The lawsuit says the company also inflated labor hours at the U.S. Armys proving grounds in Yuma, Arizona, as well as labor hours performed in Afghanistan by the FSRs. The following facts are undisputed. Federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies have contracted with Vohne Liche Kennels for their training needs. Then, if it is properly trained, it will go straight for the weapon hand, accomplishing 2 things. Montgomery County Officer D. Richardson and his partner, Axel, responded to a bank robbery. See Behavioral Inst. ", [This trainer also pointed us to videos showing solid K-9 take downs and clean Outs. Vohne Liche Kennels was further contracted to provide Field Service Representatives (FSRs) who co-located with military units in Afghanistan. |Make a donation today , Page last modified: document.write (document.lastModified);|Sitemap, In the 15-year period of 2005 through 2019, canines killed 521 Americans. Thanks Richard. Norfolk is a criminal case, in which defendant sought the return of his property from the Government under Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 41(g). Its a primal instinct that kicks in. Our nonprofit began investigating the issue of police K-9 attacks on undeserving people six years ago. 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Contrary to what it appears to the normal eye in that video grabbing the dog by the collar at the sides and shaking it is also a technique called agitating the dog and the reason is to *excite the dog to bite harder* not to force a release. (I have nothing against properly used prongs for training). And, of course, theres the Birmingham police departments use of dogs against peaceful civil rights protestors back in the 1960s. It means that Pitbull owners are aware that one bite, and their dog is euthanized, no second chancescausing them to act more carefully although they still refuse to muzzle their dogs. Lock And, rather than amend his complaint in the Northern District when he became aware of Defendants in October 2011, Mr. Miller chose to wait to file the current action in a this Court. 1998)). The videos on this post are heartwrenching. With some of these dogs now targeting the head and neck regions, these lawsuits are one step away from wrongful death lawsuits as well. Seeing how a mallnois bites, holds, shakes, and pulls makes it clear this is not a good breed for this type of work. Police K-9 Dog Bite Studies and Regional Investigations - DogsBite.org. Because Mr. Miller is a pro se litigant, the Court liberally construes his pleadings. Spencer Erickson, 26, was attacked in the neck by Lakewood Police Department K-9 Finn. 1983 seeking damages and injunctive relief. Police are supposed to PROTECT and Server. K-9 Boyka was released in a "door pop" at 8:24. Again, its all about the money. See Greer v. Bd. I wouldnt have my dogs on livestock if I had that poor a handle on them for fear of injuring the livestock, and these cops are using bigger, more aggressive dogs on humans. Deaths are a rare event in K-9 maulings because police are present to call the dog off, stop bleeding, and call for an ambulance. 48. Here is a similar (new style) dog training video, speaking about agitation by soft choking the dog. The FSRs monitored the activities of the newly-trained TEDD handlers and dogs to reinforce and improve their techniques. "No one can maintain an action in a federal court, including an appeal, unless he has standing to sue, in the sense required by Article III of the Constitution-that is, unless he can show injury (in a special sense, noted below) and that he would benefit from a decision in his favor." In Indiana, the personal injury statute of limitations is two (2) years. Mr. Miller's Partial Motion for Summary Judgment (Dkt. Vohne Liche Kennels (Explosive and Narcotic Detection Dog Specialist) Single Purpose Concentrates on one effort - drugs or bombs or patrol, etc. The sad part is, the failing dogs might be perfectly suited to do something else with the correct retraining (such as cage release or property guards) the same way failed seeing eye dogs are often amazing companion dogs. In the alternative, Mr. Miller claims that doctrines of fraudulent concealment or equitable tolling tolled the statute of limitations until such time Mr. Miller became aware of Vohne Liche and AWD. Two, when it comes to police "brutality" in K-9 attacks, it is often a "mentality." You nailed it, Terry. 