DELTA TOWNSHIP, Mich. — Every now and then, two-legged police officers need assistance from the four-legged kind.
And Tank, who has been with the Eaton County Sheriff's Office for four years, did more than his share last week, apprehending two suspects in a single day, one of them armed with a handgun.
It all started on Jan. 23 when a gunman opened fire outside a Citgo gas station at 4819 W. Saginaw Highway in Delta Township. Nobody was hurt, but the hunt was on.
By Feb. 3 police had identified the suspect and asked Deputy Joshua Turner and Tank to find him. They confronted the suspected gunman and he took off.
“At this point I knew that the subject was not going to stop so I deployed K-9 Tank to apprehend him and when K-9 Tank did apprehend him and his arms went up in the air and a gun came out," Turner said.
The man was arrested and treated for his injuries by medical staff. But, Tank's work wasn't done yet.
“Grand Ledge police officers had an individulal flee in a vehicle they later found that subject in the vehicle with his dog in it, they fled from that vehicle and then K-9 Tank and I were able to track that subject individuals car where he was hiding inside of," said Turner.
Tank lives with Turner, who said the dog is more than just part of the police force.
“My five year old will place cars on his back and roll around with him," Turner said. "We have another German shepherd at home who is best friend as well so they all love each other and love hanging out."
Tank is social and friendly at home, he said, but knows when it is time to go to work.
"One of the things he has on right now is a harness and he wears a vest so when we go to work he gets a specific collar on, he gets his harness on, he gets his vest on," Turner said. "When we go home, he takes all that off and turns into a totally different dog and is just a little puppy that likes to hang out and have fun.”
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