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City of Norfolk

Canine Officer:  Taz

Handler: Officer Christopher S. Brinkley

Most Notable Accomplishment:

On August 3, 2006, Officer C.S. Brinkley was called upon to assist precinct units on a suspect that had fled from custody after being arrested for felony narcotics. Once on scene, Officer Brinkley led his K-9 'Taz" to the suspect's last known location. "Taz" picked up the suspect's track and followed the ground disturbance to a house currently undergoing renovations. "Taz" gave a strong indication to his handler beneath the structure's attached deck. This indication led Officer Brinkley to believe the suspect was concealed under the deck. Officer Brinkley, immediately, positioned himself at a position

(Taz, continued)

of cover and gave multiple warnings for the suspect to come out. Officer Brinkley did not receive a response from the suspect and K-9 "Taz" was deployed, on leash, underneath the deck which led him to an access leading into the crawl space. While the K-9 handler was working his way through the tight access, "Taz" managed to work his head through the smaller of two openings in the foundation and began tugging on an unknown black material. Upon further inspection, Officer Brinkley observed that "Taz" had apprehended the suspect by biting him on the leg. Officer Brinkley gave the suspect multiple orders to surrender; however, the suspect attempted to kick out of the grasp of K-9 "Taz" losing his pants in the process. In an attempt to further elude the police, the suspect began scaling the wall (the house did not have sub-flooring). Officer Brinkley redirected his K9 through a larger access and extended his leash to full length. "Taz" was able to hold the suspect at bay while Officer Brinkley continued giving commands to the suspect for him to surrender. Finally, the suspect heeded to the commands and exited the house through an opening in the wall that was hidden by Tyvek wrapping. The suspect was secured and arrested by a perimeter officer assisting with the incident. This incident, by itself, is an example of K-9 "Taz's ability and effectiveness.