{"id":2044989,"date":"2023-09-26T11:27:02","date_gmt":"2023-09-26T15:27:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/big-mystery-surrounding-the-disappearance-of-a-west-virginia-police-k9\/"},"modified":"2023-09-26T11:32:00","modified_gmt":"2023-09-26T15:32:00","slug":"big-mystery-surrounding-the-disappearance-of-a-west-virginia-police-k9","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/big-mystery-surrounding-the-disappearance-of-a-west-virginia-police-k9\/","title":{"rendered":"Mysterious Disappearance of West Virginia Police K9"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">14<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fbig-mystery-surrounding-the-disappearance-of-a-west-virginia-police-k9%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2044989&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><blockquote>\n<div data-post-content=\"true\" class=\"post_content\" id=\"post_content\">\n<p>Even if the search for\u2064 K9 Officer &#8220;Chase&#8221; yields little or nothing, Greg Powers says he&#8217;ll keep plugging away, like a detective, until the missing canine is found \u2064dead or alive and brought home to Chapmanville, \u2064West Virginia.<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s become something of an obsession with him.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I&#8217;ve been after this since day\u200c one,&#8221; said Mr. Powers of South Charleston, West Virginia, a member of the Facebook group &#8220;Justice for K9 Officer Chase.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div class=\"shortcode\">\n<div class=\"border-comp-divider mb-4 mr-4 w-full max-w-[500px] border px-5 py-4 text-[16px] leading-[20px] text-[#262626] md:float-left\" id=\"in_article_related_stories\">\n<h2 class=\"mb-3 font-sans text-[16px] font-semibold uppercase leading-[19px] text-[#2F2F2F]\">Related Stories<\/h2>\n<div class=\"mb-4 flex gap-2\">\n<div class=\"grow\">\n<div class=\"mb-1 line-clamp-2\">\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/cops-find-over-30-dead-dogs-in-new-jersey-home-pair-charged-with-animal-cruelty-child-endangerment-5483382?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/p>\n<h3>Cops Find Over 30 Dead Dogs in New Jersey Home; \u2064Pair Charged With Animal Cruelty, \u200dChild Endangerment<\/h3>\n<p><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"text-comp-caption text-[14px] leading-[18px]\">8\/30\/2023<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"shrink-0 basis-[120px]\">\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/cops-find-over-30-dead-dogs-in-new-jersey-home-pair-charged-with-animal-cruelty-child-endangerment-5483382?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"mb-4 flex gap-2\">\n<div class=\"grow\">\n<div class=\"mb-1 line-clamp-2\">\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/black-lives-matter-protests-led-to-fewer-police-killings-more-murders-study-5493356?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/p>\n<h3>Black Lives Matter Protests Led\u2062 to Fewer Police Killings, \u2064More Murders: Study<\/h3>\n<p><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"text-comp-caption text-[14px] leading-[18px]\">9\/18\/2023<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"shrink-0 basis-[120px]\">\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/black-lives-matter-protests-led-to-fewer-police-killings-more-murders-study-5493356?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s stuck with me. I&#8217;ve been relentlessly trying to find out what&#8217;s \u200bgoing on,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<p>Chase, a 6-year-old Belgian Malinois, was reported missing in South Charleston by his rookie police handler, 26-year-old Marcus Dudley in early April.<\/p>\n<p>Since \u200bthen, Mr. Powers has spoken at town\u200d meetings and made public inquiries hoping \u200cto learn anything that might determine the dog&#8217;s condition and whereabouts.<\/p>\n<div class=\"shortcode post-related-videos\">\n<div class=\"lazyload-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"lazyload-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">Nothing he&#8217;s obtained so far has brought much clarity or closure to the community. But, like an upland West Virginia snapping turtle, <strong>\u201cI\u2019m not letting go. If \u200dthe group\u200b lets \u2062up, I\u2019m not that way,&#8221;<\/strong> Mr. Powers said.<\/div>\n<h2>Strange\u2063 Disappearance<\/h2>\n<p>The circumstances surrounding Chase&#8217;s disappearance seem as perplexing as the\u200c police report of his former partner Mr. \u200bDudley, according\u2062 to investigators handling the case.<\/p>\n<p>On April 11, Mr. Dudley, who also lives in South Charleston\u200b called local police to \u200dreport that Chase \u2063had vanished after jumping over \u2062a backyard fence.<\/p>\n<p>South Charleston \u2062(population 13,352) is\u200c a\u2062 city in Kanawha County\u200c in the western \u2063part of West Virginia about\u200c 48 \u200cmiles north of Chapmanville (population 1,025) in Logan County.<\/p>\n<p>As South Charleston detectives dug further into the missing K9 case, they\u2062 determined there were inconsistencies in Mr. Dudley&#8217;s statements that warranted pressing charges.