The Kansas House is considering legislation to raise the jail sentence and financial penalty of injuring or killing a police dog or horse. In the image, KBI canine handlers demonstrate skills of dogs trained to identify fentanyl. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)
TOPEKA — A Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Department deputy ordered Bane into a drainage pipe to subdue a robbery and domestic violence suspect cornered after a foot chase by Wichita law enforcement officers.
The struggle between K-9 and suspect in that enclosed space nearly two months ago ended in a fatality. Bane was killed in the line of duty. Deputy Tyler Brooks lost a partner.
“Bane fearlessly charged into the tunnel,” said Brooks, who worked with the dog since 2022. “The space that Bane was sent into would have been incredibly dangerous for deputies to search on their own.”
The outcome sparked interest among Kansas House members in the possibility of amplifying criminal and financial penalties for people who injure or kill a law enforcement dog or a police horse. Under House Bill 2583, given preliminary approval Tuesday by the House, the sentence for inflicting harm on law enforcement dogs or horses would be a felony punishable by a minimum of 90 days in jail and a fine of $10,000 depending on the circumstances.