Clinton Ellis was given care of the department’s police K-9 named Blade last August.
Clinton Ellis. Photo by Franklin County Sheriff's Department.
(Laurel, Ind.) - A former reserve officer with the Laurel Police Department is accused of causing the death of a police dog.
Clinton Ellis was given care of the department’s police K-9 named Blade last August. By New Years Day, the dog was found dead and emaciated at Ellis’ home.
The Indiana Department of Natural Resources investigated and sent the three-year-old dog’s body to Purdue University for a necropsy. The investigation determined Blade died of an intestinal foreign body and emaciation.
A veterinarian had preliminarily attributed the dog’s death to a condition known as “bloat.”
Ellis, 34, was charged June 6 with Striking a Law Enforcement Animal but Results in Serious Permanent Disfigurement (level 6 felony) and misdemeanor Cruelty to an Animal (class A misdemeanor).
This is not Ellis’ first arrest this year. He was charged with Theft (level 6 felony) and Official Misconduct (level 6 felony) in February after Indiana State Police accused him of confiscating a suspect’s gun and gifted it to a fellow officer. He had also allegedly misappropriated $2,500 from the Town of Laurel to be used in a drug sting operation. A jury trial in that case is currently scheduled for November.
In May, he was accused of Harassment of Hunters (class C misdemeanor). He made his initial appearance in Franklin County court on that charge on June 6, the same day he was charged for Blade’s death, and pleaded not guilty. A bench trial is on the docket for August 8.
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