Cop accused of leaving K9 in hot car - warning, not a happy ending

[ancientgirl]

You would think as a police officer this guy would have had more brains. Sadly it just shows how incredibly ignorant and stupid some people are.


Cop accused of leaving K9 in hot car

Thu Sep 6, 12:19 AM ET

PHOENIX - A suburban police officer is accused of leaving a police dog in a patrol car for more than 12 hours on a 109-degree day, killing the animal.
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Chandler police Sgt. Tom Lovejoy was booked into the Maricopa County jail on a misdemeanor charge of animal cruelty after a two-week investigation into the death of a 5-year-old Belgian Malinois named Bandit. He was released later Wednesday, said Capt. Paul Chagolla, a spokesman for the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office.

The sheriff's investigation showed Bandit was in Lovejoy's patrol car from about 9 a.m. to shortly after 10 p.m. Aug. 11. During that time, the investigation found, the officer ran errands, napped and ate out with his wife. Lovejoy later found the dog dead in the car.

"I am certain Sgt. Lovejoy has suffered greatly from leaving his police dog in a sweltering car," Sheriff Joe Arpaio said in a statement. "I do not relish the idea of compounding his sadness. However, Lovejoy must be treated like anyone else in similar circumstances."

Lovejoy said Wednesday night that he is scheduled to appear in court Sept. 25 and that his lawyer advised him not to comment further.

"With the sheriff railing on me right now, it's kind of hard to say anything," Lovejoy said.

Chandler Police Chief Sherry Kiyler said in a statement that the department respects and supports the criminal justice system and its processes, and that an internal investigation has been launched.

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So this rocket scientist, did his errands, took a nap and went out to dinner while his poor dog suffered this incredibly cruel death.

I really do hope they treat him like a regular person and throw the book at him. But he seems more bothered by the sheriff "railing" on him than the fact he killed his dog!

[mummummum]

If he is THAT moronic one can only hope, for the safety of the people of Phoenix, that he loses his badge.

[ancientgirl]

Tell me about it. This after they did a week of Animal Cops: Phoenix on Animal Planet.

Honestly, what does it take for some people to use common sense? It's HOT in Arizona, did he not think leaving his dog in the car all that time would be a bad thing?

I mean, get in a car that's been sitting in the sun for even half an hour and see how bad it is! IDIOT!

[mummummum]

Originally Posted by ancientgirl

Honestly, what does it take for some people to use common sense?

Unfortunately, it goes beyond common sense. This man is obviously so self-involved he has no ability to factor in the needs and wants of other living beings into his own frame of reference.

[Love4himies]

This guy has no common sense and should not be a police officer. I agree, this extremely poor judgement should cost him his badge. Wonder why the dog was in the car for so long? If he was part of a K-9 unit, you would think any handler would have gone through some basic do's and don'ts, including not leaving a dog in a hot car and what the results are if you do. And what is up with taking a nap???

This not the first police dog I have heard of dying due to heat in a police vehicle. It happened Alberta a few years back, the automated car starter that was suppose to turn the car and air conditioning on if the interior of the car reached a max temperature and cool it down malfunctioned :sad: .

K-9

[ancientgirl]

I'm not too familiar with how police cars work, if they have any special things. Okay, I don't do this, but I can understand, if you need to get out of the car and you KNOW you will only be gone for a few minutes, leave your dog in the car and open a window! Or take him out and tie him somewhere where he can at least get some air, but don't leave him in a car that's basically an oven.

But what really gets me is the amount of time he left the dog in there!

I wouldn't trust this guy to be a cop that's for sure.

[Jim Hall]

[QUOTE=ancientgirl;474145]You would think as a police officer this guy would have had more bra

"I am certain Sgt. Lovejoy has suffered greatly from leaving his police dog in a sweltering car," Sheriff Joe Arpaio said in a statement. "I do not relish the idea of compounding his sadness. However, Lovejoy must be treated like anyone else in similar circumstances."

well not as much as the dog did sheesh cops

BAD COP!!!!! NOOOO DONUT FOR YOU !!!!!

