Dog trainer countersues former interim Wadesboro police chief over K-9's death
A dog trainer has filed a countersuit against the former interim Wadesboro police chief over a K-9 killed by a fellow officer.
ALSO READ: No charges in K-9 Blitz's death amid resignations and lawsuit
Jason Eschert sued the K-9's former owner, Joshua Harrington, back in April for defamation over the department's handling of the death of K-9 Blitz.
Blitz was shot and killed after biting an officer during a chase on April 2.
Harrington is accusing the former interim chief of negligence and fraud.
VIDEO: Suspect recalls what led up to fatal shooting of K-9 Blitz
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Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Trainer for slain Wadesboro Police K-9 Blitz countersues former police chief after being accused of defamation
WASDESBORO, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — The dog trainer for the Wadesboro Police K-9 killed in April is making counter-claims toward the department after being accused of making defamatory statements towards the interim chief. Joshua Harrington is the Rowan County-based trainer who provided K-9 Blitz in early 2025 to the Wadesboro Police Department at no cost. In court documents, he says Blitz was trained for narcotics and suspect tracking, but was not certified in the apprehension or biting of suspects and should never be deployed in those circumstances, claiming serious injuries would occur. Harrington's June 11 lawsuit claims that, despite knowing what that led to Blitz's killing, then-Interim Police Chief Jason Eschert and Town of Wadesboro Police Department 'took no efforts to take accountability for their mismanagement of the situation and/or negligence that led to K-9 Blitz's death.' Counterclaim_1749751082Download On April, Blitz was allegedly fatally shot by a Wadesboro officer after a police chase into Montgomery County. Harrigton's suit describes statements made by trainer Kayla Wright and another officer on scene that Blitz had secured the suspect by the leg. After being recalled by Wright, the suspect was holding Blitz around the nose, which led to Wright securing the dog, which eventually released the suspect in favor of a toy. During this, Blitz then bit his handler's hand while trying to get the toy. Documents say Wright asked for assistance to remove Blitz and for a sergeant to apply a 'choke-off' technique where the dog eventually released Wright. Wright told her fellow officers that Blitz was not a threat to any of them nor that it was being aggressive. But as Blitz returned to Wright in what is described as a non-aggressive manner, multiple shots were fired, striking Blitz. Harrington says Wright's requests for assistance were ignored, and Blitz died from its injuries. The police department has held that that Blitz was killed by its handler. The suit says that the next day, Harrington met with Eschert to be debriefed on the incident. Eschert allegedly told the trainer that Blitz was turned on Wright and was behaving aggressively. The police chief told Harrington 'that due to the extreme aggressiveness of Blitz, the officers on scene had no choice but to kill Blitz.' Court documents say Officer Cody Teague corroborated Wright's account of what occurred at the scene. The countersuit accuses Eschert of making several false statements about Harrington and Blitz. This includes that Blitz had a history of being aggressive and had been refused by the Virginia State Police because of this; Harrington had improperly trained Blitz; and Blitz could actually be used to apprehend suspects, and Harrington held paperwork that certified this. Harrington also says Eschert, the town of Wadesboro and the police department worked to censor him. The suit claims Eschert made multiple fake social media accounts and 'reported' Harrington's own posts related to the incident for allegedly violating their respective community standards practices. 25CV000248-030-1Download Eschert's suit on April 10 that requests $425,000 in damages, claims Harrington initiated a 'smear campaign' against him, the entire department and other law enforcement officers. Beginning on April 2, Eschert says Harrington made defamatory statements on his Facebook page that accused Blitz of 'being shot and killed by his own allies,' 'the rogue agency lied to me,' Eschert lied to him about what happened and that 'it was untrue that Blitz was Tased.' Eschert's suit says Harrington later targeted the chief's past, making accusations about his tenure at the Oakboro Police Department. Eschert, who had been named interim police chief just two months before the K-9 death, retired May 9 amid controversary surrounding the investigation. He notified town officials that people were allegedly making violent threats against him. Harrington's counter points to the New York Times v. Sullivan Supreme Court case that sets a precedent for defamation. The case says that a public official may not recoup damages if the statements were made without 'actual malice.' The document states that in addition being protected by the truth: 'No statement made and published (Harrington) was made with knowledge that it was false, or with reckless disregard of whether it was false or not. To the contrary, all statements made and published by (Harrington) were his opinion, the absolute truth, privileged, fair reporting and commentary, and lacked actual malice.' No charges were brought related to Blitz's death, and the two officers involved have since resigned. In addition to the counterclaims, Harrington also requested a change of venue for the case, to Stanley County. It claims if proceedings took place in Anson County that it would prevent a 'fair and just determination of the matter.' The new suit says Harrington and his company Train Play Live has trained thousands of dogs over his career and has nationally recognized relationships with law enforcement partners across the United States. