Arizona man is sentenced to 25 years in prison after killing on-duty K9 officer Bane
K9 Bane died a hero. Like many police K9s, Bane performed his duty selflessly every day, living with the cold reality that any call could be his last. That is how Bane’s day began on April 17, 2018, as he and his handler responded to a call of a suspect barricaded himself in a home.
A call ends in tragedy
After a long car chase had ended in a crash on that fateful day, one of the suspects had barricaded himself in a nearby home. Officers with the Phoenix Police Department in Arizona had sent in K9 Bane in an attempt to take the suspect, Jairo Adair Contreras Quintero, into custody. During the incident, K9 Bane could be heard breathing irregularly and would not exit the home when called by his handler.
K9 Bane is killed during a confrontation with the suspect
As officers entered the home, they found Quintero with bite injuries, leaning against a cabinet door. The officers found K9 Bane inside the cabinet, suffering from serious injuries. He was rushed to a vet where he died from. It was later reported that the cause of Bane’s death had been from asphyxiation.
Some small bit of justice is served
Finally, some measure of justice has been given out in the Bane’s killing. After almost two years, Quintero has been sentenced to 25 years and nine months in prison. The other suspect in the car chase, Laura Dagnino, made a plea deal with prosecutors and only received a three-and-a-half-year sentence.
A memorial ceremony is held
At the memorial service held for Bane where fellow police officers spoke highly of the K9 officer. Also, a tree was donated by a local nursery to be planted in his honor.
“There are those who were born to do this job,” a police officer said during the ceremony, as reported KTAR. “A good nose, a strong drive and bite, yet sociable as the modern police K-9 has become. Bane excelled in all these areas.”
Police Chief Jeri Williams also spoke at the ceremony and talked about the need for members of the community to stop their violent acts against police officers, including the many K9 units that serve with the department.
“We sent Bane in to do what the dogs do. They are our protectors, our partners…it’s definitely with heart that we lost Bane,” Willaims said. “Long story short, I need violence to stop from the community because this can’t continue to happen. The men and women out here in blue are only trying to do their jobs. They want to do it safely.”
Remembering K9 Bane
Bane, who had been with the department for two years, was just one of the 28 police K9s killed across the U.S. in 2018. He will be remembered for his dedication to his duty and the community in which he served. Here is a video of community members and police officers honoring K9 Bane.
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