Cornelius Police apologize for conduct toward woman who saved a dog from hot car
Cornelius police issued an apology Thursday for an officer’s behavior toward a woman who saved a dog in a hot car.
The police statement said Chief David Baucom personally apologized to the woman involved in the incident and “would also like to apologize to our residents and the general public.”
The animal welfare call came on June 7 after a dog was left in a vehicle in a shopping center.
A woman saw the dog and called 911. After not being able to locate the dog’s owner, she opened the vehicle’s unlocked door and gave the dog water.
The responding officer later reprimanded the woman for entering the vehicle to help the dog. The woman told WBTV in an interview last month that the officer “repeatedly asked the owner if he wanted to press charges on me.”
“A police officer responded to this call, and the way this call was handled was not consistent with the way our officers treat the public or the core values of our agency,” read a Cornelius Police Department news release issued Thursday.
A video of the incident was posted online, where it went viral.
The officer was given an unpaid suspension and a suspension from his duties as an active K9 handler following an internal investigation.
A Mecklenburg magistrate opted not to charge the dog’s owner.
The timeline of dog in car
Police released a timeline of the incident based on camera footage in the area, the 911 call, the arrival time of the officer and the investigation:
2:03 p.m. — The dog’s owner enters Cornelius via I-77.
2:05 p.m. — The dog’s owner turns left onto Liverpool Parkway toward the parking lot entrance of a fast-food restaurant.
The dog owner parks and enters the restaurant to order food and use the restroom.
His son walks the dog and gives it water. The son later goes into the restaurant to join his father, leaving the dog in the vehicle. Approximately three to five minutes pass.
2:16 p.m. — The concerned woman calls 911.
The complainant stated the dog owner returned to his vehicle approximately five minutes after her call to 911.
2:26 p.m. — The officer arrives on the scene.
The original video of the incident, posted online, shows the windows of the vehicle were approximately 2 to 3 inches down.
Police apology
Police said officers will receive additional training on the statute that allows first responders to enter a vehicle to protect the health and safety of an animal. The statute does not allow non-first responders to enter a vehicle, but in this incident there was no intent to commit a crime, and therefore, there was no violation of the law, police said in their statement.
“This has been a learning experience, and we want everyone to know our agency can and will do better with how we respond to these types of calls in the future.”
