Arizona K-9 Officer Who Killed His Police Dog by 13-Hours Locked in Hot Car Arrested
To all those people who say that animal protectors are only interested in prosecuting rich, African-American football stars let me point out that Officer Lovejoy is none of the above.
Thanks to Dixie, Kipopo’s furmom, for barking about this article from the East Valley Tribune.com.
Officer arrested in canine’s death
Christian Richardson, Dennis Welch, TribuneMaricopa County sheriff’s investigators have determined a Chandler police officer was reckless when he left his police K-9 in his patrol vehicle for 13 hours, causing the dog to die.
On Wednesday, Sgt. Tom Lovejoy was arrested for animal cruelty.
Sheriff Joe Arpaio said it remains unclear why Lovejoy left Bandit, a 5-year-old Belgian Malinois, in the vehicle Aug. 11. Arpaio said he believes the officer has suffered from the loss, but must be treated like anyone else and face the misdemeanor charge.Arpaio announced the arrest in a news conference, stating that the decision was difficult and calling it “a sad situation.”
Lovejoy, the 39-year-old supervisor of the Chandler K-9 unit, was booked into an east Mesa jail. His status late Wednesday was not immediately available.
Conviction of animal cruelty is punishable by a maximum term of six months in jail and a $2,500 fine.
Chandler police Chief Sherry Kiyler kept her comments brief Wednesday.
“As a department, we respect and support the criminal justice systems and processes in place,” said Kiyler in a written statement. “We remain saddened by the loss of K9 Bandit.”
The department refused to comment further.
The Chandler police is continuing an internal investigation into Bandit’s death to determine if Lovejoy violated any department policies.
Chandler Mayor Boyd Dunn would not say whether he thinks it’s appropriate for the sheriff’s office to charge Lovejoy. But, he did say it was more of a “personnel matter.”
“I do think that our investigation is more appropriate and will get into the facts a little better,” Dunn said.
Former Chandler police officer and current City Councilman Lowell Huggins called the arrest “ridiculous,” saying Lovejoy should have been cited with a misdemeanor and let go.
“I actually like Joe, but this seems like it’s a publicity stunt to grab headlines,” Huggins said.
Arpaio said anyone who violates the animal cruelty law is susceptible to arrest and jail time.
Three days after Bandit died and after Chandler police said there would be no criminal investigation, the sheriff’s office began to look into Bandit’s death which occurred on a Chandler county island.
Investigators searched computers, cell phone records and talked to Lovejoy, Arpaio said.
They determined that after working an extra assignment Lovejoy had returned to his home at 9 a.m. and left Bandit in his police sport utility vehicle parked outside.
At 9:40 a.m., he left the home with his daughter in his personal vehicle. After 15 minutes he received a call that his son was in a wreck and suffered minor injuries. He headed to Gilbert to make sure everything was OK, but by 10:10 a.m. was returning home.
Lovejoy also took a nap and dined out with his wife that evening, Arpaio said. It wasn’t until 10:10 p.m. that he headed to the police SUV and found Bandit dead.
“How any dog owner could forget about a dog for 13 whole hours is the most puzzling and most troubling part of this case,” Arpaio said.
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How could this police department be so cavalier about the death of one of their own dogs? Puzzling and troubling? Forget about your dog and partner for 13 hours! My God! Surely this officer had a cell phone and could call someone to take the dog inside while he dealt with his family situation and went out to dinner! Considering the climate in Arizona, hopefully the animal had accomodations inside the home or did this officer routinely store him in the car like a spare tire?
This may begin to restore my faith in our justice system, awful though it is!
How do you “forget” that you left the dog in the car?!!? My house would feel really empty if Lilly wasn’t around for some reason and for her size it would be very hard to forget about her, which would be the same for this police officers partner. This is an animal that he is with everyday all day long. Kinda hard to forget about. It bothers me that Bandit’s death is not being treated like a regular dept death. He has a badge just like the rest of them.
Unimaginable………….
I also cannot you can forget your dog for 13 hours especially when you work with them!!
Glad to see the law does not favour….
Heart goes out to the dog xxxx
When our dogs are at the groomers for 3 hours we are lost! let alone 13, disgraceful!
Lovejoy needs to go, he is a disgrace.
