Arizona Cop Suspended After Department's K-9 Dies In Hot Car

KEY POINTS

Officer Craig Curry left K-9 Ike in his patrol car with its engine running as he attended a meeting
The car's engine was no longer running when he came back to the car an hour and 40 minutes later
Ike was first brought to a vet in Maricopa but was transferred to a veterinarian in Gilbert
The K-9 was euthanized the following morning due to complications with heatstroke

A Maricopa Police Department officer has been given an unpaid 20-hour suspension for the death of his K-9 partner who had been left in a hot car.

Officer Craig Curry is faced with disciplinary actions for violating three code of conduct policies in connection with K-9 Ike's heat-related death last year, reported AZ Family.

The incident happened around 3:00 p.m. ET on June 26, 2020. Curry left K-9 Ike inside his patrol car with its engine running as he attended a meeting inside the police headquarters, a report from ABC 15 said, citing a report from the state Department of Public Safety.

The temperature hit 107 degrees that day. When Curry went back to his vehicle about an hour and 40 minutes later, he learned that the engine had shut down. He then found Ike panting heavily in the K9 kennel in the back of the vehicle. The K-9's eyes turned glossy from the heat, the outlet reported.

Ike, a Belgian Malinois who had served the Maricopa Police Department for 11 years, was initially taken to a vet in Maricopa. However, in light of his deteriorating condition, he had to be moved to a veterinarian in Gilbert for treatment. He was euthanized the following morning due to complications with heatstroke.

The department mandates K9's handlers to check on them every 30 minutes. The investigator found that Curry had a heat alarm on his vehicle to detect if the heat inside the vehicle breached the safety margin. But according to Curry, he left the device in his vehicle to make up space in his vest for a new body camera he was trying.

The findings of the investigation showed that Ike's death could have been avoided, had Curry parked the vehicle in a shady area.

"We are deeply saddened by the line of duty death of K-9 Officer Ike," Maricopa Police Chief Jim Hughes said. "This was a preventable death and we are taking corrective action to ensure this never happens again."

"We have taken a hard look at our policies and procedures, implementing preventive measures to ensure something like this will never occur again," Hughes continued.