A little old, but another good Rottweiler story

[Soapie&Buddy'sMom]

INTELLIGENCER JOURNAL (LANCASTER, PA.) April 14, 1999, Wednesday

April 14, 1999, Wednesday

A Lancaster man wanted on numerous warrants had eluded capture for months, but William Frederick Smith discovered Tuesday afternoon that one officer's bite is every bit as bad as his bark.

City police had received information that Smith, who allegedly assaulted an officer last year while escaping from an arrest attempt, was in an apartment at 636 High St.

A quick perimeter was set up around the red brick row house about 4:15 p.m. as neighbors gathered on nearby porches to watch the action.

After determining by radio the warrants were still in effect, officers knocked on the door. Locked with a deadbolt, the door proved to be a problem for the officers in the front of the building. But officers David Hirshiser and Bret McFarland, who were stationed at the rear of the 2 1/2-story building, rose to the task.

It was about eight feet, to be precise, as they hoisted themselves onto a low roof to check for an open window, police said.

The height was not a problem for the upright officers, but Hirshiser's partner, Hero, a 4-year-old Rottweiler, could not make the leap. A quick snap of a thick leather leash onto the 100-pounder's chest harness provided an able elevator for the beast as he was hoisted aloft by the officers.

Once on the roof, Hirshiser, McFarland and Hero made a leap from one roof to another to reach an open window. After crawling inside, Hirshiser yelled for Smith to surrender.

"I gave him five chances," Hirshiser said later. "I even called him by name."

Approaching a room on the third floor, Hero became agitated. Inside the room, there was nothing but a large pile of insulation in one corner. But Hero was insistent. Hirshiser yelled again but still there was no answer.

After a final verbal warning, Hirshiser set his partner free.

Hero leaped into the itchy pile of insulation and disappeared, Hirshiser said.

"He looked like a porpoise. He would jump up and then disappear again. He came out with a mouthful of insulation and spit it out. Then he went in again," the officer said.

Whatever the rating of the insulation, it wasn't enough to keep the strong jaws of Hero from Smith's left leg.

"I pulled Hero out of the pile and there was Smith," Hirshiser said.

The puncture wounds required two stitches at Lancaster General Hospital. Smith then went to another painful meeting, this one with District Justice Sandra High-Kulp.

Bond was set at $125,000 for Smith, who was charged with a number of offenses, including escape, retail theft, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct, police said.

He was taken to Lancaster County Prison in lieu of bail, police said.

[RSQRottweiler]

What a cool dog. :) Thanks for posting these stories!

Audrey

[Soapie&Buddy'sMom]

INTELLIGENCER JOURNAL (LANCASTER, PA.) June 13, 1997, Friday
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INTELLIGENCER JOURNAL (LANCASTER, PA.)
June 13, 1997, Friday

HEADLINE: City police dog ignores injury, captures suspect

BYLINE: Brian M. Christopher


Despite having a nail impaled in his paw, Hero, a Lancaster City police dog, subdued a man who almost ran over an officer during a routine traffic stop Thursday afternoon, police said.
The suspect, Jerome Eagles, 21, address unknown, and another man, Sheron O. Jones, 19, of East Ross Street, face a variety of charges in connection with the incident.
Officer Michael Laser stopped the two men for an alleged traffic violation as they were driving in the area of Prince and Furnace streets about 7 p.m., according to police.
"I was talking to them and then the driver reached down with his left arm," Laser said. Because he had no idea what the driver was reaching for, Laser grabbed at the man's arm. As the officer reached into the car, the driver, who was identified as Eagles, hit the accelerator and sped off, narrowly missing Laser, who fell away from the window.
Other officers were notified of the incident and swarmed to the area. After a few minutes of searching, the empty car, which was still running, was spotted in the first block of Hazel Street.
Officers arriving at the scene were directed by witnesses to two houses the men were seen entering.
The newest of the bureau's K-9 units, Officer David Hirshiser and his Rottweiler, Hero, which has been on the job for six months, arrived at the scene with the other officers.
Police made an announcement to the two men in the houses that a police dog would soon be entering. In some cases, the threat of the dog is enough to flush the suspects, but Eagles and Jones were apparently playing hard to get, police said..
"We had to go in and get them both," Laser said.
Jones was found first and was taken into custody without incident, police said.
Hirshiser and Hero entered the second house.
"We got up to the third floor and Hero picked him out," Hirshiser said.
Not an easy feat, since Eagles had buried himself in a pile of wood and debris, the officer said.
"He wouldn't come out, so Hero went to get him," Hirshiser said.
Faced with the snarling Rottweiler, Eagles began to fight with the dog, grabbing at his ears and legs.
Hero grabbed an arm with his mouth.
"Get him off me," Eagles reportedly screamed.
"Stop fighting with the dog," Hirshiser shot back.
The officer gave a verbal command for the dog to release his bite, which he did.
But a flying fist from the suspect toward the dog resulted in another bite command from Hirshiser.
During the fight, Hero let out a high-pitched yelp.
"I got sick when that dog started screaming," Hirshiser said later. "I though he was stabbing him."
What actually happened was that Hero had stepped on a board with a nail in it, impaling his right rear paw.
Despite his own injury, the dog responded to every command Hirshiser barked at him. Hero was called off three times and each time Eagles again started to hit the dog, grab at his ear and twist his left front paw.
"Then I Maced him," said Hirshiser, who then backed Hero away, allowing other officers to take Eagles into custody. He was taken to Lancaster General Hospital, where he was treated for bites to his arm.
Hirshiser took Hero to a local veterinarian, where he was treated for the nail wound and his twisted paw.
Eagles and Jones were being charged by Detective Steven Skiles with aggravated assault on an officer, criminal trespass and weapons violations after a gun was discovered in the car, police said.
Eagles was also charged with a misdemeanor assault on a police work dog.
"That's a felony in some other states," Hirshiser said.
The men were awaiting arraignment late Thursday night.
After the incident, Hero was treated to an impromptu cool shower on the sidewalk in front of the police station, where Hirshiser made no attempt to hide his feelings toward his partner.
"Hero's a hero," he said to the damp, wounded dog. "It's steak for you tonight, pal."

GRAPHIC: COLOR PHOTO, Brian M. Christopher, Hero, a Lancaster City police dog, gets a well-deserved bath from his partner, Officer David Hirshiser, after subduing a man who nearly ran down another officer with a car Thursday afternoon.