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;From day one,&#8221;\u200d Chapmanville officials wrote on \u2062social media, \u2064the\u2063 town \u200band police department have cooperated with \u2063South Charleston\u2062 police in \u200dinvestigating &#8220;our missing K-9, Chase.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The town and its \u200cpolice department are hopeful that the actions of the\u2064 Kanawha County \u2063Grand Jury will help to shed \u200blight on\u2064 this unfortunate situation and ultimately obtain justice \u2062for Chase.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>On \u200cAug. 4, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/texas-border-city-woman-accused-of-running-underage-sex-trafficking-operation-for-23-years\/\" title=\"Texas Border City Woman Accused of Running Underage Sex Trafficking Operation for 23 Years\">grand jury handed<\/a> up \u2064six misdemeanor indictments against Mr. Dudley. Among them were \u200bfiling a false\u200b emergency report, making false statements, obstructing an officer, and animal cruelty.<\/p>\n<p>He was\u200d let go from the\u2063 department\u2062 after serving less than a year\u2014less than a month as\u200c a K9 officer.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-figure\" style=\"margin-left:0;margin-right:0;max-width:1200px\">\n<figure style=\"width:867px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto\" class=\"aligncenter\"><figcaption>Greg Powers is a \u2064member of\u200b the Facebook group &#8220;Justice for K9 Police\u2062 Officer Chase.&#8221;\u2062 (Courtesy of Greg Powers)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>At his arraignment on Aug. 28, a judge set cash\u200b bail at $6,000. However, Mr. Dudley reportedly could not pay the amount and currently sits in\u2064 the\u2062 South Central Regional Jail in Charleston awaiting trial on Oct. \u206315.<\/p>\n<p>Since Chase&#8217;s disappearance,\u200d sympathy and support for the beloved canine \u2062have poured in from across the country.<\/p>\n<p>Although the evidence\u200d against his former handler remains, for the most\u2062 part, circumstantial, <strong>&#8220;I&#8217;ve been on\u2062 this like a pit\u200d bull. I won&#8217;t\u200d let loose,&#8221;<\/strong> Mr. \u2062Powers told The Epoch \u2063Times.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I \u200bcan&#8217;t explain it other than I just can&#8217;t [let go].&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Unlike more progressive states, he said\u200b people in West\u2062 Virginia tend to view their police officers with admiration and respect. It\u200d doesn&#8217;t matter if an officer has two legs or four.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s not this defund the police,\u200b hate the blue. \u200dIf I see one of them out, I&#8217;ll stop and buy them dinner. I respect what our officers do,&#8221; Mr.\u2063 Powers said.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;When I see Chase, he&#8217;s no different. Bottom line: he&#8217;s a \u2062police \u200bofficer.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\"><\/div>\n<p>Former West Virginia \u200cresident and \u200bJustice for K9 Chase founder Kim Asbury \u2062lives in Illinois but says the case has \u200ddogged her since Chase\u200b vanished six months ago.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I \u200dthink the only one who knows what happened is Officer Dudley. And he&#8217;s not talking,&#8221;\u200c she told The Epoch Times. &#8220;It&#8217;s a big, big mystery.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m all about innocent until \u2064proven guilty,&#8221; Ms. Asbury added, &#8220;but I wish he would just end it and tell\u200d everyone what happened. If it was an accident, it was an accident.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The Epoch Times could not reach Chapmanville Police Chief Alan Browning, Assistant Prosecutor Josh Gainer, or Mr. Dudley&#8217;s \u200dattorney, Joseph Harvey for this story.<\/p>\n<p>In the meantime,\u200d Ms. Asbury&#8217;s 6,000-member strong Facebook\u200c group supports passage \u2064of &#8220;Chase&#8217;s Law&#8221;\u2014proposed state legislation that would make K9 abuse a felony crime instead of a misdemeanor in West Virginia.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">She said police K9s &#8220;should be looked at as police officers. Unfortunately, [departments] see them as equipment\u2014and they&#8217;re not equipment.&#8221; <\/p>\n<h2>Not An Isolated Case<\/h2>\n<p> Daphna Nachminovitch is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/sound-of-freedom-to-be-played-on-hundreds-of-additional-screens-in-4th-week-of-release\/\" title=\"'Sound Of Freedom' expands to more screens in 4th week.\">senior vice\u2063 president<\/a> of the Cruelty Investigations Department for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) in Virginia.<\/div>\n<p>During the past 26 years\u200d she&#8217;s \u200dbeen with the organization, she said she has\u200c never witnessed a case\u2064 involving a police K9 gone missing.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;How do you lose a K9?