RR Police Dog killed by rail yard burglars

Trains Magazine General Discussion
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From BLET website:

Railroad police dog killed after scuffle with burglars
(The following article by Dan Rozek was posted on the Chicago Sun-Times website on November 23.)

CHICAGO – A railroad police dog scuffled with a suspected burglar while patrolling a South Side freight yard, then was killed when the burglar’s accomplice ran over the dog as the two men drove off, railroad officials and Chicago Police said Monday.

Jager, a German shepherd believed to be about 4 years old, was working with his human partner and two other canine teams in a surveillance operation along the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway’s 49th Street line about 11:45 p.m. Sunday when he was struck and killed, a railroad spokesman said.

"Jager was doing his job and unfortunately paid a high price for it,‘’ said Steve Forsberg, a railway spokesman.

Watching freight cars

The dog and his handler, a railroad police officer, were watching freight cars parked on the rail line, which connects Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway’s Korwith yard to the Norfolk Southern Railroad’s Ashland yard, according to Forsberg.

When the dog’s handler saw two men trying to break into a container car, he alerted Chicago Police, then moved to confront the men.

Jager, who has been working for the railroad for about 18 months, used his jaws to grab one of the men, Forsberg said. As the dog wrestled with one suspect, the other jumped into a car.

The suspect being detained by Jager broke free and ran to the car, Forsberg said. As the dog pursued, the driver apparently accelerated to escape and hit the animal, Forsberg said.

"Whether it was accidental or intentional, we don’t know,‘’ Forsberg said.

Suspects on the loose

Police described the vehicle as a blue station wagon but were still searching Monday for the suspects.

Railroad police frequently use dogs on surveillance operations around railya

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Yeah, I read that this morning, that’s sad to hear.

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Great now some poor homeless hobo is going to mauled to death by a railroad police dog[V]

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Where did that come from?

LC

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The killing of a Police Dog,while they are engaged in doing thier duty,is a felony.Just like killing a human police officer.

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Or whatever his username will be next week…

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Sad news, Such Noble Dogs don’t deserve to die in a Manner. I hope they catch the idiots and apply the harshest penalties allowed by law (to bad they’re not harsh enough).

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Hangin’s too good for 'em.

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Good. They can finally serve a useful purpose as training dummies.

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That wasn’t what I had in mind either.

LC

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Had a good friend who was an Engineer on the River Line and had been a RR police officer on K-9 detail in the Bronx before he changed crafts. His craft change was precipitated by an incident where he and his partner confronted a man actively stealing from a railroad car in Hunts Point Yard. The K-9 bodily restrained the suspect correctly in all respects. Nonetheless the perpetrator later brought suit under 42 U.S.C. 1983 contending that the force used by the K-9 and his handler was excessive. This after he attacked the dog with a broken bottle. I’d like to think I would’ve moved in and upped the ante right there. In any event, the suit was settled despite the objective lack of any misconduct and my friend decided he’d rather run the trains than protect them. Can’t say as if I blame him.

LC

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I hope they catch the “SOB”

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You’re right, I apologize.

The dog might get a disease.

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I was thinking that it would be poetic if he were to accidentally fall into the cooker at the Alpo pet food plant…

LC

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well, he died a hero. Jager and Forsburg sounds like 2 hockey players Peter forisburg who plays for the Av’s and J. Jager who plays for the NY Rangers there both wrong spelling

kevin
Lynx 2 Checkers 5 F

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As a retired police K-9 handler I deeply sympathize with the BNSF officer . In my 10 year partnership my partner was stabbed once and assaulted by suspects several times. One of my regular training partners had his dog shot and killed attempting to arrest a teenaged burglar. Had the RR officers not been working with a dog they may well have been the one injured or worse.

As for the Clevelandrocks comment, NO COMMENT.

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The killing of a police dog should be tried the same as murder of a human being. If infact the perpetrator was commiting burglary at the time of the murder, it should be tried as a capital offense. I have zero sympathy for anyone who is cruel or otherwise violent towards animals. But I will not make judgment what the sentence should be. That is up to a judge & jury.

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This is my take from a law enforcement perspective. The officer had every right to use force in return as that dog was acting as an extension of the officer. It surprises me that these idiots didn’t get shot. If they ran over the dog, they probably wouldve run over the officer too. Anyone in law enforcement that handles a K-9 treats that dog as there partner, buddy, and back-up officer. No thugs should be treated in any other way than that they ran over another cop. For those of you that disagree with me, just go interview a police K-9 handler and see what answer you get. I personally know 4 dog handlers and I pity anyone who would attempt to over suceed in running over the dog.

As for Clevelandrocks, making comments like you did pretty much lowers you to the level of these type of people that have nothing better to do than to break into cars and than kill police property because of their idiocy. Obviously they aren’t working hard enough if they still have the energy at the end of the day to be doing crap like this. I just wish you’d close your mouth rather than saying fooli***rash like you did here. It really is disapponting to read[V]

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In many states, there are several laws that equate violence done on a police dog to be the legal equivalent to violence on an actual police officer. Railroad police are actual deputies, right? They better hope they don’t get caught.

Gabe

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Mookie has sad eyes!