Crime & Safety
Fallen Montville K-9 Barrett Receives National Recognition
A beloved Montville K-9, who died earlier this year from injuries sustained while in the line of the duty, is receiving national recognition
MONTVILLE, CT — Montville K-9 Barrett, who died earlier this year from injuries sustained while in the line of duty, has been added to the National Officer Down Memorial Page.
Montville Police Chief Wilfred J. Blanchette III said K-9 Barrett will also be added to the Law Enforcement Wall of Honor in Washington DC in May.
“Special thanks to Sergeant Anthony Cristy of the Connecticut State Police K-9 Unit for facilitating this,” Blanchette said in a post on Facebook.
Find out what's happening in Montvillefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
K-9 Barrett was assaulted while apprehending a suspect who was fleeing the scene of a vehicle crash at 5:20 a.m. on Route 12 in Preston on Dec. 11, 2021. He was euthanized on June 1, 2023 due to an inoperable brain bleed and continuous seizures, according to officials.
When K-9 Barrett and his handler arrived at the crash scene on Dec. 11, 2001, officials said the driver was hiding behind a tree and pointing what appeared to be a gun at the officer.
Find out what's happening in Montvillefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
“As soon as the officer pointed his weapon in return and issued commands to drop the gun, the subject fled into the wooded area,” officials wrote in a post on the National Officer Down Memorial Page website. “K9 Barrett was given the order to search for the subject. The officer found K9 Barrett 200 feet into the woods, latched onto the subject by the leg. The man was punching K9 Barrett and continued to hold on to K9 Barrett by the jaw, pushing his fingers into his eyes and hitting him in the head despite attempts by the officer to apprehend the subject. Only when the subject received Taser probes did he let go of K9 Barrett and attack the officer instead. The officer was able to subdue the subject and arrest him.
“After the arrest, K9 Barrett was bleeding from his nose but did not seem to have any adverse medical effects. However, he quickly began experiencing seizures caused by a brain bleed that was the result of the continual blows to the head. As the seizures increased and because the brain bleed was inoperable, he was euthanized on June 1, 2023.”
Read more at the National Officer Down Memorial Page website here.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
