Lee K9 officer died of gunshot wound
By WES BUNCH
Published July 31st, 2012 3:21 am
JONESVILLE -- Lee County authorities said autopsy results show a K9 officer whose remains were found off a state highway earlier this month died as the result of a gunshot wound.
A memorial service for the black German shepherd, who was known as Chase, will be held Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. in the Lee High School auditorium.
The autopsy was carried out last week by the Virginia Tech College of Veterinary Medicine. Because the investigation is still ongoing, Lee County Sheriff Gary Parsons declined to release the type of weapon used or the location of the dog's injuries.
Parsons said a reward fund totaling $7,000 has been established to help encourage those with information on Chase's death to come forward.
The reward -- which consists of donations of $1,000 from the Lee County Board of Supervisors, $2,500 from Farm Bureau Insurance of Lee County, $2,000 from Bill Gatton Cadillac-Chevrolet, $1,000 from Farmers and Miners Bank, and $500 from Powell Valley National Bank -- will be given for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the canine officer's death.
K9 Officer Chase's remains were located in the Stone Creek community the night of July 23 in a culvert off State Route 606, approximately two miles from where he was last seen.
The dog went missing around noon July 16 when his handler, Deputy Roger Gates, stopped at Leeman Field on the outskirts of Pennington Gap to use the restroom.
After returning to his cruiser, Parsons said Gates noticed the K9 officer had apparently been taken from the back seat.
Officers unsuccessfully searched the immediate area for Chase before receiving a tip several days later that a dead dog matching the K9's description had been located near a trash bin three miles from the site where he went missing.
The dog's remains had been removed by the time officers arrived to verify the claim, Parsons said.
The dog was finally located several days later in a nearby culvert.
Anyone with information surrounding the K9's disappearance or death can contact the Lee County Sheriff's Office at (276) 346-7777 or Lee County Dispatch at (276) 346-1131.
By WES BUNCH
Published July 31st, 2012 3:21 am
JONESVILLE -- Lee County authorities said autopsy results show a K9 officer whose remains were found off a state highway earlier this month died as the result of a gunshot wound.
A memorial service for the black German shepherd, who was known as Chase, will be held Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. in the Lee High School auditorium.
The autopsy was carried out last week by the Virginia Tech College of Veterinary Medicine. Because the investigation is still ongoing, Lee County Sheriff Gary Parsons declined to release the type of weapon used or the location of the dog's injuries.
Parsons said a reward fund totaling $7,000 has been established to help encourage those with information on Chase's death to come forward.
The reward -- which consists of donations of $1,000 from the Lee County Board of Supervisors, $2,500 from Farm Bureau Insurance of Lee County, $2,000 from Bill Gatton Cadillac-Chevrolet, $1,000 from Farmers and Miners Bank, and $500 from Powell Valley National Bank -- will be given for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the canine officer's death.
K9 Officer Chase's remains were located in the Stone Creek community the night of July 23 in a culvert off State Route 606, approximately two miles from where he was last seen.
The dog went missing around noon July 16 when his handler, Deputy Roger Gates, stopped at Leeman Field on the outskirts of Pennington Gap to use the restroom.
After returning to his cruiser, Parsons said Gates noticed the K9 officer had apparently been taken from the back seat.
Officers unsuccessfully searched the immediate area for Chase before receiving a tip several days later that a dead dog matching the K9's description had been located near a trash bin three miles from the site where he went missing.
The dog's remains had been removed by the time officers arrived to verify the claim, Parsons said.
The dog was finally located several days later in a nearby culvert.
Anyone with information surrounding the K9's disappearance or death can contact the Lee County Sheriff's Office at (276) 346-7777 or Lee County Dispatch at (276) 346-1131.
Lee K9 officer died of gunshot wound
By WES BUNCH
Published July 31st, 2012 3:21 am
JONESVILLE -- Lee County authorities said autopsy results show a K9 officer whose remains were found off a state highway earlier this month died as the result of a gunshot wound.
A memorial service for the black German shepherd, who was known as Chase, will be held Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. in the Lee High School auditorium.
The autopsy was carried out last week by the Virginia Tech College of Veterinary Medicine. Because the investigation is still ongoing, Lee County Sheriff Gary Parsons declined to release the type of weapon used or the location of the dog's injuries.
Parsons said a reward fund totaling $7,000 has been established to help encourage those with information on Chase's death to come forward.
The reward -- which consists of donations of $1,000 from the Lee County Board of Supervisors, $2,500 from Farm Bureau Insurance of Lee County, $2,000 from Bill Gatton Cadillac-Chevrolet, $1,000 from Farmers and Miners Bank, and $500 from Powell Valley National Bank -- will be given for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the canine officer's death.
K9 Officer Chase's remains were located in the Stone Creek community the night of July 23 in a culvert off State Route 606, approximately two miles from where he was last seen.
The dog went missing around noon July 16 when his handler, Deputy Roger Gates, stopped at Leeman Field on the outskirts of Pennington Gap to use the restroom.
After returning to his cruiser, Parsons said Gates noticed the K9 officer had apparently been taken from the back seat.
Officers unsuccessfully searched the immediate area for Chase before receiving a tip several days later that a dead dog matching the K9's description had been located near a trash bin three miles from the site where he went missing.
The dog's remains had been removed by the time officers arrived to verify the claim, Parsons said.
The dog was finally located several days later in a nearby culvert.
Anyone with information surrounding the K9's disappearance or death can contact the Lee County Sheriff's Office at (276) 346-7777 or Lee County Dispatch at (276) 346-1131.
By WES BUNCH
Published July 31st, 2012 3:21 am
JONESVILLE -- Lee County authorities said autopsy results show a K9 officer whose remains were found off a state highway earlier this month died as the result of a gunshot wound.
A memorial service for the black German shepherd, who was known as Chase, will be held Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. in the Lee High School auditorium.
The autopsy was carried out last week by the Virginia Tech College of Veterinary Medicine. Because the investigation is still ongoing, Lee County Sheriff Gary Parsons declined to release the type of weapon used or the location of the dog's injuries.
Parsons said a reward fund totaling $7,000 has been established to help encourage those with information on Chase's death to come forward.
The reward -- which consists of donations of $1,000 from the Lee County Board of Supervisors, $2,500 from Farm Bureau Insurance of Lee County, $2,000 from Bill Gatton Cadillac-Chevrolet, $1,000 from Farmers and Miners Bank, and $500 from Powell Valley National Bank -- will be given for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the canine officer's death.
K9 Officer Chase's remains were located in the Stone Creek community the night of July 23 in a culvert off State Route 606, approximately two miles from where he was last seen.
The dog went missing around noon July 16 when his handler, Deputy Roger Gates, stopped at Leeman Field on the outskirts of Pennington Gap to use the restroom.
After returning to his cruiser, Parsons said Gates noticed the K9 officer had apparently been taken from the back seat.
Officers unsuccessfully searched the immediate area for Chase before receiving a tip several days later that a dead dog matching the K9's description had been located near a trash bin three miles from the site where he went missing.
The dog's remains had been removed by the time officers arrived to verify the claim, Parsons said.
The dog was finally located several days later in a nearby culvert.
Anyone with information surrounding the K9's disappearance or death can contact the Lee County Sheriff's Office at (276) 346-7777 or Lee County Dispatch at (276) 346-1131.
