In the middle ages, the adoption of dogs into the police force began. The dogs themselves were to act as another enforcement tool in the community. They were not just any stray, the dogs were specially chosen and trained to assist their assigned officer in tasks like drug busts, armed situations, and suspect chases. The dogs can also help if their handler has been grabbed by a perpetrator or injured. The dogs themselves are good at their jobs. The handlers, however, are easily corrupted.
In 2012 a phone call was made to 9-1-1 from the Lemay household. The reason for the call was a suspected suicide by a member of the household. The mother of an 18-year-old son alerted police saying that her daughter found a noose in the garage. She wanted a welfare checkup to make sure her son was okay. The responder sent K-9 handler Keith Bush of the North Port police officers to check on the boy. Bush brought his dog along with him to assist. Before appearing on the scene, Bush sent a message to K-9 handler Michael Dietz informing him that he should come and get his dog's first bite on the force. There was no response, Dietz texted his fellow handler again baiting him. He told the other handler that if he did not show up with his dog the bite in question would be taken by Bush. Dietz showed up at the Lemay’s house with his dog Cammo as well as Bush and his dog.
Jared Lemay, the one who had supposedly made the noose, hid in a trash can in his garage upon the police’s arrival. According to the teen, one of the officers lifted the lid to the trash can, looked inside, and then replaced the lid. Moments later, Cammo rushed the trash can, knocking the top off and dragging Lemay out by his face. The dog then attacked Lemay’s back before an officer called off the attack. After the incident, Bush congratulated Dietz on the attack. Lemay suffered lifelong injuries, permeant scarring to his face and back as well as his inability to eat several days after the attack.
The misuse of the North Port police dogs went unchecked for another four years. Since then, Bush resigned from the force and now lives in Tennessee. The force is being sued by Lemay for the attack. Police dogs are viewed as members of the force and not as a privilege. The utter neglect that both handlers showed towards the owning of such a well-trained animal begs the question: Can we have these dogs work side by side with our officers without misuse? There are many areas where the implementation of police K-9s is successful. But, there still are the officers like the North Port handlers that misuse the right to the dogs.
