Five-year-old Harlej, Belgian Malinois, who lost his life while working in the Fishers Police Department, was killed while chasing the suspect.
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The officers were broken after Harlej’s tragic moment, but fortunately, they managed to arrest the responsible person.
The police service held a memorial ceremony in Harlej’s honor. He made a courageous sacrifice that day and will never be forgotten. A few months later, Harlej finally received justice when the killer received the sentence for his cruel actions.
А 20-year-old Richard Garrett, who tried to break into two homes, was the one who killed Harlej.
When he noticed the police, he started running towards the forest area. Officer Jarred Koopman was behind the suspect but failed to get him to surrender, so he sent his brave dog to take the man down.
Harlej chased Garrett deeper into the woods, and Koopman was convinced that Harlej would be successful. But then, Garrett shot the poor dog in the head as they ran further into the woods.
Poor Harlej did not survive the gunshot wound, but Harley bit Garrett’s leg during the process, so the man could not escape the scene.
Following the incident, Garrett was charged with 14 counts of burglary and murder of a dog. He pleaded guilty to only four of the 14 counts.
He was finally sentenced to six years in Indiana prison after Harlej’s death. These six years are not enough to kill a beloved dog, but at least he is punished for these unforgivable actions.
However, this is not the end of Garrett’s legal problems. He will later face up to the remaining 20 charges related to revealing a crime, including a fatal shooting that killed a 65-year-old man. That case is still pending, but he is likely to face even more consequences shortly.
Harlej was a heroic dog and will forever live in the hearts of his associates.
