👮‍♂️ Police officer acquitted in K9 unit death case

A police constable, Timothy Munroe, who was charged with animal cruelty following the death of Baron, a police dog from the RCIPS K-9 Unit, has been acquitted. Baron died of heat stroke after being left outside the George Town Police Station without food or water. Munroe was accused of causing the animal's death due to negligence as he forgot to open a kennel door, blocking off Baron's access to food and water for a day during which temperatures rose to 104°F. 🐶

However, Munroe's defense attorney, Dennis Brady, successfully argued that more senior members of the RCIPS were to blame, having left the junior officer, who had only been with the unit for a month, in charge of the dog while they were on leave or off sick. The presiding magistrate, Vanessa Allard, noted that under the Animals Act, the prosecution had to prove that Munroe had denied Baron access to food and water with ill intent. She found that the prosecution did not prove he had intentionally harmed the dog and had followed the unit's policy of cleaning the kennels and ensuring food and water were provided. 🏛️

Munroe had worked a night shift before attending to the dog on behalf of his official handler, who was on vacation. He had been called out to a firearms-related operation during that shift, which came at the end of a four-day rotation. Munroe was feeling unwell at the time and tested positive for COVID-19 the next day. Despite the charges, Munroe was not fully suspended and has remained on duty as his case progressed through the criminal justice system. 🚔