This really got to me. Our hearts go out to the Gloucester Twp. Police and we thank them for their incredible show of respect for their fallen police officer, Shultz.
— Kenn
GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP, N.J. (AP) — Police on Wednesday mourned a decorated police dog that was killed just after it sunk its teeth into the forearm of a robbery suspect it had tracked by scent for a half-mile.
The suspect, 20-year-old Skyler Robinson, swung his arm and the German shepherd named Schultz into the path of a car on Wednesday evening as the dog’s handler, Gloucester Township Police Cpl. Mark Pickard, watched. The car struck the dog and grazed Robinson.
The dog died along the roadside within minutes.
The man escaped across the highway only to be caught more than three hours later in a manhunt joined by about 100 police officers from several surrounding towns. The Philadelphia Police Department sent a helicopter to join in the search even though windy, wet weather was grounding other department flights.
“Officer Schultz gave his life for Cpl. Pickard and all the other officers,” Gloucester County Police Chief Harry Earle said at a grim news conference Wednesday.
Schultz, a 3 1/2-year-old, joined the force in 2008 and was given his name as the result of an essay contest in a school in the Philadelphia suburb. The winning entry, from a fifth-grader, said the dog should be named after Dave “The Hammer” Schultz, a tough hockey player for the Philadelphia Flyers in the 1970s.
dear police department,
it’s a bad use of resources to risk a $10,000 asset to catch street scum who commit a $300 robbery. think carefully before dispatching your valuble canine officers.
this ten thousand dollar asset saved other officers and other civilians/merchants from future criminal activity from this scumbag. what was he supposed to do sit back and let the scum run away to do further harm? I don’t think so. he did what he was trained to do. protect and serve. and that is exactly what he did. I think the police force and the community got their money worth don’t you? and that’s if you are the type of person who puts a dollar worth on a living creature with emotions and that can feel pain. he was worth so much more to the community and unless you knew him or saw him at one of the many community events he attended or unless you saw the joy he brought to others then you need to shut it you have no idea what you are talking about.
My sincerest condolences to the police department and to Cpl. Mark Pickard for this great loss! I know Shultz will sadly missed. This 20-year old thief should now be charged & convicted of murder of a police officer.
And SHAME on anon for his comment AND the person that ‘liked’ it, probably himself! How heartless of you. That is what canines are trained to do in the police department. They, just like any other officer on the force is committed to upholding the law and are aware of the risk.
My sincerest condolences to the police department and to Cpl. Mark Pickard for this great loss! I know Shultz will sadly missed. This 20-year old thief should now be charged & convicted of murder of a police officer.
And SHAME on anon for his comment AND the person that ‘liked’ it, probably himself! How heartless of you. That is what canines are trained to do in the police department. They, just like any other officer on the force is committed to upholding the law and are aware of the risk.
I’m with you Jeanine. Anon and the two people that liked what he wrote are ignorant and have no idea of the worth of these k9 units.
You cannot be charged for murder for killing a poilce dog. It is an officer but not a human officer. Not murder, you all. It sucks but shit happens.
the scumbag barbarically killed the officer in cold blood. a living, feeling, breathing creature. its still murder no matter how you spin it and the scumbag should be punished. he was a part of our community. unless you ever met him shut it.
Oh its really sad. Rest In Peace Schultz.