On November 16th, Wichita Police officers pursued a robbery suspect who fled into a storm drain that went under a road. The suspect barricaded himself and K9 officers were sent to get him out and take him into custody.
K9 units work with patrol officers and issue commands and warnings over and over. Eventually a dog will be sent in on a very long leash, so that once the suspect is caught by the dog, they can both be dragged out. I assume from the media release this is what happened. The dogs, and their handlers, put themselves in harms way to apprehend dangerous criminals (the kind who do violence against humans and animals).
When Bane, the police dog, went in, there was a struggle and the suspect strangled him to death. The suspect was eventually apprehended and arrested.
The event hit everyone in the community hard, because Bane wasn’t just a regular dog cop.
He became Officer Daniel Gumm’s partner in 2017 after Officer Gumm’s previous dog, Rooster, was shot to death by another violent criminal. Anyone who met or worked with Dan will tell you he was a great cop, family man, and friend. I can honestly say there are few who worked harder or with more integrity.
In 2022, Officer Daniel Gumm, hugely respected as the lead K9 trainer and handler in Kansas, and the region, lost his battle with cancer. Bane was donated to the Sedgwick County Sherif’s Department, who the Wichita Pollice Department K9 unit worked with frequently.
I believe that dogs do go to heaven, and I hope Dan, Rooster, and Bane are doing well.
Today I will try to be a better person, in case they are watching us.
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