In brief: Coeur d’Alene police dog Justice dies
The Coeur d’Alene Police Department said goodbye to police dog Justice after 11 years on the force.
Justice died Monday after complications from surgery, according to a news release. Her handler, Officer Craig Buhl, was at her side when she died.
Justice, who was recently retired from the force, was the first K-9 in the department. She was taken from an animal shelter and donated to the Canine Training School at McNeil Correctional Facility in Steilacoom, Wash., where she trained to be a drug-sniffing dog.
Justice was added to the Coeur d’Alene police force in 2002, when she was a year old.
“With all those injuries (sustained at work), my poor little body wore out,” Buhl wrote in a statement intended to be Justice’s last words. “I fought as long as I could with my big heart pushing me on.”
Investigation turns to Childress’ tattoos
Spokane police are seeking the individual who tattooed star-shaped symbols on Ramona Childress, whose death is being investigated as homicide.
Childress, 27, disappeared more than a year ago. Her boyfriend, Jason Flett, is in custody on suspicion of stabbing her to death.
Police uncovered human remains believed to belong to Childress last Thursday on a rural property near Elk. The medical examiner has not verified the identification.
Detectives believe the tattoo was the work of an acquaintance rather than a professional tattoo artist.
Police ask that the individual who tattooed Childress contact Major Crimes Detective Mark Burbridge at (509) 625-4262.
Fake police officer tries to scam money
The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Department warns that a person identifying themselves as a police officer is trying to defraud citizens over the phone.
The caller tells victims they missed jury duty and must pay a fine to avoid an arrest warrant or that a warrant has already been issued, according to a news release. In other cases, the caller says their grandchild has been arrested far away and needs money for bail and travel expenses, according to the release.
Victims of the scam are asked to report it to local law enforcement.
Gun sales measure closer to ballot
SEATTLE – Supporters of preventing Washington state from adopting universal background checks for gun sales have collected 340,000 signatures, more than enough to qualify an initiative to the 2014 ballot.
Second Amendment Foundation founder Alan Gottlieb said the group plans to submit the signatures Thursday.
Initiative 591 would prevent Washington from adopting background-check laws stricter than the national standard, which requires the checks for sales by licensed dealers.