Albany Sheriff Gives More Info About K9 Casey’s Tragic Death

Died in the Line of Duty: RIP K9 Casey

The tragic death of Albany County Sheriff’s K9 Casey hit many people in the Capital Region hard.

The 8-year-old bloodhound disappeared Saturday from her handler’s home in Ravena, prompting a widespread search. Sadly, Casey was found the following morning in the median of the New York State Thruway, where authorities believe she had been struck by a vehicle.

How Did This Happen?

In the days since, many people have understandably wondered the same thing: How did this happen?

Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple recently spoke with CBS 6 and provided new information about Casey’s disappearance while stressing that an internal investigation remains underway.

According to Apple, investigators believe a door at the back of Casey’s kennel may not have been completely latched. At some point, Casey apparently pushed against it, and the door opened.

Timeline of K9 Casey's Death

Investigators believe the bloodhound then picked up a scent and followed it approximately 800 yards before reaching northbound lanes of the Thruway.

One of the questions that investigators are still trying to answer is exactly when Casey escaped and how much time passed before her disappearance was discovered.

Apple acknowledged that the timeline remains unclear; however, investigators are reviewing doorbell cameras and other surveillance footage from around Ravena to establish a more precise timeline.
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Preventing Another Tragedy

According to the report from CBS News, additional locking devices have been added or are being added to the department’s K9 kennels.

Apple said that while most of the department’s police dogs already have GPS tracking devices, its three bloodhounds did not. That policy will also likely change following Casey’s death.

Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple Photo: CraigApple.com

Apple said the department is conducting a full internal investigation and reviewing available surveillance footage to ensure nothing else contributed to Casey’s disappearance.

Casey’s death is being classified as a line-of-duty death.

While none of these changes can bring Casey back, Apple said the department has a responsibility to learn exactly what happened and take every possible step to make sure it doesn’t happen again.