2000) (citing Adarand Constructors, Inc. v. Pena, 515 U.S. 200, 210-11 (1995); City of Los Angeles v. Lyons, 461 U.S. 95 (1983)). Summary judgment is only appropriate by the terms of Rule 56(c) where there exists "no genuine issue as to any material facts and . Secure .gov websites use HTTPS There is absolutely NO reason to deploy the dog *until* the handler is at risk. Was the dog properly deployed? Two years earlier, K-9 Finn had attacked an officer during a training exercise, biting him on the face and neck. The Lafayette police K-9 "neck attack" fell squarely within worldwide protests due to the disproportionate police violence inflicted on Black men. Most such cases are unknown, because they go unreported by official sources and because they go unreported by news media sources and therefore are never brought to public attention. The Court cannot agree with Mr. Miller that he did not know of his injury prior to January 12, 2010, despite that he lacked knowledge about Defendants' existence. They are a State and Federal authorized and certified training facility. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzYOpaaxtAA, Thats what happens when youre armed with a soft drink. This matter is before the Court on the parties' cross-motions for summary judgment. Specifically, Defendants argue that Mr. Miller knew of his injury on May 14, 2008, the date of his traffic stop, and thus the current action filed on January 13, 2012, is untimely. of City of Chi., Ill., 267 F.3d 723, 727 (7th Cir. "Our desire is to acquire dogs with true natural drives." Dogs that are not taught how to do police/military work but ones that can . Failure to employ correct K-9 techniques and a lack of training in de-escalation techniques is already placing entire K-9 departments at risk. Holy sh*t. Theyre allowed to use potentially lethal force on belligerent drunks now? TLDR; Protection dogs are often trained like crap and handled by unstable officers. Northern District of Indiana By 9:49, officers are saying "We need medics now!" We began doing so after reviewing lawsuits filed in the Pacific Northwest and how the "bite and hold" method of training was being tested in the courts. Mr. Miller contends that he did not know of this particular injury caused by Vohne Liche or AWD on May 14, 2008, because he did not know, and there is no evidence that he knew, of Defendants' existence or conduct that would give rise to a claim before January 12, 2010. Cuz Ive been coming across several maulings PER DAY across North America. Please register to receive news and information from VLK, Vohne Liche Kennels 2023 class schedule2023 Class Schedule. After the August 14 announcement by the Department of Justice, Performance Kennels Inc., who imports dogs from Solvakia, The man on the bicycle, Richard Schumacher, suffered a "degloving of the right axilla" injury due to the K-9 mauling in Punta Gorda, Florida (See. Vohne Liche Kennels has agreed to pay $1,350,000 to resolve the United States claims under the False Claims Act for fraudulently submitting claims for labor hours for trainers and FSRs involved in the TEDD program. You are a liability magnet. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Police/protection work is not a good fit for 90% of large dogs, even those bred for it. Phone: (951) 849-6262 - (765) 985-2274. My feedback on the Lafayette Police Department K-9 neck attack. Then the case of Spencer Erickson, 26, in Lakewood, Colorado emerged. It is NOT OK to loose a dog like that unless it is truly life and death. Contact us with theinformation below. 177, 180 (S.D. I doubt if this always occurs. Vohne Liche Kennels,Inc. of Denver, Indiana provides training for handlers and canines to perform specialized tasks, such as explosive detection. Miami County dog shines in 2022 Hollywood film. Montgomery Co Sheriff's Office (TX) Welcome to the VLK family! Prior to these settlements, North Port and St. Paul bragged about having "awarding winning" police K-9 units. We invite you to create an account with us if you like, or shop as a guest. Mr. Miller emphasizes the court's phrase "and by whom," but this phrase had no special significance in Norfolk and was not explained by the court. Make your practice more effective and efficient with Casetexts legal research suite. Download PDF. Does that video look like it lessened the chances of a second bite? So thats one fatality and one very close call from Vohne Liche Kennels. It also inflated the number of labor hours performed in Afghanistan by the FSRs. That is because this plaintiff "is no longer at the mercy" of the wrongdoer and "[t]here are others who can tell him if he has been wronged, and he need only ask." I havent watched the videos yet, but remember the news footage of guard dogs being set on protestors (by a private agency, not police) a few years ago at the Dakota pipeline. