“I want to make our community aware of an incident that is being investigated. Yesterday, we became aware of a case that occurred earlier in the week involving the arrest of a man who was reportedly the suspect of a burglary in progress. This arrest was made using a police K9. For context, deployment of a police K9 to apprehend a suspect is considered a use of force and, as such, in accordance with agency policy, a supervisor reviews all camera footage and written reports to determine if the apprehension was made within the law and our policy guidelines. During the review process, the supervisor observed that the K9 deployment and conduct of the officer were not consistent with those standards. The matter was immediately referred to the CCSO’s Office of Professional Responsibility. After a preliminary assessment, I ordered that the officer be suspended from duty pending a full investigation. We also notified the State’s Attorney’s Office and alerted them to the incident.
We work hard every single day to earn and keep the public’s trust. When something occurs that doesn’t reflect our values, we face it head-on. When we identify actions that fall outside our standards, we act immediately and hold ourselves accountable. I assure you we will conduct a thorough investigation and will share more details once the investigation is complete.”
The CCSO was accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA) in 2001 and has since earned the highest rating of Excellence. Established in 1658, the CCSO is one of the oldest law enforcement agencies in the United States. For more information, visit www.ccso.us.
Charles County Crime Solvers offers rewards of up to $1,000 for information that leads to the arrest or indictment of a person responsible for a crime in Charles County. All individuals who provide tips through Crime Solvers will remain anonymous. Anyone with information about an unsolved crime or the location of a fugitive may contact Charles County Crime Solvers by calling 1-866-411-TIPS. Tips can also be submitted online at www.charlescountycrimesolvers.com or by using the P3Intel mobile app, which can be found in the Android Store and Apple Store by searching P3tips. For more information about the P3 program, click on this link: www.p3intel.com.