Probes into alleged abuse of Vacaville police canine continue

Allegations of the abuse of a Vacaville Police Department canine in late December garnered national attention, and public demand for more information remains constant.

City officials say the matter is still a priority and probes are continuing.

“We want to remind the public that there are three outside investigations,” said Kris Concepcion, the city’s fire chief in his capacity as city spokesman.

Those investigations include the physical and mental impacts on the dog, who with his then-partner was training to be part of the K-9 team; a look into the actions of the officer, who is now separated from the dog; and an analysis of the operations, training, policies and procedures of the K-9 program itself.

“We’re on it. We’re staying on it,” advised Concepcion. “As soon as we can legally let the public know the details, we will, whatever we can legally release. We want to have as transparent a release as possible.”

The investigation into the dog’s health is nearing completion, he said, while the other two continue to progress. Nothing can be released until the three investigations are done.

The matter dates back to late December, when an unidentified veteran officer was videotaped by a community member straddling and punching his dog, while it lay on its back, in the face.

The incident reportedly occurred just after 12:15 p.m. between two trailers at Fire Station 73 at Vaca Valley Parkway and Eubanks Drive.

A man loading tools into his truck at a nearby warehouse heard the dog cry out “like someone ran over it” and began videoing the scene on his cell phone.

The short video only shows the dog being struck once, but the man said he saw the dog punched at least 10 times before he began recording. He was afraid to confront the officer, he said, so he filmed the incident instead and then posted it to social media. The video quickly went viral.

Vacaville police Capt. Matt Lydon has said the officer and the dog had been training to join the K-9 Unit and were in their third our fourth month together.

During a narcotics search scenario that day, the dog successfully performed and was rewarded with its toy. But when the handler retrieved the toy, he said, the dog angrily lunged at the officer and tried to bite him.

Per training, the officer was required to swiftly rectify the situation and assert dominance, which straddling the dog does, Lydon explained.

The dog has since been checked out by a veterinarian and was found to be uninjured, officials said. It remains in the care of a professional trainer.

The outcome of the investigation, officials have said, could result in discipline, further training, changes to policies and protocols and more.