South Suburban Police Chief Threatens to Kill Police Dog

A south suburban police chief could find himself catching the wrath of animal lovers as his comments suggesting he’d shoot the department’s police dog went public over the weekend.

Midlothian Police Chief Harold Kaufman said he reacted brashly after the resignation of canine officer Biko’s human counterpart Jon Ryczek the day before Christmas Eve.

“I have to house our dog real soon,” Kaufman can be heard telling an Oak Forest dispatcher in a call. “Our K9 officer just came in and quit on me, so now I’m going to be stuck with either going and shooting the dog and killing it or finding somewhere to put it.”

Kaufman told the Tribune Sunday that the comment did not carry weight, and was spoken in a moment of frustration following Ryczek’s announcement of his departure for another job. Ryczek, in an email sent to Patch and other news media over the weekend, claims the statement was not the first time Kaufman had threatened to hurt Biko. When his search for employment elsewhere came to light, Ryczek contends Kaufman insisted he stay, if he didn’t ”want to see Biko lying on his back with all four legs in the air.” Kaufman told reporters he had never threatened to hurt or kill the Belgian Malinois on any other occasion.

Ryczek offered to reimburse the department the $8,000 to become Biko’s official owner following his last day of January 6, 2015. But nothing went according to that plan, he claims.

On Christmas Eve, two officers came to Ryczek’s house to take Biko away “and kennel him elsewhere.”

“I was in total shock,” Ryczek said in the email. He was also instructed his last day would be Dec. 26. He left for a job with an agency within Will County.

“Biko” is safe and is adjusting well to a new handler, Kaufman said.

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