Officer Joe Fuller and  K9 Shadow

Minneapolis PD

On 03/30/2010, officers from Minneapolis’ 4^th Pct. stopped a motorist for alcohol related infractions.  Officers made contact with the driver and passenger.  Unknown to the officers making the stop, this driver had been convicted of manslaughter and other aggravated assaults.  He was also armed with a handgun and knife during this stop.  The driver then sped off, leading officers on a pursuit out of the city and into neighboring suburbs.  K9 Officer Joe Fuller and his K9 Shadow joined the pursuit to assist if the suspects ran from the vehicle.  Stop sticks were deployed and slowed the suspect’s vehicle enough so that a State Patrol squad could move into position to PIT the suspect.  This maneuver was successful and the suspect’s vehicle crashed into a ditch.

The driver and passenger both ran from the vehicle and into a wooded area.  K9 Shadow was deployed to apprehend the suspects.  20 yards into the woods, K9 Shadow apprehended the passenger in the upper back area and this party was taken into custody by assisting squads.  K9 Shadow was then re-directed into the woods to find the driver.  As K9 Shadow searched in the woods, there were still numerous sirens and other noises blaring making it difficult for Officer Fuller to keep contact with Shadow.  Once the sirens were shut off, Officer Fuller called for Shadow and he emerged from the woods with serious injuries.  K9 Shadow had been stabbed while he apprehended the driver.  There was a 4 inch deep plunging stab wound between his shoulder blades and two 12 to 14 inch long slashes on his left front leg.  K9 Shadow was bleeding profusely and needed immediate medical attention.

Officer Keith Demarest, of the Mounds View Police Dept., was providing cover for Officer Fuller during the search.  When Officer Demarest saw Shadow’s wounds, he tore off his t-shirt and provided a tourniquet and direct pressure to Shadow.  He also jumped into the back seat kennel with Shadow as Officer Fuller drove to a nearby 24-hour emergency veterinary hospital.  Our regular vet would have been too far away for Shadow to survive.  Blaine Police Officers directed the way to this hospital and provided an emergency escort.

            Once at the hospital, Doctor Dawn Todd performed emergency surgery on Shadow and was able to close his wounds.  Doctor Todd’s diagnosis was that K9 Shadow would have died from his attack if not for the tourniquet, direct pressure and close proximity of the hospital. 

This case is being submitted for case of the quarter for K9 Shadow’s relentless pursuit of this felon and his ability to survive a deadly attack.  It also points out the need to be prepared for emergency situations, if and when your K9 needs it.  

Minnesota State Patrol 

On 03-02-10 I received information of a vehicle traveling southbound on I-35 which was believed to be involved in narcotic trafficking.   I located the Dodge truck south bound on I-35 near mile marker 33 in Steele County on 03-03-10 at approximately 0043 hours.    The Dodge truck was pulling a Ford truck and did not have safety chains.  I then stopped the Dodge truck bearing Minnesota registration for the safety chain violation.   I approached the truck on the passenger side.   I noted several items of construction equipment in the rear of the truck beds.   The equipment included sheet rock knives (which were rusty), road construction signs, air compressor, rusty nails, rims for a vehicle, and a gas compressor.   The driver was wearing a road construction vest.    The driver stated the Dodge truck was his and the other truck was the passenger’s.    They told me they were going down to Des Moines Iowa for a sheet rocking job for two days.   I ran the registration of both vehicles and the registrations came back valid and registered to the two occupants.    I issued the warning and concluded the traffic stop.   I asked the passenger why they were towing the Ford, why the rims were in the rear of the truck, and where the job was.    The passenger stated that the Ford truck was broken; rims were his that he did not know who was going to buy them in Des Moines, and he did not know where the job was.    This was inconsistent with their trip and work.   The driver was wearing a road vest yet he wasn’t going to be doing any road construction just sheet rocking and no use for the road signs in the bed of the truck.  

I asked consent to search the truck and run the K9 around the vehicle.   Both consented and stated they did not have any drugs or large amounts of currency.    I began with K9 sniff with the Ford truck.   K9 Demi alerted by sniffing intensely and going away from my lead low under side of the Ford truck.   I then took Demi to the Dodge truck.   We began to sniff the driver’s side of the Dodge truck and Demi went away from my lead sniffing intensely and then went under the truck to the fuel tank and began to scratch at it for indication.   I rewarded her and placed her back into the squad.   I searched the underside of the trucks and noted the Ford truck having a brand new fuel tank, and the bolts were marred up for the fuel tank straps.   The Dodge truck had fresh marring on the fuel tank strap bolts, fresh scratches on the fuel tank.   The hoses were also worn and clamps were off set on the filler hose.   I then had both trucks towed into the state shop.    Trooper Mills assisted me with the search of the vehicles.  We scoped the fuel tanks and Trp. Mills located inconsistency in the Dodge truck fuel tank.   We searched the two bags of clothes and located a bundle of cash rubber banded up in the driver’s suitcase.   There was approximately $4,000.00 in the bundle.   Nothing was located inside the fuel tank of the Ford truck.   We put the Dodge truck on a hoist and located a false compartment inside the fuel tank.   The truck tank had to be dropped down and then the access was located on the side of the fuel tank.    There was a large rectangle cut into the tank and resealed with screws and plastic adhesive.   Inside the tank was located the area where the contraband had been placed.   There were scratches inside the fuel tank along with more screws where boxes appeared to have been placed.    Inside the rear bed of the truck was located old construction equipment and a brand new Sunbeam portable heater still inside the box.   We opened the box and I noted that the screws had been tampered on the back of the heater.   I located a long screwdriver in the front driver’s door which matched the heads on the screws.   I unscrewed the heater and located two large duct taped bundles of US Currency inside it.   The heater element was taken out of the heater to make room for the cash.    The cash seizure was taken federally by the DEA.  Total amount of cash was $79,210.00.