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The story.....
"Police with K-9. Stop or I will release my dog and he will bite you!"
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Quick facts... |
| Name: Pace |
| Breed: German Shepherd |
| Born: Czeslovakia |
| Age: 4 years |
| Partner: Officer Mark Morello |
That was the warning shouted out by Bristol Police Officer Mark Morello on Jan. 7, 2008 after a local service station had been robbed at gunpoint and one of the suspects was reportedly seen near an apartment complex. The warning was part of the protocol required by the Bristol K-9 program.
Officer Morello, accompanied by his K-9 Pace, shouted the warning while searching near the west side of the apartment building. The suspect jumped up and ran. When the suspect climbed a 10-foot fence to escape from the team, the officer and his dog continued the chase. The suspect disappeared on the grounds of a large car dealership. Again, the suspect was warned that the K-9 would be released.
Pace was commanded to locate and apprehend the suspect, as he had been trained to do. Within minutes Pace found the suspect hiding under a truck. The dog got control of the suspect and held him until Officer Morello took over, told the dog to release, and arrested the suspect. The suspect has since been convicted of robbery, and is now in prison.
Pace is a longhair German shepherd born in July 2004, and has been on the job since December 2006. Officer Morello and Pace also are members of the department Emergency Response Team (ERT). Once a month they train with the other members of the team. Officer Morello and Pace work the second shift, from 3 to 11 p.m.
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