Patrol Car Where K9 Died Was Not Properly Equipped: Police

WOODSTOCK, GA -- The patrol vehicle where a Cherokee County School District police K9 was found dead Friday evening did not have the proper tools to safely transport a dog. 

That's according to the Cherokee Marshal's Office Chief Ron Hunton, who held a press conference Saturday afternoon in Canton to release new details about the tragic events surrounding the death of Inka, a 4-year-old Belgian Malinois. 

Inka, who was discovered deceased inside a 2001 Crown Victoria belonging to the Cherokee County Schools Police Department, was assigned to Lt. Daniel Peabody, a supervisor within the agency, Hunton added.

Officers with the marshal's office and deputies with the Cherokee Sheriff's Office were dispatched to a call of an unresponsive dog the evening of Friday, June 10 at an address in unincorporated Cherokee County.

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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. 

Hunton said 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. Peabody, a 16-year veteran of the force, has been a K-9 handler with the system for five years. 

Hunton said the Peabody allowed another K-9 handler to use his primary vehicle, which is loaded with the equipment such as a kennel and alarms needed for that operation. Utilizing a regular patrol vehicle, Peabody went into the office like any other normal day with Inka by his side. Once he was done at the end of the day, he and Inka went home. 

Once he arrived home, Peabody's wife asked him to come inside and attend to another dog. It appears Peabody just "simply forgot about the dog," Hunton said. 

Once the discovery was made, Peabody notified his supervisor, who called 911 to report the incident.  

"Lt. Peabody was very distraught and despondent over it naturally, even to the point where he was transported to the hospital last night," Hunton said, adding the officer had some trouble breathing and at one point passed out during the commotion. "He is very, very upset about the death of his dog."

Temperatures on Friday in Cherokee County reached into the low to mid 90's, so "as you can imagine," the temperature inside the vehicle was much higher than it was outside, Hunton stated. 

Charges are possible in the case, but Hunton said it's too early to determine the nature of those charges. Part of the investigation will include measuring the temperature inside the vehicle to determine how hot the car got for the duration Inka was left inside, he added.

A necropsy was performed Saturday at the University of Georgia on Inca, and Hunton noted agency is still waiting to get those results.  

The Cherokee County School District said its "mourning the tragic loss" of Inka. 

"She served her community well and was loved by many, especially our students who met her through safety presentations," the system added.

Peabody, who has served with the district's Police Department since 2000, was immediately assigned to administrative duties only and "will not be working with a canine partner." 

Peabody, a certified K9 handler, raised Inka from a puppy and trained her to serve with him, to track and to detect narcotics, the system said.

Along with the Marshal's Office's investigation, the district is conducting its own administrative inquiry and will be reviewing the practices of its K9 unit, the system said. 

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Photo: Lt. Dan Peabody with Inka. Credit: Cherokee County School District