&#8221; Ms. Nachminovitch said. &#8220;My brain is always in\u2062 a\u2064 worst-case scenario because of my profession. I assume that \u2062something terrible happened to this dog. Dogs don&#8217;t vanish into \u200dthin air.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Ms. Nachminovitch said \u2063because no national\u2064 standards exist governing the care, acquisition, or\u2062 placement of police dogs in departments, it&#8217;s\u2062 the problem begging for a solution.<\/p>\n<p>Title 18 \u200cU.S. Code 1368 makes \u2062it a crime to\u200b harm animals used in\u200d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/irs-ends-decades-long-practice-of-visiting-taxpayers-homes-unannounced\/\" title=\"IRS stops surprise visits to taxpayers' homes after decades.\">federal law \u200cenforcement<\/a>. It\u2062 is punishable \u200cby a year in prison and up to 10 \u2062years if the \u200boffense \u2063&#8221;permanently disables or\u2062 disfigures the animal, or causes serious bodily injury \u200bto or the death of the animal.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>New York Penal Law 195.06 makes \u2064killing a\u2063 police dog or workhorse a Class \u200dE felony with \u200ca maximum \u2062sentence of four years in prison,\u2063 including fines and community service.<\/p>\n<p>Though the disappearance of Chase appears to be an &#8220;anomaly,&#8221; she said it calls attention \u200dto the importance of\u200c proper dog and handler training.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We do see some\u200b people put in a \u200cposition to be a\u2063 K9 handler \u200dwho haven&#8217;t bonded with those dogs\u2014who regard \u2062these dogs as a status symbol and prestige. Being a K9 handler\u2014that&#8217;s an impressive title. It looks cool,&#8221; she said.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;For some people, \u2062it&#8217;s\u200b not that \u200bthey&#8217;re a dog person. They\u2062 like the idea\u2064 of being a K9 handler [but] there&#8217;s no way to quantify \u200dthat.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Using the Bureau of Labor Statistics \u2063and U.S. Census data, career expert Zippia.com estimates 205,370 K9 police officers currently \u2063employed in the United States. The vast\u200b majority, 93.4 percent, are men,\u2063 with an average age of 39.<\/p>\n<p>The website adds\u2064 that K9 police officers are 47 percent more likely to \u200dwork at private companies than at government \u200dagencies.<\/p>\n<p>In 2021, 21 police canines died in the line\u2064 of\u200b duty from assault, \u200dgunfire, illness, training accidents, and other \u200bcauses, as reported on the Officer \u200dDown Memorial Page. But the leading cause of \u200ddeath among law enforcement dogs \u2062is heat exhaustion,\u2064 according to The \u2063Bark magazine.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s fair to say most officers that have K9s understand the responsibility and\u2063 respect \u2063that. I do hate those officers to get a bad name,&#8221; Ms.\u200d Nachminovitch said. &#8220;We would certainly want federal law to \u2063protect [K9s] with some standard prohibiting cruel training.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">&#8220;As taxpayers, we pay \u200dfor them and their training. The least our \u2062elected officials could do is to ensure their protection is in place and they&#8217;re well cared for and treated with \u200dcompassion.&#8221; <\/p>\n<h2>Right to Know<\/h2>\n<p> In a June 21 social media post, Chapmanville attorney Rob Kuenzel addressed questions from the public regarding Chase&#8217;s disappearance.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;From the\u2063 beginning, no evidence has been disclosed that would indicate \u200bthat anything relating to Chase&#8217;s\u2063 disappearance occurred in Chapmanville,&#8221; he wrote.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;In criminal law, charges must be filed \u2064in the city, county [or] state wherein the alleged crime occurred.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Since the U.S. Constitution protects citizens \u2063against\u200c self-incrimination, &#8220;the government cannot force&#8221; Mr. Dudley to testify against himself, Mr. Kuenzel added.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Accordingly, the town of Chapmanville\u200d does not want to take any action that would\u200d jeopardize any potential prosecution.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;As a dog\u2063 lover and owner, I\u200b too \u2063am frustrated that Chase\u200b remains missing; yet,\u200b as\u200d one who works within the legal field, I understand that there is a process \u2062that must \u200cbe followed.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Rockhouse K9 in\u2064 Chapmanville reportedly is offering a $500 reward \u2064for\u200c the safe return of Chase.<\/p>\n<p>Chase initially served \u200das a marijuana detection dog with a school resource officer in Virginia until the state legalized cannabis in 2021. \u200dThe\u200b handler later was forced to give up the dog due to his \u200dson&#8217;s severe allergies.<\/p>\n<p>The Chapmanville \u2062Police Department acquired \u2062Chase in 2022 for its\u200c new K9 \u2062unit. