Did You Know? Dexter K-9 shooting latest of several cop/dog controversies in Southeast Missouri

A former Dexter K-9 officer was charged last week with alleged felony animal abuse and neglect, which investigators say resulted in the death of the department’s active drug dog Apollo and the serious illness of another retired drug dog Knox.

The officer, Derrick Allen Durall, is accused of not feeding and watering the animals. In a probable-cause statement filed by state Highway Patrol trooper G. L. Hendrix, Durrall had 14 weeks of training through the Missouri Police Canine Association. The Dexter Police Department provides food through Nestle in Bloomfield.

Apollo had lost 25 pounds since his last visit in September 2023, at which time the veterinarian described him as a “perfectly healthy police dog.” A necropsy determined Apollo’s death was because of “terminal starvation and dehydration.” It appeared Apollo had pneumonia, according to the probable-cause statement, but the vet explained pneumonia is common in malnourished dogs, especially during cold months.

Photographs showed that Apollo’s “ribs and vertebrates were protruding from his skin, and his eyes were sunken into his head,” the probable-cause statement said. “K9 Apollo appeared very unhealthy.”

Knox, the retired K-9, was taken to the vet for a checkup, and it was discovered he was suffering from severe heartworms and had lost 10 pounds since his last visit in October 2022.

While rare, police and dog conflicts are not new. Several cases involving police and dogs have made headlines over the years in Southeast Missouri. Here are a few:

Lawsuit filed against sheriff’s office in Stoddard County

In October, a family filed a federal lawsuit against the Stoddard County Sheriff’s Office after a deputy shot its 9-year-old black Labrador mix Parker in August.

The dog, presumably spooked by a storm, ran off and ended up at a neighbor’s property about a mile away. The neighbor posted on Facebook a photo of the dog, asking if anyone knew to whom the dog belonged. A deputy, Rodger Seal, picked up the dog, drove him to the Otter Slough Conservation Area and shot the dog, allegedly at the direction of his supervising officer, Cpl. Tavis Maddox.

The Pennington family responded to the post within 30 minutes of the neighbor’s Facebook post but, by then, it was too late.

The lawsuit says the dog was not injured, dangerous, diseased or incapacitated. It claims the dog suffered for eight minutes, and was dragged on the ground by Seal before being thrown into a ditch.

The suit claims the plaintiffs’ damages include pain and suffering and violations of the Fourth and 14th Amendments of the U.S. Constitution.

Attorney Russell Oliver filed a second lawsuit, this one in Missouri Court, which aims to force the sheriff’s office to release body-cam video of the officer shooting the dog. That case is set for trial Friday, May 3.

Stoddard County has no leash law for residents in unincorporated areas.

Matthews officer shoots dog during security check

Residents of Matthews said an officer acted inappropriately when he entered a house and shot a dog named Rico, who was responding to the unannounced entrance in May 2023.

The house in question was condemned, but the owners say they were working to get the home ready for a code inspector.

Susie Arnold told the Standard Democrat in Sikeston that she was sitting with the two dogs, waiting for the home’s occupant to return, when Matthews officer Austin Naeger barged in.

“Not even two minutes later, the door busted open,” Arnold said. “When the cop busted in the door, (the dogs) followed me to the door. I was yelling. As soon as he opened the door, he shot Rico.”

According to reports, Naeger was performing a security check on the property. No one should have been in the home, authorities said.

The New Madrid County Sheriff’s Office conducted an investigation and declared the shooting was justified.

Deaf, blind dog shot in Chaffee

In 2012, a family claimed its missing dog — a blind and deaf shih tzu mix with hip problems — had been shot by Chaffee police. The killing of the dog spurred quite a bit of controversy in the town, that involved the mayor and accusations of a cover-up.

The Scott County Sheriff’s Office investigated the claims, which were turned over to a special prosecutor for consideration against police chief Jim Chambers. Not long after the investigation, Chambers was fired after a closed City Council meeting. It was subsequently discovered that then-Chaffee Mayor Steve Loucks ordered an officer to take the dog to the city compost site and shoot it, which apparently violated city ordinances.

Chihuahua shooting prompts trial

Kelly Barks, a Bollinger County sheriff’s deputy, was charged with animal abuse in 2012 after shooting a Chihuahua on a call a year prior. A jury found her not guilty of the charges.

Days before she was charged, Barks filed a discrimination lawsuit against deputies and accused them of making false statements about what happened.

In her lawsuit, Barks stated she was dispatched to a warehouse shed, following a call for assistance. Barks had been notified that one of the subjects was drunk, high on drugs and brandishing a loaded weapon. As part of the call, Barks and another officer went into the shed to secure loaded weapons. There were several dog crates and dogs in the shed. The Chihuahua attacked Barks, and she shot at the dog, wounding it. According to her attorney, Barks stated the county veterinarian advised her that the dog had to be put down and that its body should be retained for rabies testing.

The lawsuit was settled.

Debate over K-9 Rex

In 2022, former Scott County Sheriff’s deputy Hunter Juden took to social media to complain that Sheriff Wes Drury would not allow K-9 Rex to be retired with Juden, the dog’s former handler. Juden had taken a job with the Cape Girardeau Police Department, but assumed Rex would return to him when he retired in a couple of months. Juden had worked with Rex for about three years.

A day after an online petition drew some 9,000 signatures, Drury issued a statement saying he was not going to retire Rex at that time. A little more than an hour later, the Scott County Commission, at a meeting, supported by an order drafted by the prosecutor, announced it would return the dog to Juden, who burst into tears after hearing the decision.

Drury then said he would seek the return of Rex, which he said was purchased by Scott County residents for use by the sheriff’s office.

Ultimately, Juden got to keep Rex.

Dog shot during arrest

In 2009, a dog attacked a Sikeston DPS officer during the arrest of four individuals. According to previous reporting, the dog was a large and aggressive pit bull and boxer mix and bit the officer on the wrist. The officer shot the animal, later euthanized because of its wounds. Officers found the subjects were attempting to manufacture methamphetamine.