A hard working police dog in Massachusetts uncovered a gun used in a shooting, and accidentally fired it with his paw. The dog, a german shepherd named Ivan, was digging in a snowbank when he came across the weapon causing it to discharge, but fortunately not hitting anyone with the stray shot. “I definitely thought for sure my dog just got shot,” said Lt. John Pickle, Lawrence Police Department, who was standing just a few feet behind his dog.
The incident occurred when police were investigating several shots that were fired from a vehicle. They followed the car and witnessed one man get out and bury something in a snowbank. After detaining the three men and waiting for back up, officers and Ivan searched for the gun. “I surmise that the snow was there for a week, and it was probably like ice,” Lawrence Police Chief John Romero said. “The individual probably was not able to bury it very deep, and he had no time.”
“This is a first. I’ve never seen anything like this and we can laugh at it now because no one was injured including the dog Ivan, but I’ve never seen it before,” said Chief Romero. “We train for that. The dog’s supposed to go in there and just lie down or sit when he find the article. I think it’s just because it was buried in the snow and he pulled it out. A one in a million chance there,” said Lt. Pickle.
The stray casing was not found but police knocked on all doors in the area to make sure no one was injured in the incident. The three men in the vehicle were all arrested and charged with possession of a firearm, possession of ammunition, receiving a firearm with a defaced serial number and receiving stolen property.
