2007

City of Virginia Beach

K-9 handler, MPO JS Hewlett and his K-9, “Ciro"

CITY:                     Virginia Beach
DOG_NAME:          Ciro
DOGS_AGE:          10
HANDLER_NAME:  MPO JS Hewlett
DOG_TRAINER:      MPO GW Garrett
TYPE_SERVICE:     Patrol

MOST_NOTABLE_ACCOMPLISHMENT:

K9 Ciro and MPO JS Hewlett have served as a patrol team with the VBPD since November 1998.  Together they developed into one of the most productive K9 teams in the histroy of the department.  K9 Ciro has demonstrated an outstanding ability to track and locate suspects that had fled from police.  Together they have had may outstanding finds where the searches led through neighborhoods,large fields, dense woods, marshes, and across busy roads for extreme distances.  Over the years they have been responsible for many arrests of violent felony suspects.  Just a few of the crimes that they have responded to and were able to find and arrest the suspects based largely if not solely on the abilites of K9 Ciro include armed robbery, burglary, home invasion, malious assualt and the list could continue.  In October of 2007 we retired K9 Ciro who will turn 11 years old in Feb.  We are extremely proud of Ciros accomplishments over the last 9 years of police service along with the commitment and dedication of MPO Jimmy Hewlett.

 

 K-9 handler, MPO Chris Fox and his K-9, “Arco"

CITY:                      Virginia Beach
DOG_NAME:           Arco
DOGS_AGE:           6
HANDLER_NAME:   MPO Chris Fox
DOG_TRAINER:      MPO GW Garrett
TYPE_SERVICE:     Patrol

MOST_NOTABLE_ACCOMPLISHMENT:

On January 15, 2007 MPO Fox along with his K9 Arco responded to a gunshot wound case at a nightclub.  The case stated approximately 20 shots had been fired and one person was shot.  As officers arrived it was learned the suspects had fled on foot after shooting and killing two people.  The suspects had also exchanged gunfire with an off duty law enforcement officer.  MPO Fox deployed with his K9 Arco to initiate a search.   The K9 team located a track and with the assistance of the air unit began working and clearing areas behind the business.  No assist units were immediately available to assist in the search so the K9 team moved in a slow, tactical manner.  K9 Arco led MPO Fox to a wood line and began to alert.  The air unit advised they could not see into the thick wood line and MPO Fox moved to an area of concealment and posted up until assist units could arrive.  It was approximately 20 minutes from the time MPO Fox and K9 Arco initiated the search until assist units arr
ived.  Once the units arrived MPO Fox briefed them and began moving slowly clearing the wooded area.  Moving through the marsh with knee deep water the K9 team approached an area of thick vegetation.  K9 Arco began to alert and as they moved down a steep bank K9 Arco cleared a dense area of vegetation locating the suspects.  One suspect was apprehended by K9 Arco and was pulled from his hiding spot.  The two suspects were lying right next to each other under a think layer of vegetation and could not be seen when located by K9 Arco.  MPO Fox coordinated the arrest with assist officers who moved in to help secure the suspects.  One handgun and an extra magazine were located in the suspects hiding spot.  Additional K9 units located another handgun the next morning out the next morning at day break and located two additional handguns next the suspects hiding spot. 

It is clear the K9 team distinguished themselves with gallantry and at the risk of their lives.  With no assist units available the K9 team continued to move forward in their search for approximately 20 minutes.   Their search was able to narrow down the location of the suspects to a wooded area.  It is beyond a doubt that the search for these two suspects that had just shot and killed two people and also shot at a law enforcement officer in a dark wooded area thick with vegetation was an act of bravery that deserves recognition.  Without the efforts of the K9 team the suspects may have escaped the area and continued their heinous criminal acts and injured or killed a police officer. 


 

K-9 handler, MPO JD Keatley and his K-9, "Diesel"

CITY:                      Virginia Beach
DOG_NAME:          Diesel
DOGS_AGE:           6
HANDLER_NAME:   MPO JD Keatley
DOG_TRAINER:      MPO GW Garrett
TYPE_SERVICE:     Patrol