Cop suspended after letting his K9 partner cook to death in his cruiser

OHIO --A Montville police officer is placed on a two week unpaid suspension after its K9 officer, Beny, died after being left in a police vehicle.

According to Montville Police, the dog died of a heat stroke while it was left in its kennel in the back seat for more than four hours.

 

On Sept. 28, Sgt. Brett Harrison arrived to the station shortly before 11 a.m. and started working on paperwork for several cases. He says he knew he left Beny in the back seat of his cruiser, but thought he had left the car running with air conditioning.

When he went back to his car that's when he noticed that he neither left the window down nor did he leave the car running. He found the dog lying lifeless in the compartment's kennel at around 3 p.m. It was 69 degrees when he got to work and up to 79 degrees outside when the dog was found. In those 4 hours, Beny died of a heat stroke.

Sgt. Harrison released the following apology shortly before 8 p.m. Tuesday evening:

Dear Township Trustees,

I want to start by expressing my deepest apology to Montville Township, the Trustees, the citizens, the police department, my fellow officers and to my partner, Beny. I'm sorry to bringing this upon everyone.

I apologize to the trustees and police department for putting you all in this horrible position. I know that it is an unenviable position to have to deal with a situation as sad as this. I'm also sorry for the sadness and grief that you were put into.

Most of all, I want to say I'm sorry to my partner, friend and loving family member Beny. I wish everyday that I could go back and change that day or that I could put myself in your place. You will always be in my heart and I will miss you every second of every day.

I want you all to know that I will never forget any of this. Once again, I am sorry.

Sincerely,
Brett Harrison

Police Chief Terry Grice said Sgt. Harrison also loses 40 hours of vacation.

"This is a loss that words cannot describe, and it is very difficult for everyone involved," said Chief Grice. "There is no doubt that this loss will have a lasting impact on Sgt. Harrison and our entire department. Sgt. Harrison cared deeply about Beny He worked with him 40+ hours a week and Beny lived with Sgt. Harrison and his family when the two were off duty. Sgt. Harrison is overwhelmed with grief, and is taking this loss very hard."

Sgt. Brett Harrison and K9 Officer Beny - before he killed him
(Photo: Montville Police Department, Facebook)

Chief Grice said it is standard procedure to leave the car on with the air conditioning on or to leave the windows down.

Beny was a two year old Shepard that has been working with Sgt Harrison on several cases for just over a year.

In his seven years at Montville Police Department, Sgt. Harrison has never had any disciplinary action against him until now. Montville police has passed off their notes to Society for the Prevention of Cruely to Animals.

SPCA opened their own internal case Tuesday. It will be up to their prosecutor to decide whether this was wreckless behavior, negligence or just an accident.

(WKYC - October 7, 2014)