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Lakeland Police Department to host controversial training program banned by 9 states
The Lakeland Police Department plans to host a controversial training program that has been accused of teaching "inappropriate tactics," so much so that nine states have banned law enforcement from taking the company's courses. Lakeland is scheduled to host Street Cop Training at its training center northeast of Lake Parker in August. The program is entitled "Pro-Active Patrol Tactics" and would be taught by the company's founder and CEO Dennis Benigno. The course is marketed as "The foundational course Street Cop Training was built on," according to the company's website. Street Cop Training, formerly of New Jersey and now based in Crestview, Florida, was investigated by the New Jersey Office of the State Comptroller with a 43-page report published in December 2023. The State Attorney's Office concluded "the training taught unconstitutional policing tactics, glorified violence, denigrated women and minorities, and likely violated a myriad of state laws and policies." Former Edgewater Police Officer Daniel Rippeon is one of hundreds of Florida law enforcement who have taken the Street Cop Training since it relocated to Florida in January 2024. The company held its annual training conference in Kissimmee that same year. Rippeon resigned in June after being accused of using aggressive tactics to arrest a 22-year-old CVS worker who was sitting outside the store awaiting a ride after his shift, according to a report from the Daytona Beach News-Journal, which is part of the USA TODAY Network-Florida along with The Ledger. Body camera footage showed Rippeon threatening to tase Wert and deploy his K-9 on him when he did not produce an ID. Wert was charged with resisting arrest without violence, which was later dropped. The Ledger has attempted to speak with the Lakeland Police Department about the decision to host Street Cop Training and received an emailed statement from Chief Sam Taylor. "We evaluate training opportunities through the lens of our community, our department standards as well as our commitment to constitutional policing. Officers attending any training program are expected to uphold the highest standards of professionalism and accountability," Taylor wrote. The chief is expected to give a presentation on "Hiring, Training and Retaining Lakeland Police Officers" to city commissioners at their commission meeting 9 a.m. June 16 at City Hall, 228 S. Massachusetts Ave. Street Copy Training was founded by Dennis Benigno, a former law enforcement officer who worked with a municipal police department in Middlesex County, New Jersey, until 2015, according to the News-Journal. Benigno founded the company in 2012 in an effort to deliver high-quality training he felt necessary to provide law enforcement with knowledge and skills to be effective in the field, according to his website. The Ledger has reached out to Street Cop Training's media team in effort to speak with them about the upcoming Lakeland event with no response, including how the company's training and curriculum may have evolved or changed over time. Benigno told the News-Journal in a phone interview the New Jersey investigation into his company was politically motivated. "We teach constitutionality, respect and restraint," he said in the phone interview. "All the negative things in the New Jersey report were politically driven. Out of 1,000 people, they took one negative comment and made a big deal of it." Benigno also issued a statement in response to the report on his company's Youtube Channel. Video excerpts from the 2021 Street Cop Training conference investigated by the New Jersey State Attorney's office are posted online by NJOIT Open Data Center. At least eight other states have followed New Jersey's lead ― California, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada and Oregon — prohibiting their law enforcement agencies from attending the company's training. Lakeland officers have faced public criticism and scrutiny for aggressive tactics, from the use of excessive force to questionable decisions in the field leading to injury or death in the past three years. In January 2023, BLM Restoration Polk asked FDLE to launch an investigation into the Lakeland Police Department and four officers accused of using excessive force in arresting a Black man after a traffic stop. In