From January 19, 2023 post.
Congratulations to Officer Joshua Skipper and his K9 partner, Hugo for leading CMPD in suspect apprehensions for 2022! Officer Skipper was named Special Operations K9 Handler of the Year in recognition of this achievement. Thank you both for your hard work and helping CMPD keep our community safe! Read more below about the great work from Officer Skipper and K9 Hugo and visit: JoinCMPD.com to learn more about how you can be a part of the great work happening at CMPD.
On June 23, 2022, while patrolling the North Tryon Division, officers located a suspect with 11 outstanding warrants for various violent criminal offenses. Officers attempted to stop the suspect vehicle when the suspect then proceeded to ram a police car as he fled the scene. A pursuit ensued as officers continued to try and stop the suspect vehicle. CMPD’s Real Time Crime Center continued to keep officers updated on the direction of the vehicle while CMPD’s Aviation Unit arrived overhead. The suspect then stopped his vehicle and fled on foot into a wooded area.
Officer Skipper and K9 Hugo arrived on scene and proceeded to track the suspect. With CMPD’s Aviation Unit overhead, they were able to pick up a heat source using infrared and confirm that Officer Skipper and K9 Hugo were tracking the right direction. K9 Hugo proceeded to pull into the woods where he eagerly took on the challenge of thick vegetation, poor lighting, and a creek. As the duo continued to diligently track, Hugo led officers directly to the last known area the helicopter had observed the suspect. Hugo led Officer Skipper directly to the suspect where cover officers were able to take the suspect into custody.
Original source can be found here.
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