Cop Whose K9 Died In Cruiser Resigns

CANTON, GA -- The K9 handler whose dog died last week inside a Cherokee County School Police Department patrol vehicle has submitted his resignation.

The Cherokee County School Board at its June 16 meeting accepted the resignation of Lt. Daniel Peabody, a 16-year veteran of the force.

School district spokesperson Barbara Jacoby said there are no plans to hire another officer to replace Peabody at this time.

Peabody is at the center of the Cherokee County Marshal's Office investigation into the death of Inka, a 4-year-old Belgian Malinois found dead Friday, June 10 in the patrol vehicle belonging to the school police department.

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Officers with the marshal's office and deputies with the Cherokee Sheriff's Office were dispatched to a call of an unresponsive dog at an address in unincorporated Cherokee County.

A preliminary investigation indicates Peabody arrived home around 4:15 p.m., turned off his car, allegedly left Inka in the rear of the patrol vehicle and went inside his home to attend to another dog, the marshal's office said.

Around 7 p.m., the officer remembered Inka was in the patrol vehicle, and made the grim discovery when he went outside to check on the pup.

Inka was Peabody's personal dog, but the Cherokee County School Board paid for its upkeep and maintenance, as it was employed by the system. A necropsy performed on Inka show the dog died of heat stroke.

No charges have been filed at this time, and the investigation remains open, said Chief Marshal Ron Hunton. That investigation, he added, should wrap up by early next week.

Return to Patch for updates.

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Image via Cherokee County School District