Andrea Rosebrock 
Are our law enforcement officials to be held above the laws they are sworn to uphold and enforce? Some of them obviously thing so!
A hearing began proceedings Monday in a lawsuit that Jones filed against the state in December, alleging that procedures were violated when he was fired.
In September on 2007, Sgt Charles Jones was fired from his position after he was videotaped on August 8, 2006, hanging and kicking his K-9 partner, a 9 year old Belgian Malinois, because he would drop a toy. This was after he had ‘helicoptored’ the dog, a technique in which a dog is swung off the ground by his leash.
The officer who videotaped Jones with his cellphone, Trooper Ray Herndon, was torn and upset over the episode and did what he thought was best.
“I was torn; I didn’t know what to do. Should I go stop him?” Herndon, a 21-year-veteran of the force, testified Monday. “So I did what I thought was right at the time.”
One video shows Jones tying the dog’s leash to a high railing so that only his hind legs touched the ground. He then kicked the dog’s leg four times.
“Then he’d pull him back up a good distance off the ground, using the lead in an attempt to get the dog to lech the toy or let the toy go,” Herndon said. He added that he did not think Jones was intentionally trying to harm or abuse Ricoh.
The second video clip shows Jones apparently leaving the dog alone, hanging upright from its leash and collar. (Digitrad.com)
You can watch one of the video clips below – WARNING – it may disturb some viewers
Jones claims the episode on Aug. 8 was not mistreatment. He contends that he was fired summarily without due process and has appealed to get his job back.
Jones also contends that there were no clear training procedures within the patrol for police canines. He also said that Easley, Beatty and patrol officials were over-reacting to other pressures at the time, such as the dog abuse case that sent Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick to prison, and other cases of trooper misconduct within the patrol. (News Observer)
Jones originally faced a three-day suspension, based on the first video. But patrol Captain Ken Castelloe, who was Internal Affairs director at the time, said he recommended firing Jones after reviewing the second video. He said it showed that Jones’ actions were more egregious because he left the dog hanging after it had released the toy.
Bryan Beatty, secretary of the state Department of Crime Control and Public Safety, testified that Jones was fired only after a careful review.
“I concluded that that was not a technique that anyone had seen,” Beatty said. “It was not a technique that was acceptable within Highway Patrol policy.”
Jones had claimed that he was using training techniques that he had been taught by the Highway Patrol.
I don’t see how anyone looking at the video clip can say this was not violent and abusive. This man does not deserve to be a trooper. He does not deserve to get his job back and if it were up to me I would also see him criminally charged with animal abuse!!
*** THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH “TRAINING” and 100% TO DO WITH ANIMAL ABUSE! ***
WRITE or CALL NOW! Go to the courthouse and politely protest. The hearing began yesterday, 4/28 and continues today, 4/29
Administrative Law Judge Fred Morrison, NC Office of Administrative Hearings
(919) 733-2691
Governor Mike Easley — In favor of the firing
http://www.governor.state.nc.us/email.asp?to=1 or governor.office@ncmail.net
(919) 733-4240 or (919) 733-5811
Crime Control and Public Safety Secretary Bryan Beatty — In favor of the firing
(919) 733-2126 or http://www.nccrimecontrol.org/ContactUs.cfm and choose Office of the Secretary in the dropdown
Captain Ken Castelloe, NC State Highway Patrol – Supported firing (not after seeing the first video, which is absurd, but after watching the second video), but makes way too many excuses for the perp officer
(919) 733-7952
Public Information Officer Lt. Everett Clendenin
(919) 733-5027
Reporter — Thank him and ask him to keep this story in the news
dan.kane@newsobserver.com or (919) 829-4861
You can read numerous news accounts of the story for additional details and information:
- Video of Alleged Animal Abuse By NC Trooper Played In Court
- Video played of trooper kicking dog
- N.C. trooper fired over video of dog-training method
And yes, the dog, Ricoh, is fine and is now retired from the force.
Please, don’t let our law enforcement officials get away with violence and abuse, they are NOT above the law!!
What argument does this jerk have??No training procedures within the patrol??Well, there are training procedures that are against the friggin law!!And it SEEMS like kicking an animal that is tied up to a damn rope would be one of them!!
And another thing, over-reacting because of the cruelty of the Vick case??Come on!!Not OVER-reacting…Just reacting to damn animal abuse SOB!!Over reacting..Well Thank God so many people are OVER-reacting these days to cruelty!!
With law enforcement like that, who needs criminals. I just wanna go home and hug my animals.
And we wonder why kids are so mixed up these days, look at some who are supposedly ensuring justice and honor…I know there are honorable men and woman who serve and protect but it seems like these atrocious cases are popping up all over at a morbid rate.
People like this shouldn’t be around animals, let alone in charge of one. If he wants to get rid of his frustation, use a boxing bag. Not anything living.
WE GOT ENOUGH ANIMAL ABUSERS OUT THERE, WITHOUT THE COPS ABUSING THEM TOO. DO YOU THINK THIS HEARTLESS SOB IS GONNA PROTECT AN ANIMAL, IF HE WAS GIVEN HIS JOB BACK.NOOOOO!! PART OF THE COPS JOB IS TO PROTECT THE ANIMALS BY LAW. THIS COP BETTER NOT GET HIS JOB BACK!!! WE DO NOT NEED NOR WANT PEOPLE LIKE THAT ON THE FORCE. NEXT TIME IT COULD BE A CHILD OR SENIOR CITIZEN THAT HE ABUSES.KEEP HIM OFF THE FORCE!!!
what makes this monster any better than the criminals he arrests? not a thing. he is as bad if not worse, he has sworn to serve and PROTECT, what a joke, he should be locked up. what has he done other than this? how many others has he abused and gotten away with? this is not who we need to serve our country!
this is not how u train them..i dont give a crap what that piece of sh** says..my ex is k9, my best friend is k9..and they heard about this and said it was BS that the dog should have bit him! they said there is nothing even remotly close to training the dogs this way!!this coward does not even belong on the police department period!! he makes me sick!!!!!!!!
wish someone would answer me tho…i still have not heard is this dog alive or dead????????
thanks!!!!!!!
@karen – The dog is fine and was retired after this incident.
I have made it a personal mission to urge the NC Attorney General to take immediate action and arrest Charles Jones on animal abuse charges. NC G.S. 14-163.1 considers the assault of a law enforcement animal to be a Class I Felony as does NC G.S. 14-360 which prohibits the abuse of any type of animal. I think it is appalling that he has not been charged already. It is another example of law enforcement being “above the law.” If he would do this to his partner while someone made a video, then what would he do to a private citizen who didn’t do exactly what he wanted. Please join in this fight and asked all your friends, family, neighbors, etc. to contact the NC Attorney General’s office and demand Mr. Jone’s immediate arrest.