K9 for DEC helped locate men who fled after car crash in Clarendon

Press Release, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

Provided photo: Environmental Conservation Officer Fuerch is shown with K9 Handley.

CLARENDON – On Dec. 1, ECO Fuerch received a complaint from a coyote hunter who had encountered a male subject carrying a shotgun and a backpack while trespassing on the property.

The subject dropped the backpack and ran into the woods when the complainant confronted him, and the complainant retrieved the backpack, which contained deer antlers and deer calls. The complainant advised ECO Fuerch that he parks at the Stafford Highway Department and did not observe other vehicles in the area. While checking nearby storage units for possible vehicles, Officer Fuerch observed a vehicle parked partially in the roadway with its lights off.

Suspecting the vehicle was there to pick up the subject who ran into the woods earlier, the ECO approached and turned on her emergency lights. The vehicle drove off, and Officer Fuerch radioed a Genesee County Sheriff’s Deputy.

The Deputy successfully deployed spike strips on Route 237 near Route 33 toward Orleans County, causing operator to lose control of the vehicle after the tires on the runaway vehicle began to break apart.

The vehicle came to a stop and two occupants fled on foot into the woods. A third occupant in the backseat was immediately taken into custody by the Sheriff’s Deputy. ECO Fuerch deployed K9 Hadley to track and locate the men who fled.

The first subject as found, surrendered, and was taken into custody. The second subject was located in the garage of a nearby residence where he was taken into custody. The vehicle had switched plates and was reported stolen out of the city of Rochester.

The vehicle occupants had several outstanding warrants and illegal drugs were found inside the stolen vehicle. The men are facing a host of charges, including criminal possession of stolen property and unlawfully fleeing police. This case is especially noteworthy as K9 Handley recently underwent lifesaving emergency surgery just two months ago.

For more on this incident, click here.