Miami police officer charged with cruelty in death of K-9 dog
MIAMI (AP) -- A Miami police officer surrendered Monday to face animal cruelty and other charges in the death of his K-9 partner, a female bloodhound named Dynasty.
Officer Rondal Laroy Brown, 48, will be released on bail, his attorney said.
An investigation showed that Dynasty, who was donated to the Miami Police Department in 2004, was in good health in January 2007 and weighed 66 pounds. In November when she died, the 4-year-old dog weighed only 33 pounds, had sunken eyes and missing hair, and had a wound on one paw.
Brown reported the dog had died on Nov. 30 and told a supervisor she had gotten loose and may have eaten some rat poison at a nearby construction site. But a necropsy revealed Dynasty suffered from severe malnutrition and dehydration.
Brown has worked at the Miami Police Department since 1987 mostly with dogs. His attorney, Bill Matthewman, said Brown is innocent and would never hurt a dog.
"The allegations are utter and complete nonsense," Matthewman said.
Dynasty had specialized in finding missing people.
The arrest marked the second such K-9 cruelty case in the Miami area in recent months.
A Miami-Dade County police sergeant, Allen Cockfield, is awaiting trial on charges of animal cruelty and killing a police dog, both felonies. Cockfield has pleaded innocent to kicking to death his assigned German shepherd, Duke.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
