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PLAINFIELD, NJ — An unfortunate case of mistaken
identity has resulted in the death of one of New Jersey's finest
rescuers. "Git Ander", a seven-year-old German Shepherd
who searched for survivors in the rubble of the World Trade Center was
shot to death by two Plainfield police officers who mistook him for a
vicious stray.
According to an
AP report published in yesterday's North
Jersey Record, the incident began around 7:00pm Wednesday with
several officers in pursuit of a car that had been reported
stolen. Sergeant John Gillespie, the dog's handler, was among the
first to arrive on the scene with Git Ander as suspects abandoned the
car and fled on foot. Sgt. Gillespie ran after the driver,
18-year-old Brian Tinsley, while Git Ander chased after one of the
passengers, a 12-year-old girl.
Sgt. Gillespie was able to apprehend
the driver while his dog brought down the girl by clamping onto her
leg. About that time, Officers Ronald Fusco and Craig Montgomery
arrived on the scene and—despite the police badge on Git
Ander's collar—mistook the dog for a stray. They tried to forcibly
pry the dog from the girl's leg, and reportedly Fusco was bitten in the
process.
The officers then shot Git Ander 11
times, wounding the animal fatally. Sgt. Gillespie arrived just as
his dog was dying.
According to Union
County Sheriff Ralph Froehlich, the police dog performed exactly as
he had been trained in subduing the suspect. Sheriff Froehlich
explains that Git Ander turned on Fusco for trying to separate the dog from the girl—a command
that can only be given by his partner, Sgt. Gillespie. |
The Record reports that no charges have
been filed in the shooting, but it is under investigation by Union
County Prosecutor Thomas V. Manahan because it involved police use of
deadly force.
Neither the girl nor the officers were
seriously injured. The driver of the car was charged with possession of
a stolen car and eluding police, while the 12-year-old girl and a
17-year-old male passenger were also arrested.
The Union County Sheriff's
Department K-9 Unit, commanded by Sergeant John Gillespie and
Sergeant Ronald Malcolm, is a special branch of the Search
and Rescue Unit of Union County. Since its inception in
1983, the K-9 unit has been commended for its expertise in searching for
missing persons or fleeing felons, evidentiary searches of burglarized
buildings and arson scenes, narcotics detection, bomb and weapons
searches and crowd control. The unit is also involved in community
relations work and gives demonstrations to schools. For More
information call (908) 273-1608 or (908) 527-6064.
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