Dogged Determination: 
Police Dog Jumps Off 50-Ft. Bridge to Apprehend Felon

March 4, 2001 Lodi, California, USA

When Officer Dee Dee Dutra ordered Sam to stop a fleeing suspect, she never expected him to perform his duty so thoroughly.

Sam, a German Shepherd with the Lodi Police Department, chased the suspect, 33-year-old John Arnold, to a bridge on Highway 99.  Arnold, who had led three police units on a high-speed chase out of town, now abandoned his car and was attempting to escape on foot.

The man then leaped from the 50-foot-high bridge into the waters below, and—much to the shock of police officers—Sam followed him over the edge.

Ms. Dutra (Sam's handler) recalls, "My heart sank."  She scrambled into her police cruiser and raced around to see if she could find the dog.

But not only did Sam survive the plunge, the heroic canine continued the pursuit, swimming after the exhausted suspect and ultimately herding him directly to police comrades waiting on the bank.  They took him into custody without further incident.

John Arnold has been wanted by the police on several offenses which, if proven, may put him behind bars for years.

Later, fellow officers and reporters heaped on the praise for Sam, who gleefully howled in appreciation.

The Lodi Police Department may be contacted at (209) 333-6727 or emailed at police@lodi.gov, if you care to nominate Sam for "Officer of the Year".

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