VANCOUVER, Wash. — A Vancouver Police Department K-9 is back at work these days helping patrol Vancouver streets — he's just missing a piece of his tail after it was struck by a bullet or bullets during a fatal police shooting in June.
Remi is a 4-and-a-half-year-old Belgian Malinois. He was purchased by the Vancouver Police Department in January from the Skamania County Sheriff's Department. He had years of experience as a K-9 cop before going through hundreds of hours of training with Vancouver police. Each dual-purpose K-9 dog undergoes 400 hours of patrol training and 200 hours of narcotics training before they and their handler are put to work in the public. Remi had just finished training in May.
"Remi is one of the dogs with the most personality I've seen in a long time. He's a wonderful dog. Remi is a very quick learner," Sgt. Ryan Starbuck said. "He does a great job in every aspect. He's great at his obedience. He's really good at his searching."
Starbuck is the master trainer for the Vancouver Police Department's K-9 program. Remi's handler is Vancouver police officer Jason Haigwood. The two work together, train together and live together.
"The dog's role is to mitigate risk for us. We can never eliminate risk, but the dog's role is to try and mitigate it the best we can for officers, and we do it for the public too." Starbuck said.
KGW talked with Starbuck outside the Vancouver police headquarters and were also allowed to get video of Remi and Haigwood showing off Remi's skills, though KGW was not allowed to talk to Haigwood on camera about Remi or Remi's recovery because Haigwood was involved in some capacity of the fatal shooting on June 17.
The fatal shooting that injured Remi happened in the early morning hours. Vancouver police officers had tracked down a man they were told had pointed a gun at someone; that man was found a few blocks away by officers on the sidewalk.
Dashcam and body camera video captured the moments leading up to the fatal shooting. Officers can be heard telling the man that he is under arrest and to comply with their demands to put his hands in the air and not in his pockets. After not complying with commands, the man is taken down by K-9 Remi. As Remi attacks him, the man falls to the ground. Police said he then pulled out what looked like a gun. Investigators later determined that the firearm was a modified replica airsoft gun.
Police later identified the man that was shot and killed as 40-year-old Jonathan Nelson.
In the barrage of bullets fired, Remi's tail was hit. In Haigwood's body camera footage, Remi's tail is bent at an unusual angle and limp; as Haigwood regains control of Remi, he walks him back to his car.
Another K-9 handler rushed Remi to an emergency veterinary hospital in Vancouver.
The bullet that hit Remi's tail had already done the damage.
"He did have to have his tail docked," said Starbuck.
Remi spent the night in the veterinary hospital. His tail had to be amputated, leaving just a tiny stub. He spent weeks at home with Haigwood, recovering from the wound.
"The energy level is kept down; he's kept to minimal exercise walking during that time, which is pretty tough for Remi because he's a very high-energy dog, but he was able to work through that," Starbuck said.
Then in mid-July, almost a month after the shooting, Remi returned to work.
That energy level isn't kept down at all: He's back to being his playful and working self, doing what a K-9 dog do best.
"This injury has not slowed him down one bit, and it has not changed his ability to turn the switch on and off," Starbuck said.
Haigwood and three other officers were placed on paid administrative leave for a few weeks before returning to work the same day Remi did.
The shooting is being investigated by the Southwest Washington Independent Investigative Team.