This makes me very very sad……..and it is hard to understand how a k9 officer could forget about the partner who protects him and stands by his side each and every day. But the person who wrote the comment above about calling and having someone else come and let the dog out of the car…..also has to understand that this was a working police k9………and not just anyone would have been able to come and let this dog out of the car……the dog would not have allowed it. Only another family member the dog was used to or another k9 handler would have been able to handle this dog…..even tho they look like our wonderful family pets………and they are awesome dogs that I admire greatly……….they are not the typical family pet.
To Bandit………..rest in peace among the “Angels in Blue” who stand at “The Thin Blue Line”……….your sacrafice will not be forgotten.
rotlover, while I understand that a trained K-9 would not allow just anyone to remove him from the vehicle, he was confined in the vehicle for 13 hours. One would think that at some point the poor animal was rendered unconscious and helpless from the heat. How about animal control? How about concerned neighbors?
This man is supervisor of the K-9 unit and he FORGOT the dog for 13 hours? Geez.
Unfortunately, Bandit had probably died within a couple of hours. I’m not sure if any of you are familiar with the heat in AZ in the summer. But I can guarentee you that when Lovejoy first parked his car at home at 9:00 a.m. that morning it was already 95-100 degree outside.
In August you can walk outside at 4:00 a.m. and still feel the heat coming up off the asphalt on the streets and it’s still over 85 degrees outside.
Poor, poor Bandit.
Laws just have to get stricter for animal abuse and animal neglect – period!
I have 7 dogs and at no time would I leave one of them in a parked vehicle on a hot day, not even to go in and rent a video. I say this because even if the vehicle was cool on the inside, they turn into a oven when that sun beats down on them.
I am like the others , HOW could someone forget a dog for 13 hours? Another trained handler could have got the dog out of the car.
The laws on cruelty to animals are basically a slap on your hands, we need to make them tougher and if you break it you will serve time and pay money. No plea bargaining saying oh! it was just a dog.
Dogs have rights also
The stupidity of people never ceases to amaze me. First and foremost, this man should be fired. We’re talking about a police officer here, and he forgets his dog is in the car? This guy is an idiot! What about his wife and kids, don’t they ever wonder where the dog is? There’s absolutely no excuse here. This is sickening. This man deserves to go to jail. Bottom line, he was responsible for the dog, and because of his neglect, the dog died. And for those of you who think six months in jail is too severe, then how about having him spend 13 hours locked inside his car while it bakes in the sun? Let’s see how he holds up.
I say we lock City Councilman Lowell Huggins in an SUV in 110 degree heat for 13 hours!! When he dies, we will just say, “Oh well, just a politician, no big deal!” Then when they arrest one of us claim the arrest is rediculous!!
What an IDIOT!! To think, any of you living in Chandler, you should leave NOW!! This man is part of the panel deciding YOUR future!!
Terri and the furkids
Officer Lovejoy (an oxymoron) should be charged with manslaughter and serve manditory prison time – he KILLED his partner. If a criminal had killed Bandit, he would be charged with a felony – no ifs, ands, or butts.
Chandler Mayor Boyd Dunn and Former Chandler police officer and current City Councilman Lowell Huggins should be recalled.
Hope (Malinois) and Dee (Hope’s lucky mom)
I have been a dog owner, have been involved in animal rescues and have been around dogs and cats all my life. I could never ‘Forget’ about my dog for 13 hours in the middle of August in the hottest desert valley in the United States. I say throw the book at officer Lovejoy, as I’m sure he would do just that if he confronted you or I for doing the same to our civilian dogs.
Lorie Parke, Sedona AZ
THAT POLICE OFFICER’S ACTIONS WERE DESPICABLE. WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF YOUR AVERAGE JOHN DOE KILLED A POLICE DOG? I BET THE PUNISHMENT WOULD BE WORSE THAT THIS COP WILL GET. SOME ONE SHOULD LOCK OFFICER LOVEJOY IN A CAR FOR 12 HOURS. IT’S DISHEARTENING TO KNOW WE HAVE SUCH PEOPLE AS POLICE OFFICERS. HE SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO USE A POLICE DOG IF DESN’T HAVE THE TIME TO TAKE CARE OF IT.