Decomposed K-9 discovered in Warwick officer's patrol car - WALB.com, Albany News, Weather, Sports

Decomposed K-9 discovered in Warwick officer's patrol car

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By Stephanie Springer - bio | email

An investigation is underway tonight into a former Warwick Police officer who resigned a week after his K-9 partner died in his SUV. Lt. Thomas Frye's 8-year old German Shepard was locked in the vehicle for several days before her body was found, but Frye insists he didn't leave her there.  So what really happened?

Looking inside this SUV, it's clear what Warwick K9 officer Sasha went through to try to get out. "It really makes me sick..it makes me sick to my stomach," said Worth County Animal Control Officer Sherri Hendley.

Sasha was trapped in the front part of her handler's patrol unit while he was out of town for the weekend. She clawed through parts of the seats, bit through seatbelts, ripped off chunks leather..and tore off the entire rear view mirror in an attempt to escape, but it doesn't take long for a dog to die of heatstroke trapped inside of a vehicle.  "There are teeth marks on the seatbelt where the seatbelt has been torn..the mirror has been pulled," she said.

Sasha's handler Lieutenant Thomas Frye told Chief Morris he was about to head to work Monday, September 3rd when he discovered his partner dead inside his car. He claims Sasha must of let herself in his SUV when he was away for the weekend. He called in a city worker to help remove the dogs bloated decomposed body.  Friday, Hendley was told she needed to investigate the death, nearly two weeks after Sasha died in the SUV. "It would have been easier on the investigation if we could have seen the dogs body and to see the vehicle before anything was cleaned," she said.

Now, with little to go on, she and officers with the Worth County Sheriff's office will have to determine whether any charges should be filed.  She says it's going to be tough task, because she was told by other officers that Sasha had been known to open car doors.

It's one thing to lose a dog but Sasha was not just a dog she was an officer dedicated to protecting people in the community "It does hurt my heart a little worse to know she was a k-9 officer and this did happen to her," she said.

Frye buried Sasha in his backyard and he resigned a week later.

Before coming to Warwick, Sasha worked as a K-9 officer in Miami. She was retired due to her fear of thunder.