The Comox Valley RCMP, with the help of their dog Hammer, have put a man in jail after catching him breaking into a shed at a residence in Courtenay.
On January 7 the Comox Valley RCMP received a call from a resident reporting that they suspected their shed had been broken into and that the suspect might be inside.
Authorities, including Police Dog Services, rushed to the scene and found the suspected man standing nearby the shed on the residence’s property, said Comox Valley RCMP in a press release.
According to RCMP, when they told the man he was under arrest he decided to run, which triggered a chase down from one of their dogs.
The Police Services Dog, Hammer, was at the ready and managed to chase the fleeing suspect down, said the RCMP.
“It didn’t take long for Hammer to catch up to the suspect” said Cst. Monika Terragni, Media Relations Officer, Comox Valley RCMP in a press release. “The suspect was taken into police custody where he was held to appear in court in the morning.”
The man has been identified as 27-year old Graham Arthur Earle. He was charged with mischief and has since been convicted and sentenced to 14 days in custody and one year of probation, according to the RCMP release.
Comox Valley RCMP say this isn’t the first time Hammer has played the hero as the dog’s work led to multiple arrests in the previous year. It also marks the second time within just a couple months that a police dog has been the key factor in an arrest on Vancouver Island.
The Comox Valley RCMP also issued a reminder if anyone is to witness a crime, to call them on their non-emergency line at (250) 338-1321 or call in anonymously to the Crime Stoppers tip line at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
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