Georgia deputy demoted after K-9 left in hot patrol car found dead
FORSYTH, Ga. – A Georgia deputy was demoted after the death of a K-9 companion, an incident the sheriff called “an avoidable accident.”
According to Monroe County Sheriff Brad Freeman, Deputy Willie Barkley was demoted from sergeant after the May 14 incident, WMAZ reported.
Freeman said Barkley was working overnight on May 13 and accidentally left Khan, a Belgian Malinois, in the pen of a hot patrol car, WGXA reported. Barkley had completed his shift early on May 14 and was filling out reports while the 4-year-old dog slept in the patrol car, the television station reported.
Barkley, who has been with the sheriff’s office since 2018, then went home to sleep and left Khan in the car, WMAZ reported. When he returned to his patrol car later in the day, Barkley found Khan dead, the television station reported.
The sheriff’s office turned the case over to the county’s internal affairs department which determined the incident was an accident.
“There were no health issues with the dog. (The) dog was healthy,” Freeman told WMAZ. “Although it wasn’t a hot day, the temperature was around 79 that day. A lot of people don’t realize it might be 79 outside, which is not hot for us, but in the car, it can go up 20 degrees. It could be 90+ degrees in that car. Therefore, no one can handle that — human or animal.”
Barkley was demoted from sergeant to deputy, removed from field operations, and was suspended without pay for five days, according to a news release from the sheriff’s office.
