TORONTO – A North Carolina police officer has been reassigned following the death of his canine partner, who was left in a hot patrol car overnight.
According to CBS News, Kevin Williams was nearing the end of his shift last month when he received a call about his sick child.
The Duplin County Sheriff’s Office said the “terrible accident” was a result of the deputy being distracted and forgetting to take the Belgian Shepherd out of his cruiser.
Kela was found dead the next day.
Prosecutors reportedly did not charge the officer.
“While it was a mistake, I’m sure he did not intend to do that, it is a tragic loss,” county manager Mike Aldridge told ABC News. “You know, financial loss for the county, as well as it creates a bad situation here that we’ve got to deal with.”
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Some local residents are shocked Williams wasn’t charged.
“I just think it’s crazy, because they get on everyone else for leaving their animals in the car and dying, and they want to throw them in jail, but they can’t do nothing about their own officer that kills one of their K9s,” resident Michael Foss said.
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