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Please consider subscribing so we can continue to bring you the best local news, sports and entertainment coverage. It was very effective. What are the odds? Vohne Liche and AWD, Mr. Miller claims, are responsible for his injury because they inadequately trained the police dog that alerted on his car. Period. Even without fraudulent concealment, equitable tolling may apply when claims cannot be discovered with the exercise of reasonable diligence. The Norfolk court cited United States v. Kubrick, 444 U.S. 111, 122 (1979), which, in discussing the discovery rule, explained that when "a plaintiff [is] in possession of the critical facts that he has been hurt and who has inflicted the injury," a statute of limitations will begin to run. This is something pitbull owners never do during attacks, either. The FSRs monitored the activities of the newly-trained TEDD handlers and dogs to reinforce and improve their techniques. So painful to watch that I could not watch all of them. Heck no! Bailey's injuries resulted in him being in a medically induced coma for six days and hospitalized for 11 days, according to his attorneys. Schererville resident Kevin Miller filed a lawsuit against Vohne Liche Kennels and American Working Dogs following a traffic stop in Plymouth. Until dogs are put back in their proper place theyre unpredictable animals and NOT humans well continue to experience attacks, maulings, and fatalities. Perhaps an Excel sheet tracking those would produce another set of stats? In 2019, we started seeing more facial attacks by police K-9s. We continued tracking individual cases and regional investigations into police K-9 units often rifled with poor training, unstable dogs and excessive force.4 In North Port, Florida, "cowboy" handlers were commanding their dogs to attack unarmed citizens without sufficient evidence to charge a crime. Grab the back legs of the unleashed dog and wheelbarrow it in a circle so it scrambled for balance and dropped the man (wont always work on pitbulls, works on other large breeds)or use a leash/handle and haul the dog straight up, all four feet off the ground. Ct. App. Of 40 hospital admission severe maulings per day in the USA, only very few are reported to the public. In 2016, another dog trained in apprehension and bite work, a retired police K-9, attacked two people, killing one in San Luis Obispo County, California. Josh Saxton, police K-9 Boyka and Richard Bailey Jr. While all three teachers have spoken out against the policy, Tanner was suspended for the comments he made in his personal capacity at a public school board meeting in May 2021. Occasionally, someone with good media contacts might get a story in about how their dog died in the jaws of a dog but when I was dog trainingI heard about it a lot more back then. Vohne Liche Kennels has purchased dogs from vendors in Europe for 25 plus years. But before Britta hit the big screen as Lulu, she. On June 11, before the release of this video on July 25, the Tippecanoe County prosecutor requested a special prosecutor to investigate three Lafayette officers -- K-9 handler, Sgt. after a police dog has severely mauled the face/neck of an escaped shoplifter or other very mild crime. In 2014, a titled protection trained rottweiler (level 2 IPO) attacked a 7-year old boy in the head and neck, killing him. When people say BSL doesnt work the fact is, even followed up rarely (as in Ontario) *it helps*. All we ever hear about is police dogs being heroes. (I hate that over-used term.) As we collected more cases, it became difficult to ignore the many videos of police being unable to call their K-9s off people -- in one case the officer screamed "Off" 18 times to no avail -- as well as the dogs being used as a proxy for excessive force (see unblurred version).1, "If you can't control your dog, you're a liability. Miami County dog shines in 2022 Hollywood filmClick to view YouTube VideoABC News Article. Defendants argue that Mr. Miller lacks standing to seek injunctive relief. 2015) Annotate this Case. These dogs are being used as substitute weapons and ego massagers, not lifesaving tools. Thats what agitation (fancy name for heavy leather wide flat buckle collars) are for. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. Hush Woman! Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. The motion is therefore DENIED. BLM focuses on police brutality in regards to firearm and choking deaths. Excessive force? Dont get me wrong, I trained them and worked with them for years but I respect them and I saw what happened when handling was about ego as well as the bond of a really good dog partner. A locked padlock The dogs are trained for life or death scenarios, including tracking suspects, drug discovery and bomb detection. VLK then moved for an award of costs, including $5,525 for trial transcripts from Miller's first lawsuit. There are a number of useful commands for such situations such as body slamming a running suspect that dont make the dog an unhinged lunatic that has to be abused to stop doing what it was trained to do. It would be hilarious except for the poor arrested sods that are the brunt of this canine incompetence. In the video, K-9 Boyka attacks Bailey's neck area for 30 seconds (see left side of screen), while an officer handcuffed him. Fed. The training techniques and instability of some of these police K-9s, along with "baseless deployment" decisions and excessive force -- described as "barbaric" and "animalistic" by attorneys -- must be reined in. Welcome to Vohne Liche Kennels. Simmons v. Watching the body cam video should make you weep. It got to the point where just the quick pull and noise would make my dog heel. When that motion was denied because a criminal court cannot grant monetary damages under Rule 41(g), defendant appealed. She also believes that a belligerent drunk on a moped "does not authorize a straight up door pop," when the dog flies out of the vehicle without a handler. The head and neck attacks are increasing as well, subjecting these suspects to potential death. Thanks for covering this topic. In St. Paul, Minnesota, three high-profile police K-9 attacks were captured on video (2016, 2017 and 2018), including two innocent bystanders and two K-9s ignoring "Out" commands. Photo of a German Shepherd in 1925. The principle remains, though. Specifically, Vohne Liche Kennels inflated the number of labor hours billed for training sessions held at Vohne Liche Kennels Denver Indiana facility and at the U.S. Armys proving grounds in Yuma Arizona. Police departments from Kentucky, Indiana, even as far as North Dakota and Florida brought their K9 officers to the kennels over the past week to participate in various challenges. Thought you two folks might like it. I.C.C., 900 F.2d 1023, 1026 (7th Cir. VLK has trained Police and Military Service Dogs for over 5000 law enforcement and government agencies to include the; plus civilian and police agencies Vohne Liche Kennels was founded in 1993 by United States Air Force Senior Master Sergeant Kenneth Licklider. 1997). This NPR video provides instructive background. The MPFU looks forward to continuing to work with our law enforcement partners to address fraud, no matter how large or small.. How many Black people have been victims of this kind of overkill? Vohne Liche Kennels (pronounced Von Lick) is a full service K-9 training facility where the best of the best go for highly trained Police Service Dogs. Banning, California 92220. If you go to hashtag bluefall on twitter, they have many more. I dont know what kind of budget local PDs have, but I hope they are not cutting corners up front trying to get less-than-well-trained K9s on the cheap. A local dog whose handler was killed was half GSD/half Malinois. At 8:52, Saxton snaps a leash onto the dog. I remember using a more gentle choke collar (not spike ones) at training sessions. It was a common technique with dog trainers a few decades ago although I cant say that with the use of clatter sticks for agitation, that its still common. Was this excessive force? I cant pretend to know anything about how a police dog or a service dog is trained. In 2015, Semyonova offered more insights into the attack dog industry, including the dark side of commercial sellers of "pre-trained" law enforcement dogs, of which Vohne Liche is one, who she believes are not producing reliable dogs. Paul Whitesell, chairman of the Indiana Law Enforcement Training Board, which controls state training standards, and American Working Dogs United Inc., also are defendants in the suit. The leash seems to be caught underneath the poor fellow the dog is mauling. An official website of