K9 Unit returns to Collegedale Police

Written by: Charlene Arnold

Collegedale Police Department’s (CPD) K9 Officer Casey Shell and his 2-year-old German Shorthaired Pointer, Police K9 Goose, are the newest K9 Unit since the retirement of the department’s previous unit about five years ago, said Assistant Chief of Police Jamie Heath. 

In an interview with the Accent, Heath explained that Shell has raised Goose since he was a puppy and over time has had the opportunity to train with other police K9 programs. 

“As the opportunity came when Goose was old enough and had shown to have ‘the head for the field,’ Shell approached the leaders at Collegedale and expressed that he wanted to get Goose on the road,” said Heath. 

The city was able to work out a deal and purchase the dog from Shell, and now he belongs to the City of Collegedale. As a result, Goose is now able to stay with the owner who raised him, which is not always possible with K9 officers.

On Sept. 13, just two hours into the CPD K9 unit’s shift, Shell and Goose helped initiate the chase of a man wanted in three states, according to a WDEF news report.

 The CPD’s news release stated that the team attempted to stop a vehicle on Lee Highway for a traffic violation. After Shell made contact with the driver, the vehicle sped away nearly causing several crashes. The report explained Shell chose not to pursue due to safety concerns for other drivers on the road, instead putting the vehicle description out over the radio for surrounding jurisdictions. 

Deputies with the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office quickly located the vehicle on Volkswagen Drive and attempted to halt the vehicle. The driver refused to stop. The vehicle was pursued until it reached a hotel near Bonny Oaks Drive and Lee Highway. A short foot pursuit ensued before the driver was safely apprehended and taken into custody. 

The driver, North Carolina native James Falvo, was found to have multiple felony warrants for Georgia and is wanted for questioning of arson in Murphy, North Carolina, according to the report.

 Chief of Police Jack Sapp said in the CPD’s same news release: “The good police work of our new K9 team helped to put an escaped felon behind bars on their first day at work. This is one of the many reasons we were so proud to reintroduce the K9 program to our department.”

Officer Shell wrote in a text to the Accent, “The K9 Unit has begun its first week with CPD with a great start. And I look forward to our continued collaboration.”

According to Heath, the K9 unit was highly anticipated and asked about by individuals who were interested in funding it through private donations. He also stated that even the commissioners were approached by interested donors, and the commissioners approached the CPD.

“The canine units have always been huge; they bring people together,” said Heath. “The public loves them, and the kids love the canine units. They are fantastic, almost irreplaceable when it comes to public interaction and school tours and, you know, just a good way to get out there with the community. In addition to that, they are fantastic tools of the service trade.

Heath said the department’s main goals for how the K9 unit should run are essentially to maintain positive community interaction and help keep the community safe from drugs and violence. He added that Collegedale has been caught in a  “crossfire” of drugs and violence from Chattanooga on one side and Cleveland on the other that has recently become more frequent.

“I think there will be a lot of happy people out there,” said Heath. “They have been, like I said, a big supporter of the canine program. And we really appreciate that.”

 When asked if there will be an opportunity for the public to meet the K9 unit, Heath said he anticipates that the police canine officers will be at the CPD’s National Night Out event in October.