January 2025, four officers resigned from the department after the State Attorney Brian Haas discovered evidence that "appeared to show officers intentionally turning off recording devices, both in-car and body-worn cameras." Of these, three were involved in the excessive force complaint. The department faces a "wrongful and untimely" death lawsuit for a February 2023 incident when former LPD officer Eric Harper pursued the late Alex Greene in a high-speed chase before ultimately shooting him. Harper resigned prior to the lawsuit. This August will be the first time Lakeland has hosted the company's training, according to Kerr, but no one from the department has been made available to discuss the decision. Six Lakeland officers were among 1,000 other officers in attendance at the 2024 conference in Kissimmee, according to Officer Stephanie Kerr, a police department spokesperson. The annual conference cost $699 per attendee, or about $4,200 in total, which Kerr said was recouped from the police department's investigative costs as is standard procedure. Other Polk County law enforcement agencies, including the Polk County Sheriff's Office, Bartow Police Department and Winter Haven Police Department, say none of their members have attended any Street Cop Training program. These agencies say none of their members are enrolled for the upcoming August event. No Lakeland officers are currently enrolled to attend the August training, according to Kerr. However, the police department does receive an incentive to allow Street Cop Training to use its facilities. Hosting agencies receive one free registration for every 10 individuals who register for the course, up to a maximum of 10, according to its website.. The course costs $299 per student. Taylor said some of the topics he expects to be covered in the August training include, 'How To Implement Kindness and Compassion For A Successful Career" and "A Comprehensive Understanding of Case Law Application and Legal Steps Police Officers Must Follow." The chief said he believes this training will equip Lakeland officers with critical tools for decision making, de-escalation and officer safety skills. "My responsibility is to prepare our officers to respond effectively, ethically, and decisively in high-stakes situations," Taylor wrote. "If new information from our attendees indicates that this training no longer aligns with best practices or the expectations of our community we will reassess our participation accordingly," he said. This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Lakeland will host a police training program banned in 9 states
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
Woman arrested after trying to break into BTS member Jung Kook's Seoul home
A Chinese woman was arrested for allegedly trying to break into BTS member Jung Kook's home in Seoul on Wednesday (11 June). The unnamed woman is in her thirties and is accused of trying to enter the K-pop star's home in Seoul's Yongsan district by repeatedly entering different combinations into his keypad door lock around 11.20pm local time, the police said. The police detained her at the scene after reports of her attempted trespassing attempts, reported Yonhap. She told the police that she had come to South Korea to see Jung Kook, real name Jeon Jung Kook, who was discharged from the military the same day after completing South Korea's 18-month mandatory military service. He was discharged alongside his bandmate Jimin, real name Park Ji Min, at a ceremony near their former unit in Yeoncheon. BTS, made up of members RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook, announced in 2022 they would be taking a break from group activities to focus on solo music, while each member completed their military service. Jin, the oldest member of the band and the first of them to enlist, was discharged in June 2024, followed by J-Hope in October. RM and V were discharged on Tuesday, leaving Suga as the only bandmate left to finish his military service. He is currently posted in a nonactive duty role due to a shoulder injury and is expected to complete his service on 21 June. While the group and their management label, BigHit Music, have repeatedly discouraged fans from attending the musicians' discharge ceremonies, hundreds of fans travelled to South Korea to attend Tuesday and Wednesday's ceremonies. Additionally, the discharge of the BTS members coincides with Festa, the annual celebration of the group's debut anniversary, which has also seen a huge influx of fans heading to the country this year. Earlier this year, South Korean police summoned a Japanese woman in her fifties who was accused of sexual harassment for kissing BTS member Jin at a meet-and-greet event held a day after his discharge. The incident took place in Seoul on 13 June last year when Jin held an event, where he hugged 1,000 fans who had won a raffle, to celebrate both his discharge and the group's anniversary. The woman reportedly kissed Jin on the cheek when he leaned in to hug her. The musician looked visibly startled and turned his face away. 'My lips touched his neck. His skin was so soft,' the woman later wrote in a blog post, according to Yonhap.
