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King William supervisors hear K9 introduction as sheriff defends recent pursuit response
Summary
The county's sheriff's office presented a newly acquired K9, "Kip," and described school and crisis uses. A later exchange turned to a recent ATV pursuit and two-vehicle crash that injured deputies; the sheriff defended pursuit practices and said deputies were treated at the hospital.
King William County officials on Aug. 11 introduced a new sheriff's office canine and heard an extended exchange after a supervisor raised questions about a recent pursuit that resulted in crashes.
Deputies presented Kip, described by the handler as a two-year-old dog acquired through a DCJS grant and Hero Academy. "Kip's 2 years old and is fully trained as a therapy dog, crisis dog," Deputy Connors said, noting the grant covered veterinary care, the vest and other costs. Officials said Kip will support school-based interventions, work with counselors and assist first responders during crises.
"They're doing a little bit of search and rescue training with him to get him certified in that also," Deputy Connors added, and staff said the dog will be available to multiple schools and county first responders.
During the same presentation period a board member asked the sheriff about a recent ATV pursuit and a two-vehicle crash. The sheriff, speaking in open session, said deputies were taken to the hospital and described their injuries: "Both deputies were taken to the hospital. One deputy got staples in his head," he said. The sheriff defended the office's approach to pursuits: "We have due regard. The deputies understand due regard. They know when to call something off," he said.
The exchange grew tense when the sheriff pushed back against public questioning in the meeting room and suggested some concerns should be addressed outside of the public forum. The chair offered to hold a follow-up conversation with the involved parties to avoid prolonged debate during the meeting.
No formal policy change was adopted at the meeting. The sheriff said some investigation details could not be discussed publicly because the matter remains under investigation. The board signaled interest in a more focused discussion with staff and the sheriff outside of the regular meeting.
Next steps: the chair offered to arrange a follow-up meeting to let the sheriff provide any additional information and to allow supervisors to raise operational questions in a setting focused on pursuit policy and officer safety.
