wish of Officer Huss and the K-9 Unit to hold a public service of remembrance for K-9 Riddick.”More information on the ceremony will be released when available, the department said.

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.