‘I watched him shoot my dog in the face.’ Suspect in police-K9 shooting sentenced.
A Durham man pleaded guilty Tuesday to shooting a police dog that was tracking him in brush near Maplewood Cemetery in March.
Trey Deshawn Christie, 21, pleaded guilty to four charges: assault on a law enforcement animal; resisting, delaying and obstructing a public officer; breaking and entering; and larceny after breaking and entering.
He was sentenced to 18 months of supervised probation under a plea deal in Durham County Superior Court. Christie, however, was not released from jail after the hearing because he also faces federal gun and drug charges.
If he is sentenced in federal court, his Durham County sentence of up to 17 months in prison, which was suspended for probation, could be activated, said Assistant District Attorney Kendra Montgomery-Blinn in court.
Cpl. Roger Lafferty, who works with the dog that was shot, a Belgian Malinois named Daro, said he had wanted Christie to receive a harsher sentence.
“I hoped for the maximum, but I think it is sufficient,” he said.
Now every time Lafferty and Daro go on assignment, Lafferty worries about whether the dog will get hurt again.
“It’s always in the back of my mind,” he said.
High-end bikes stolen
On March 29 police were notified that high-end bicycles had been stolen from a storage room in an apartment complex on Willard Street, Montgomery-Blinn said. Police had previously said a bike worth $2,000 had been stolen.
Officers identified Christie and a juvenile from surveillance video, Montgomery-Blinn said.
The next day officers saw Christie sitting on a stoop near Maplewood Cemetery at the intersection of Anderson Street and Morehead Avenue.
When officers approached Christie, he dropped his backpack and fled. Marijuana was later found in his backpack, which led to the federal drug charge. Officers also saw a gun in Christie’s waist ban and gave chase, the prosecutor said.
Christie ran through Maplewood Cemetery and into woods while being chased by police officers and police dogs on leashes.
Officers eventually released the dogs when the elements slowed them down from reaching Christie, the prosecutor said.
Lafferty said they yelled at Christie to stop, but he continued and then shot Daro.
“I literally watched him shoot my dog in the face,” he said. “Then we rushed K-9 Daro to the hospital.”
Daro, a 6-year-old, 80-pound dog who lives with the officer, has worked for the Durham Police Department and with Lafferty for five years. Lafferty described him as “silly” and “a ball of energy.” He has helped get drugs and guns off the street, he said.
“I couldn’t ask for a better dog, honestly,” he said.
Four of Daro’s teeth were shattered and his lip and tongue were lacerated, Lafferty said. He had to have additional surgeries to remove some of the shattered teeth, he said.
Christie sent a letter to Montgomery-Blinn stating he was sorry and didn’t mean to shoot Daro but was trying to scare him away by shooting at the ground.
“He jerked forward, and I ended up hitting his mouth,” the handwritten letter from Christie stated. “This experience changed my life and really hurt me. I never wanted things to go this far.”
Daro returned to work July 6, Lafferty said.
This story was originally published August 31, 2021 at 11:00 AM.