[ancientgirl]

Yeah, it's like they're worried about how much this moron is suffering. Well the dogs not suffering anymore because he's dead!

[Nancyrb]

I found that inexcusable to leave a dog or any living thing in a car for 12 hours.........and the fact that it was a wicked hot day.........I was furious when I heard that story..............there is no excuse on earth to do such a thing. It actually brought me to tears.........because it was CRUEL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[mika140]

I read a couple more articles about it and it sounds as if it was unintentional. The most in-depth one gave more details and led me to believe that he basically forgot the dog had been in the car (he had been at an off-duty job). Unfortunately, that seems to happen with children also......very tragic.

I can't imagine not checking in on my dog in some way during a 12 hour period, so in that area I just can't understand the mistake. But it doesn't sound as if he intentionally left the dog in a hot car for 12 hours.

[ancientgirl]

Originally Posted by mika140

I read a couple more articles about it and it sounds as if it was unintentional. The most in-depth one gave more details and led me to believe that he basically forgot the dog had been in the car (he had been at an off-duty job). Unfortunately, that seems to happen with children also......very tragic.

I can't imagine not checking in on my dog in some way during a 12 hour period, so in that area I just can't understand the mistake. But it doesn't sound as if he intentionally left the dog in a hot car for 12 hours.

Unless this guy has some kind of disorder like short term memory loss there's no excuse, unintentional or not.

How...how can you FORGET you left a dog or cat or bird or whatever in a car for 12 hours!

Off duty or not, didn't he at any moment think about his dog? When I'm at work, I think about my cats several times during the day. When I go out to the movies or to run errands, I think about them being home or what they might be doing or just anything, but there's not at least some moment in my day when I don't think about them. Yet this moron forgot for 12 hours?

[Shaykeija]

I wanna be the one driving the car way, after they handcuff his jewels to the bumper.....

[mika140]

I definitely agree with you.....believe me, I'm not trying to defend the guy. It just seemed from some of the writing that people thought the cop had intentionally left his dog in a hot car for 12 hrs..... just trying to clarify that it did not seem to be intentional. I think I wanted the clarification in part because although I know there are horrible people out there who seek out animals to intentionally hurt them, I like to think that most people wouldn't intentionally do so....especially a cop. But like I said, I can't imagine not checking on my dog for that long either. In fact I can't imagine not checking on a dog over even a couple hours, especially not a police dog......reckless doesn't even begin to describe it......

[Shaykeija]

Holy moley he forgot the dog, his partner in the car. I hope he doesn't forget his gun anyplace.....

[happycats]

I thought police dogs, were treated different then just "regular" dogs in the USA? If you kill or injure a police dog , I thought it cared a heavier charge then just animal cruelty, isn't it like assault/murder of a police officer?

If so how come this A$$hole got off so easy!! Rotten jerk, he didn't give a rats behind about this poor dog, he left it there for over 12 freakin hours, it's obvious he wanted to kill the dog!!

[ancientgirl]

Originally Posted by happycats

I thought police dogs, were treated different then just "regular" dogs in the USA? If you kill or injure a police dog , I thought it cared a heavier charge then just animal cruelty, isn't it like assault/murder of a police officer?

If so how come this A$$hole got off so easy!! Rotten jerk, he didn't give a rats behind about this poor dog, he left it there for over 12 freakin hours, it's obvious he wanted to kill the dog!!

I've always heard that. A police dog is treated as a member of the police force and as such if you harm one its like harming a human officer.

Of course, I don't believe for one minute this bonehead will suffer too much. He'll get a slap on the wrist, maybe be taken off the force for a few days or so and then brought back.

I hope for the sake of another dog, he's given a HUMAN partner, someone who can let themselves out of a car.