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/big-mystery-surrounding-the-disappearance-of-a-west-virginia-police-k9\/\" title=\"Mysterious Disappearance of West Virginia Police K9\">dog received routine patrol coaching<\/a> from a local canine\u2062 trainer and joined the department \u200din\u200d March.<\/p>\n<p>Former Officer Dudley had Chase in his custody about three weeks before\u200c reporting him missing.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Neither the town of Chapmanville nor the Chapmanville Police Department\u200d has any knowledge of whether the K-9,\u2062 Chase, is alive or not,&#8221; Mr. Kuenzel told\u2063 Mr. Powers\u200c in a letter prompted by a Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA) request.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTo his knowledge, the town attorney said \u200dthe K9 did not have an implanted microchip for identification, which is only beneficial if someone found Chase.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It does not serve as a real-time tracker,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It has been\u200c unclear if the\u200b breeder installed the chip,&#8221; Mr. Powers\u2062 added. &#8220;In all of my FOIA\u2062 requests requesting info from Virginia and [West Virginia],\u2063 no number has\u200d ever turned up.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The Chapmanville department is still working on a K9\u200c policy and procedures manual aligned with the sheriff&#8217;s office \u200cprogram in Logan County.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> How have\u200b volunteers and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/georgia-secretary-of-state-investigating-voter-registration-group-run-by-democrat-raphael-warnock\/\" title=\"Georgia Secretary Of State Investigating Voter Registration Group Run By Democrat Raphael Warnock\">law enforcement officers<\/a> joined forces in the search for Chase<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Remains in custody at a \u200dlocal jail. His next \u2064court appearance is scheduled for September 20.<\/p>\n<h2>Community Support<\/h2>\n<p>Despite the arrest and charges \u2062against\u2064 Mr. Dudley, the search for Chase continues. The\u200d community of Chapmanville has rallied behind Greg Powers and the &#8220;Justice for K9 Officer Chase&#8221; Facebook\u2064 group, showing unwavering support in their efforts to find the missing canine.<\/p>\n<p>Local businesses have donated supplies and resources to aid in the search, and residents have \u200cvolunteered their time and\u200c expertise. The community has come together in solidarity, determined to bring Chase home.<\/p>\n<p>The Facebook \u200bgroup has grown rapidly,\u200b with thousands of members joining to show their support. Messages of encouragement and offers of assistance pour in daily, providing a glimmer\u200d of hope for Greg Powers and the search team.<\/p>\n<p>Volunteers have scoured the area, searching abandoned buildings, woods, and fields in hopes \u200bof finding any \u2062sign \u200bof Chase. Flyers with\u2062 his picture and description \u2063have\u200b been distributed\u200d throughout the region, in the hopes that \u2063someone may have seen or heard something that could lead to his whereabouts.<\/p>\n<h2>Canine Detectives<\/h2>\n<p>The efforts of Greg Powers and the Facebook group mirror those of\u2063 law enforcement officers. Just like \u2064detectives,\u200b they leave \u2062no\u2063 stone\u200d unturned in their quest\u200c for answers. Their dedication\u2063 to finding Chase is inspiring, and their determination is unwavering.<\/p>\n<p>Chase is not just a police dog; he is a beloved member of \u200bthe\u200d community. He has served alongside his handler, Marcus Dudley, and has protected and served the \u200dcitizens of South Charleston. The disappearance of Chase has deeply \u2062affected not only the\u200d police department but\u2064 also the entire community at large.<\/p>\n<p>Every day that\u200d Chase remains missing is a reminder of the bond between humans and their four-legged companions. The support and involvement of the community highlight the profound impact that animals have on our lives<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Chapmanville, WV. Greg Powers is determined to find K9 Officer &#8220;Chase&#8221; no matter the outcome. His relentless pursuit, akin to that of a detective, continues until the missing dog is located, dead or alive. This mission has consumed him from the start, and he remains unwavering in his dedication.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":294,"featured_media":2044990,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2044989","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2044989","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/294"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2044989"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2044989\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2044990"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2044989"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2044989"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2044989"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}