Hot Car Death Of Long Beach Police Dog Triggers DA Investigation

LONG BEACH, CA — The Long Beach Police Department has submitted an "initial criminal investigative file" to the district attorney's office for review after a drug detection K-9 died in his handler's car on a hot summer day.

Officials are conducting both criminal and administrative investigations into the death of Ozzy, who was found by his handler about 3:40 p.m. on Aug. 14, a day when the high in Long Beach reached 89 degrees.

"The initial criminal investigative file was presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Justice System Integrity Division for review on Friday, September 13, 2019," according to an LBPD statement released Tuesday. "The police department will be notified once the District Attorney's Office completes their review to determine next steps."

A veterinarian's examination determined the death was heat-related. Police said they believe the dog's death might have involved malfunctioning equipment.

Ozzy was in a department-issued vehicle equipped for K-9 officers, and part of that special equipment is a cooling system that is not supposed to shut off unless it is manually disabled. Handlers also have apps on their phones that are supposed to alert them if their cars get too hot.

"At this time, we believe this alert may not have been working," police said earlier.

While the investigations continue, K-9 handlers have been told to make sure the cooling systems in their cars are working before every shift, according to the department.

The LBPD tweeted on Aug. 23 that "Ozzy & his handler were both off-duty and Ozzy was inside the officer's department issued K-9 vehicle. The death was immediately reported to the LBPD and a review into the circumstances was initiated."

Ozzy's handler has been temporarily reassigned to the department's Investigations Bureau, police said.

On Aug. 28, the LBPD said an investigation into the death was being conducted by the department's Internal Affairs division.

It is illegal to leave an animal unattended in a vehicle in California when conditions may endanger the animal, such as extreme temperatures and lack of adequate ventilation, food or water, the Los Angeles Times reported.

At least 46 police dogs in the U.S. died from excessive heat while in their handlers' cars from 2011 to 2015, according to a Green Bay Press Gazette report released in 2015. Malfunctioning controlling systems are often blamed for the deaths, the Times reported.

Ozzy, who was part Belgian Malinois and part German Shepherd, worked in drug investigations and had been on the force more than five years.

Ozzy is not the only LBPD K-9 to die suddenly within the last few years. In 2016, the K-9 Credo was killed by friendly fire while officers were trying to detain a knife-wielding man named Barry Prak, who was also killed by the gunfire, according to authorities.

Animal rights advocates had sent a letter to District Attorney Jackie Lacey asking for a criminal investigation into Ozzy's death.

Related: Long Beach Police Continue To Investigate Heat-Related K-9 Death

City News Service contributed to this post