The Charles County Sheriff’s Office released the following message on April 18th, 2025, from Sheriff Troy D. Berry Regarding Investigation of K9 Deployment Incident.
“I want to make our community aware of an incident that is being investigated. Yesterday, we became aware of a case that occurred earlier in the week involving the arrest of a man who was reportedly the suspect of a burglary in progress. This arrest was made using a police K9. For context, deployment of a police K9 to apprehend a suspect is considered a use of force and, as such, in accordance with agency policy, a supervisor reviews all camera footage and written reports to determine if the apprehension was made within the law and our policy guidelines. During the review process, the supervisor observed that the K9 deployment and conduct of the officer were not consistent with those standards. The matter was immediately referred to the CCSO’s Office of Professional Responsibility. After a preliminary assessment, I ordered that the officer be suspended from duty pending a full investigation. We also notified the State’s Attorney’s Office and alerted them to the incident.
We work hard every single day to earn and keep the public’s trust. When something occurs that doesn’t reflect our values, we face it head-on. When we identify actions that fall outside our standards, we act immediately and hold ourselves accountable. I assure you we will conduct a thorough investigation and will share more details once the investigation is complete.”
