End of Watch: Johnstown PD’s K9 Officer ‘Titan’ dies in the line of duty
On November 22, Western Pennsylvania’s Johnstown Police Department reported the terrible news that K9-Officer “Titan” died in the performance of his duties while searching a warehouse for burglary suspects. According to Chad A. Miller, Interim Chief of Police, K9 Officer Titan died honorably in the line of duty while searching for individuals evading police during a burglary in progress at 249 Maple Avenue in the Woodvale section of the City of Johnstown.
K9 Officer Titan was the partner of Officer Brian Stevens and served honorably with the Johnstown Police Department since 2014.
K9’s partner, Johnstown Police Officer Brian Stevens, told WJAC / CBS News that, “He lives with me. He stays with me 24 hours a day.”
At 4:19 a.m. on Sunday morning, officers were dispatched to a burglary in progress at 249 Maple Avenue., which used to be home to the old ACME / Goodwill warehouse. When officers arrived, they conducted a search of the building and apprehended two suspects hiding in the building.
Officers on the scene quickly discovered that there were five suspects in total hiding out in the old warehouse and called for Officer Stevens and K9 Titan to assist with the search. While conducting a search for the remaining suspects, K9 Titan fell through an unsecured, open elevator shaft from the fourth floor.
After conducting rescue efforts for K9 Titan, an extensive secondary search of the building was conducted by officers, and the remaining suspects were located and apprehended. Police mounted a rescue effort for the K9 Officer, but to no avail.
… Titan was dead. Titan’s work was not in vain. ~ WJAC
The suspects apprehended, thanks in large part to Titan’s efforts, were identified as:
- Kayla McCarty, 22, white female, from McVeytown, Pennsylvania,
- Derrick McCarty, 27, white male, from McVeytown, Pennsylvania,
- Corey McCarty, 24 white male, from McVeytown Pennsylvania,
- Robert McCarty, 52 white male, , from McVeytown, Pennsylvania,
- Sean Robertson, 25 white male, from Newton Hamilton, Pennsylvania,
Miller said that the department’s investigation remains ongoing, and charges are pending against the five suspects.
According to the Officer Down Memorial Page, K9 Titan had served with the Johnstown Police Department for six years. He was a seven-year-old Belgian Malinois.
K9 Titan died after falling down an elevator shaft while clearing a building at 249 Maple Avenue at about 4:30 a.m. Officers responding to a burglary located two suspects hiding in the warehouse and learned three more suspects were inside. As K9 Titan conducted a search of the building’s fourth floor he fell down an open, unsecured elevator shaft. K9 Titan suffered fatal injuries in the fall.
Also yesterday, the Johnstown Police K9 Unit invited the community to take part in K9 Titan’s official police escort Public Safety Building to the Hindman Funeral Home on Frankstown Road today, Sunday, November 23, beginning at 11 a.m.
Any member of the community that would like to pay their respects can line the streets. Out of respect for the Stevens’ family we ask that you do not come into the Public Safety Building parking lot or the Hindman funeral home parking lot.
The route which we will be traveling is as follows:
Washington Street
To Johns St
Onto Main ST
To Fankstown RD
Ace News Today joins the community in sharing our most sincere condolences in the untimely passing of K9 Titan.
(Source: Johnstown Police Department)
~ Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today / Connect with Richard on Facebook and Twitter
