Interesting Article on use of Scanner for a Sheriff

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'You can't beat a dog's nose'
K-9 sniffs out wanted man hiding in Shady Side home

By HEATHER RAWLYK, Staff Writer
Published 07/07/10

The suspect thought county police wouldn't find him hidden under a child's bed at his Shady Side home June 30 - blankets and sheets stacked on top of the wanted man's body poked out from under the small frame, officials said.

J. Henson — The Capital Deputy Jason Jett of the county Sheriff’s Office patrols the corridors of the Circuit Courthouse in Annapolis with his K-9 partner, Grim, a 3-year-old Belgian Malinois. The deputy and K-9 helped county police take a wanted suspect, Michael James Jackson II (bottom photo), into custody at a Shady Side home on June 30.

But as Deputy Jason Jett of the county Sheriff's Office put it, "you can't beat a dog's nose."

Grim, the Sheriff's Office's newest K-9 crime fighter, quickly sniffed out the suspect. And within minutes, the man was shouting, "I give up," said Deputy Sheriff Harry Neisser, a county Sheriff's Office spokesman.

Jett, Grim's handler, was listening to a police scanner at about 8:15 p.m. when he heard county police officers attempting to serve warrants to Michael James Jackson II, 30, at Jackson's home at 1166 Oak Ave.

Officers voiced concern over the radio, saying Jackson, who was wanted for failure to appear in court on second-degree assault and various traffic offenses, had a history of fleeing police and violence against law enforcement, according to a county Sheriff's Office report.

Jett called the county police Southern District station and offered to bring Grim to the home to assist officers. Police asked Jett to head their way.

At the scene, police told Jett that neighbors had seen Jackson enter his home earlier that day. Police made several attempts to contact Jackson by phone and by knocking on the door, but no one answered.

Jett and Grim, a 3-year-old Belgian Malinois, walked to a side door at the home, which was open.

Jett said he yelled into the house, telling whoever was inside that a K-9 unit was at the doorway - waiting. After getting no response, he shouted into the house again.

This time, a relative of Jackson's walked outside with his hands in the air, Jett said.

The relative, identified as Richard Jackson, told officers Jackson was hiding inside the home. Jett shouted into the house three more times, warning Jackson that Grim would soon be inside to find him.

Jett then put Grim to work, giving the K-9 the command to search the house. Grim put his nose to the floor and made a beeline for a bedroom at the back of the home. The dog trotted to a small, children's bed in the corner of the room and barked loudly, signaling to Jett that someone was hiding underneath.

"That's what he does," Jett said. "He (Grim) will actually bark and tell me they are there."

Jett said Jackson was underneath the tiny bed, which was less than a foot off the floor. He said Jackson had arranged blankets around the bed to hide his arms and legs.

Jett grabbed hold of Grim and ordered Jackson to get out. When Jackson stayed put, Jett ordered Grim to "apprehend."

Neisser said Grim stuck his head and part of his shoulders under the bed and tried to lift the frame.

"At that time, (Jackson) began to yell, 'I give up' and showed his hands," Neisser said.

Jackson was served the warrants and also was charged with resisting arrest.

Grim jumped back in Jett's patrol vehicle and happily chewed on a rubber pet toy called a Kong - his usual reward for such a takedown, Jett said.

Newest recruit
After a month of training in North Carolina and an additional month training with the county Police Department, Grim joined the county Sheriff's Office last summer as the latest K-9 recruit, Jett said.

Grim is trained in detecting fire accelerants and bombs, tracking and apprehension. He's from Slovakia, answers to commands in Czech, and has the title of deputy sheriff on his resume.

County Sheriff Ron Bateman bought Grim with a $12,000 grant. The sheriff's office also has Rocky, a black Labrador trained to search for bombs and explosives.

Jett said Grim's main job is to sniff out explosives at Circuit Court in Annapolis. But he's also trained to hunt wanted suspects, as he did June 30.

Jett said Grim makes apprehending elusive criminals a lot easier on officers.

"So anytime I get a chance to work my dog, I go," he said.
 
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