Dino was born during 2010, a mixed breed Belgian Malinois/German Shepherd. He and Green Township’s Police Officer Dale Stanley received drug detection and patrol function training for six weeks at Shallow Creek Kennels in Sharpsville, Pennsylvania.
Dino and Officer Stanley started patrolling Green Township during November 2011. He immediately started finding quantities of narcotics. Dino changed partners in 2014 and he and Police Officer Anthony Leidenbor were certified together during May 2014 at a national and local level.
By 2017, Leidenbor was a corporal and, according to Green Township Police Chief James Vetter, “[Dino] had a reputation as an outstanding police canine and very much loved his work.”
On September 25, 2017, about 10 p.m., Jonae Tye (28) called police to report that three men in a white Ford Explorer XLT broke into her home at 989 Kemper Meadow Drive in Forest Park, terrorized her and three children, pistol-whipped her, stole $2400 and a cell phone, and kidnapped her 15-month-old daughter, Mylah Anderson. They told Tye, “Have your boyfriend call this phone, give me my money, and you can have your kid back.”
Forest Park 2nd and 3rd Shift officers were dispatched to the residence at 10:12 p.m. and Patrolman Joseph Haugh arrived within 4 minutes. When informed that her iPhone was taken, Patrolman Haugh, using his own iPhone, logged into her phone and could track the phone southbound on I-75 near I-275. He broadcast this information and a Glendale Police Officer found the vehicle on I-75 and pursued it.
The pursuit ended in Springfield Township on Witherby and 2nd Avenues and the suspects fled from the vehicle on foot. The toddler was left in the car.
Forest Park Patrolman Jacob Tamaska responded to the scene and performed triage on the infant who he found to be unharmed. Police also caught one of the suspects, AnQuan Williams (19) at Witherby and 5th Street, and Tamaska responded there to take him into custody. Williams was already wanted for failing to appear in court on three misdemeanors and a felony.
At 10:34 p.m., Springfield Township Police Officer Jim Scheeler and his Canine partner, Pako, and Green Township’s Corporal Leidenbor and Dino were called to assist in the search. They arrived at the suspect vehicle and determined that Corporal Leidenbor and Dino would shadow Officer Scheeler and Pako. Pako tracked to 6275 Collegevue Place and found a firearm, hat, and cell phone along the way. By then, Pako was exhausted and Officer Scheeler asked Corporal Leidenbor and Dino to take over.
The two had gone a short distance when something appeared to be wrong with Dino’s leg. Corporal Leidenbor terminated the pursuit, began to remove Dino’s harness, and Dino collapsed. Officer Scheeler transported them to the Grady Veterinary Hospital on Winton Road where Dino was pronounced dead at midnight, September 26, 2017. On September 26, 2017, Dino was taken to Ohio State University Veterinary Medical Center for a necropsy.
On Friday, October 6, 2017, a memorial service will be held for Dino, at Veterans Park (6231 Harrison Avenue). The Memorial will start at 1:00 p.m. They are asking for canine units to be there as part of the service. K9 officers from all over are asked to be in attendance. The memorial will include a 21-gun salute and ceremonial folding of an American Flag.
©2017 – All rights reserved to LT Stephen R. Kramer RET and the Greater Cincinnati Police Museum