Warren Police use K-9, taser, spiked strips to stop chase suspect
A picture of a Warren Police K-9 Heros playing with a tennis ball may conceal the fact that the dog performs serious police duties.
A case in point came on Sunday when Heros helped capture a suspect accused of leading police from several departments on a chase.
Responding to a call about a man possibly intoxicated and throwing food at McDonald’s restaurant employees on North Road, police pulled over a pickup truck at Somerset St. SE and Kenmore Avenue SE.
Police interviewed the driver Brandon Leech, who claimed that he had gotten out of his truck at the McDonald’s drive-thru after someone in line behind him starting honking his horn.
Leech told officers that the driver behind him turned out to be an off-duty officer, flashing his badge, and pointing his gun at him.
According to the report, Leech says he got back into his truck and drove away, only to end up behind the off-duty officer’s truck.
Another officer who arrived at the traffic stop claimed that Leech’s truck had fled from him earlier in the day.
One officer says he told Leech was under arrest, but only managed to place a handcuff on one of his wrists before he managed to drive away.
Police began to chase the truck along Youngstown Road, Central Parkway SE, East Market Street, Willard Ave. NE and other parts of the city.
One officer said he placed spiked stop strips near Atlantic St NE and Perkinswood SE, but the truck turned around, drove thru a yard and got away along Atlantic Street.
An officer reported seeing Leech reach around in the truck “as if he were to have a gun”.
The chase went into Howland joined by that township’s police along with those from Bazetta Township and State Troopers.
When the truck pulled into the Howland High School parking lot, the driver jumped out, leaving the truck to run into a tree.
During a foot chase through Richard E. Orwig Park, one officer reported seeing a gun in Leech’s hand.
An officer along with K-9 Heros spotted Leech, tackling him to the ground.
Police say when Leech tried to stand up Heros bit him under the arm.
An officer says he used his Taser on Leech after the suspect refused to show both hands, keeping one hand under his waistband.
An ambulance took Leech to St. Joseph Medical Center. After being checked out, Leech was booked into the county jail on charges of failure to comply with a police order, having weapons under a disability, carrying a concealed weapon, obstructing official business, resisting arrest, and reckless operation
Leech is scheduled to be arraigned on those charges Tuesday at 9:30 a.m.
