K-9 dog stabbed during burglary attempt
Maplewood, MN (US)

Incident Date: Friday, Nov 12, 2010
County: Ramsey

Disposition: Alleged

Abuser names unreleased

A police dog was stabbed or cut this morning while searching for burglary suspects at a Maplewood business.

Three suspects were arrested. Major, a German shepherd K9 from the Roseville police department, was injured in the search. Roseville's Lt. Lorne Rosand said this morning that the dog was in stable condition at the University of Minnesota veterinary hospital in St. Paul.

The search was triggered by a car alarm at a trucking company in Maplewood, said Maplewood police Deputy Chief Dave Kvam. Police had earlier rigged the car with an alarm in an attempt to stem auto thefts in the area, Kvam said.

Maplewood officers set up a perimeter around the site -- Truck Utilities at 2370 English Street -- and called in a K9 unit from Roseville because the Maplewood K9 unit was unavailable.

Roseville sent Major and the dog's handler, Officer John Jorgensen, into the fenced site to search. At about the same time, Maplewood officers arrested two suspects as they were moving away from the area.

Jorgensen let Major off his lead and the dog briefly went out of sight, Kvam said.

"Officers then heard a yelp, a whimper -- they heard sounds that seemed to mean Major was hurt or injured," Kvam said.

Officers located the dog, which had been cut or stabbed, and rushed it to the U of M.

Several more K9 units were deployed, Kvam said, and a St. Paul dog tracked down a third suspect.

One of the three suspects said there were two more suspects involved in the attempted theft, and officers maintained a large perimeter around the site as they searched. Kvam said the search was called off at around 7 a.m., as police weren't sure if the suspect was referring to the other two suspects already in custody or two additional suspects.

The three suspects arrested have been identified as Ryan Dorner, 21, of Mahtomedi; James McBain, 20, of Maplewood; and Roel Perez, 21, also of Maplewood.

Police continue to investigate, Kvam said.

In addition to officers from Maplewood and Roseville, officers from St. Paul, North St. Paul, the Ramsey County sheriff's office and the Minnesota State Patrol responded to the scene.

Roseville's Chief Rick Mathwig will address the media at the U of M at 11 a.m. today to talk about the assault on Major.

The dog has been with the force since 2003 and has won numerous awards, according to the department's website.

"Major has established himself as a valuable asset to the Department through his hard work and productivity on the street," according to the department. "When not working, Major enjoys chasing tennis balls, swimming, and lounging around the house with his family."

References

• « Back to Search Results
  
  « More cases in Ramsey County, MN

  Note: Classifications and other fields should not be used to determine what specific charges the suspect is facing or was convicted of - they are for research and statistical purposes only. The case report and subsequent updates outline the specific charges. Charges referenced in the original case report may be modified throughout the course of the investigation or trial, so case updates, when available, should always be considered the most accurate reflection of charges.
  
  For more information regarding classifications and usage of this database, please visit the database notes and disclaimer.