the United States government. And when around pitbull nutters, preferably one with anti-grip studs. My Offices Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit will continue to require contractors who submit fraudulent claims for federal government funds to reimburse the government for their ill-gotten gains and also pay civil penalties under the False Claims Act.. For the reasons set forth below, Defendants' Motion for Summary Judgment (Dkt. See Heaton & Eadle Prof'l Servs. I often see pits in spiked collars and still dragging the person down the street. This settlement is another example of the exceptional efforts of our dedicated special agents, said Frank Robey, Director of the U.S. Armys Criminal Investigation Commands Major Procurement Fraud Unit (MPFU). Seriously, that hold should be a death sentence for any police dog. This is about maximizing profit from these dogs with the least amount of effort. 7953 N Old Route 31, Denver, IN 46926 Colleen, Dunno where youd file this but its just proof that the rescue rabbit hole goes deeper than youd think. Dont kid yourselves. As of September 18, the investigation by the special prosecutor remains pending. Thank you for visiting. I remember when I saw people training their dogs with treats. Im not surprised that dogs handled in this manner keep mauling their handlers and anyone else they can get a grip, on. The only claims remaining are against Vohne Liche and AWD. If the target does not have a weapon or attack the handler directly, the dog should not bite. Lafayette PD Video: We Are All in Trouble When Trained Police K-9s Attack the Head, Neck Regions of Unarmed Suspects. Trainers charge big dollars for these dogs with zero guarantee of the dogs resultant behaviour. The blades of an army-green helicopter chop frantically through the air. It was so obviously low-quality dog handling. "With cross-motions, [the Court's] review of the record requires that [the Court] construe all inferences in favor of the party against whom the motion under consideration is made." Indeed, the existence of cross-motions for summary judgment does not necessarily mean that there are no genuine issues of material fact. Id. Graduations, games or events, order prints of your favorites photos from the Kokomo Tribune. KEVIN D. MILLER, Plaintiff, v. VOHNE LICHE KENNELS, INC., and AMERICAN WORKING DOGS UNITED, INC., Defendants. Note that he cant seem to get the dog off until he turns his back to the camera. 2009). Related articles: The film opened in theaters Feb. 18. We sent the video to a working dog trainer, who provided insight into Eastern Bloc K-9s. Note how lean the dog is. 3 "We will not tolerate dishonest contractors who seek to enrich themselves at the expense of federal taxpayers." - United States Attorney Thomas L. Kirsch II. Go back to Barbra Woodhouse (who, hilariously enough trained Great Danes for police work, none of which every hospitalised a target) and Kohler who *knew* the dangers of the dogs he trained and knew most dogs were *not* naturally inclined to be good at this job as theyd buckle or overreact under the pressure. Lafayette, IN - In 2014, our nonprofit began collecting police K-9 attacks of innocent bystanders, non-threatening suspects and low-level offenders. UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF INDIANA INDIANAPOLIS DIVISION. Vohne Liche Kennels (Explosive and Narcotic Detection Dog Specialist) Capabilities VLK is an unprecedented training facility. That was pretty informative, Boni. (pronounced Von Lick) is a full service K-9 training facility where the best of the best go for highly trained Police Service Dogs. Been saying that protection dog handling practises are horrifying for *decades*. Official websites use .gov We see from the videos, its still happening. "Here, here, here!" "Due to this verdict, a 'retired' police K-9 can now breakout of its property and savagely attack and kill an innocent person without criminal culpability," we wrote after the trial. Later, use of a clicker followed by a treat became popular. P. 56. We will not tolerate dishonest contractors who seek to enrich themselves at the expense of federal taxpayers. - United States Attorney Thomas L. Kirsch II. 1983 claim, seeking compensatory and punitive damages as well as injunctive relief. Police also use dogs which are half GSD and half Malinois. /s. The taxpayers shouldnt be having to pay out pantloads of wrongful death/maiming suits because the police department/unions are afraid of cleaning house. The pre-suit settlement comes after Vohne Liche Kennels was sub-contracted in 2011 by the DOD to provide personnel, equipment, materials and supervision for the creation and operation of a training program for military handlers and dogs called Tactical Explosive Detection Dogs (TEDDs). 