The Pierce County Sheriff's Office says its new K9, Deebo, wasted no time proving his value, helping deputies track and capture two suspected burglars after a homeowner called 911 to report people on surveillance cameras breaking into an attached garage on the 13000 block of Waller Road East. The search turned into a nearly 40-minute K9 track that crossed multiple fences and bodies of water, and deputies recovered a tool bag investigators say a suspect dropped while running. One man surrendered when he learned a police dog was at the scene and a second was located and taken into custody; both were booked into the Pierce County Jail on multiple charges.
How Deebo tracked the suspects
According to a Facebook post by the Pierce County Sheriff's Office, the homeowner dialed 911 after seeing people on cameras using crowbars and other tools to pry into the attached garage. Deputies say Deebo followed the suspects' scent for nearly 40 minutes, jumping fences and crossing several bodies of water before locating one suspect and leading deputies to a dropped tool bag. The Sheriff's Office shared video of the track in the social post.
Metro K9 teams and their role
Per the Pierce County Sheriff's Office, K9 units work across patrol districts to assist with tracking, building searches and evidence recovery, and are trained to handle difficult terrain. Those resources are often called into rural and suburban areas where suspects flee on foot and move through yards, fences and waterways. The county's Metro K9 program pools teams so they can back up deputies across jurisdictions when needed.
Arrests and charges
The Sheriff's Office says a 47-year-old man was located and taken into custody while a 57-year-old suspect surrendered after learning a K9 was present. Both were booked into the Pierce County Jail on residential burglary, obstruction, unlawful possession of a controlled substance and possession of burglary tools, according to the post. The department's Facebook post includes video of the capture.
