A few weeks ago while on patrol, my canine partner “Gunnar” and I received a SWAT call that two officers and been shot and the suspect was still at large. When we arrived at the scene, I immediately put the protective vest on Gunnar that you so graciously donated. Other SWAT officers arrived, and we began gathering intelligence. We set a perimeter and began searching houses on the street where the suspect was reported to be. This process took several hours, and Gunnar did not seem the least bit uncomfortable in his vest.
We finally located the house where the suspect was holed up, and when he refused to surrender, we sent Gunnar into the house. After he had cleared the living room and kitchen, we entered the house, and Gunnar continued the search. He located the suspect in the bathroom, squatting in the bathtub behind a glass door with a pistol in his hand. I immediately called Gunnar out, and we assumed a position outside the house near the front door. When the officers broke the glass shower door, the suspect opened fire, and I could see the rounds going through the wood siding near our location, and one round barely missed Gunnar. SWAT officers returned fire and wounded the suspect. We used Gunnar to extract the suspect from the bathroom and away from his weapon so he could receive medical attention.
During the entire incident, I was confident that Gunner's life was not in danger, thanks to his vest. Thank you for giving my partner the best protection he could have. You are a wonderful person, and I applaud your effort to outfit all police dogs. Thank you again, and God Bless you.
Sincerely,
Greg Smith ,Canine handler, Houston Police Department