2003). No drugs were found in Mr. Miller's vehicle. at 838. Macho boys playing with macho toys without having any idea what they are awakening. After watching numerous videos on YouTube now where the officers cannot get the dogs off I am left with one question. Collecting the volume of K-9 attacks on undeserving people, including attacks on their own handlers, quickly overwhelmed us. I remember years ago, my docile Golden nicking her ear, and how she started licking her own blood. The company was also contracted to provide Field Service Representatives (FSRs) who co-located with military units in Afghanistan. Doe v. Shults-Lewis Child & Family Servs., Inc., 718 N.E.2d 738, 744 (Ind. It isnt about the safety of the officers, considering how many wind up getting mauled by their own dogs. Phone: Dustin Elleman cell #: 435-994-0395. They participate in a "testosterone-driven culture and a hunt for cash markets," she said. VLK has trained Police and Military Service Dogs for over 5000 law enforcement and government agencies to include the; National Security Agency (NSA) Polk County, FL. Main Office: That dog could have just as easily targeted the other officer. Thanks. See 28 U.S.C. It should be trained to watch (meaning bark and look menacing) which does NOT mean to attack. 7953 N Old Route 31, Denver, IN 46926 Jun. In Norfolk, the court stated, "The discovery rule starts the statute of limitations running only when the plaintiff learns that he's been injured, and by whom." Boni, You always give such great examples when you make a point. "One can't file a suit against a nonexistent party, although one may be able to invoke a tolling rule to delay suing if it is not possible even with the exercise of due diligence to identify the injurer." Of course, in so many attacks they boltcollar or no collar. Anything less is animal abuse and cruelty to humans. Id. The Defense Criminal Investigative Service will continue to aggressively pursue companies such as Vohne Liche Kennels that increase profits by exploiting DoD contracts through false claims, said Cynthia Bruce, Special Agent in Charge, DCIS Southeast Field Office. Nobody in their right mind would buy/train a protection dog and think its a petuntil YouTube came along with dog trainers selling protection dogs for tens of thousands of dollars. You have permission to edit this article. Next: I have resided continuously for 26 years ten miles from Prescott Valley, in Prescott, so I am painfully fully aware of full, complete local societal and local legal sentiment strongly in favor of dangerous dogs, and I am painfully fully aware of local societal and local legal sentiment strongly against victims of fully fearsome attacking dogs. Although Vohne Liche did fail to turn over responsive discovery materials to Mr. Miller in the Northern District litigation until ordered to do so, the information withheld did not contain "material facts thereby preventing the plaintiff from discovering a potential cause of action." "Non NATO/UN countries sell these dogs the cheapest," she said. The K-9 attack resulted in these bites, which could have been fatal. Id. No state or federal agency is in charge of tracking police K-9 bite data either. High 47F. . For example, the plaintiff in City of Los Angeles v. Lyons, 461 U.S. 95 (1983), alleged that he was arrested and subjected illegally to a chokehold, causing him injury. The dog remained on active duty afterward. Its time they were treated as suchinstead of attacks being palmed off as any different than either shooting, or furiously beating someone with a sidehandle. This is a story for 60 Minutes. At 9:00, the K-9 breaks off, and at 9:04, the dog redirects onto Saxton. Training is only finished in the USA. Vohne Liche Kennels (pronounced Von Lick) is a full service K-9 training facility where the best of the best go for highly trained Police Service Dogs. In the context of considering whether the two-year statute of limitations for those actions had expired, the court explained that the defendant could amend his complaint, i.e., the Rule 41(g) motion, to add a Bivens or 1983 claim, and the addition would relate back to the original filing that was within the applicable statute of limitations.