Utah police dog Bruno recovering after leaping from freeway overpass
Dash-cam video released by Park City police shows the bomb-sniffing labrador jumping from an overpass during a suspicious-package call, breaking two legs and his jaw.
At a glance
- Bruno, a two-year-old chocolate labrador bomb-sniffing dog, was hurt in September in Summit county, Utah.
- Park City police released dash-cam video of his leap from a ramp linking I-80 and US 40.
- The suspicious package he was helping investigate turned out to be a battery, likely fallen from a vehicle.
Park City police in Utah have released dash-cam video showing a bomb-sniffing police dog named Bruno leaping from a freeway overpass during a call about a suspicious package, an incident in September that left the two-year-old chocolate labrador with two broken legs and a fractured jaw.
The footage, made public this week, covers the moments before, during and after the dog jumped on to a roadway beneath a ramp connecting I-80 and US 40 in Summit county. It ends with Bruno being airlifted by helicopter to a veterinarian in Salt Lake City for an emergency operation.
Bruno had been helping Utah state troopers investigate a package that a motorist had reported as suspicious. The object turned out to be harmless road debris: a battery believed to have fallen from a vehicle.
In the video, the dog is seen chasing a ball thrown by his handler, Officer Wayne Henderson, which the footage describes as a cue for Bruno to work, before he crosses the carriageway and leaps over the concrete wall. The video also includes the 911 call and other material from the emergency response.
One distressing scene shows Henderson comforting Bruno on the ground after the dog tried to get back on his feet.
"Bruno is more than a police K-9. He's a partner, a companion, and part of our police family," police chief Wade Carpenter said in a statement reported by the Park Record. He said Henderson and other first responders did everything they could to comfort Bruno and get him the care he needed, and thanked the public for its support.
Recovery at home
Carpenter said Bruno was continuing to recuperate from his injuries. It is not known whether he will return to work. In a statement issued after the surgery, the police department said Bruno "still has a long road ahead", adding that it was very happy to see him home and on his way to recovery.
Source: The Guardian.
Questions and answers
- What happened to Bruno, the Utah police dog?
- Bruno leapt from a freeway overpass in Summit county, Utah, in September during a law enforcement response and suffered two broken legs and a fractured jaw. He was airlifted to a veterinarian in Salt Lake City for emergency surgery and is recovering at home.
- What was the suspicious package the dog was investigating?
- A motorist reported the package as suspicious, but it was found to be harmless road debris: a battery believed to have fallen from a vehicle.
- Will Bruno return to police work?
- It is not known whether Bruno will return to work, according to Park City police chief Wade Carpenter, who said the dog continues to recuperate from his injuries.
