Harvey County Communications

1 day ago

Great narrative of our officers and support units all working together to get the bad guys.Story time!

Last night (Saturday night of Memorial Day Weekend) one of our neighboring department’s officers, K-9 Officer Josh Lowe (also known as “Chase” based on his particular proclivity for police pursuits), tried to stop a vehicle on the Interstate. The driver, a female, exited the interstate and waived at K-9 Off. Lowe, indicating she was going to pull over…eventually. K-9 Off. Lowe, having seen this behavior before, advised other officers it appeared she, and her passenger, were going to run. Yep, sure enough, she fled. K-9 Off. Lowe gave a brief pursuit, only long enough for other officers and deputies to get close. The pursuit was terminated by K-9 Off. Lowe, but because the suspect chose to flee in the county, her direction was easily observed. After a brief period, the vehicle was located abandoned in a ditch, near a wooded area. Footprints from the vehicle, leading to a heavily wooded area, were observed.

K-9 Off. Lowe requested K-9 Bella and I respond to the area for a suspect track. When we arrived, I saw the vehicle was being searched. Syringes and other powder drug related items were located. Kansas Highway Patrol Trooper Jerrod Anderson, Deputy Skyler Hinton and Deputy Sergeant Brandon Huntley had also arrived on scene. A perimeter was set up by Sgt. Huntley and Dep. Hinton, and we waited for the Harvey County Sheriff’s Department’s Unmanned Aerial System (UAS), and Pilot Andy Harder, to respond. After a very short wait, the aircraft was on scene and airborne. We have used the UAS on numerous occasions and it is an awesome tool to have, and to watch work.

After a brief flight period, nothing was seen. We decided to let K-9 Bella get to work. Trooper Anderson, K-9 Officer Lowe and I (with K-9 Bella at point) began tracking into the wooded area. 30 feet into the densely wooded area, and 30 feet in front of K-9 Bella’s nose, I see a male subject hiding on the creek bank. He is curled up and not moving. I shine my light on him and begin giving him commands to show his hands or get bit! K-9 Bella barks out the same command in Malinoisnese (at least I think that’s what she said). He complies and slowly shows his hands. Trooper Anderson and K-9 Off. Lowe move toward him for the arrest as K-9 Bella and I cover them.

Knowing there was a female driver, I openly announce to the woods that she needs to reveal herself or get bit. After a second announcement, she can be heard deeper in the woods. K-9 Officer Lowe spots her across the creek and takes over commands. She complains she can’t cross the creek, but she is reminded she did so in the pitch black darkness when she was fleeing. She makes her way across the creek and is promptly arrested.

K-9 Bella and I cross the creek to search the area she was hunkered down in. We don’t find anything and begin to make our way back through the woods. This area is covered in 2 to 3 feet tall weeds, which alone, would be easy to navigate. However, those weeds are hiding all the fallen trees along the creek bed. It was not fun! As we are trudging back toward the road, I hear the familiar sound of the UAS. I look north and see the UAS, not in the sky, but slowly and accurately cruising the creek bed less than 3 feet off the bed. What a sight to see: the white light from the UAS lighting up the creek bed, and the pilot controlling the UAS in a slow motion version of the Kessel Run from Star Wars. That’s a good pilot right there! Good work Andy!

We make it back to the road but not without tripping once…or twice. The bad guys are loaded up, the car is towed and we chalk this one up to great team work from 4 great departments. ... See moreSee less