Former police officer charged in connection with K-9′s death

GRANT COUNTY, Ind. (WPTA/Gray News) - A former police officer in Fairmount, Indiana, was facing a misdemeanor charge after his K-9 died in his patrol car last year.

Kyle Vincent told investigators he “fell to the ground and cried for 20 minutes” after finding his K-9 partner, Zeusz, dead in his work vehicle’s kennel, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Vincent became certified with Zeusz in August 2023, only a month before the dog died.

Fairmount Police Chief Richard Dollar told investigators Vincent called him on Sept. 10 to report his K-9 had died after finding Zeusz’s body as he prepared for work, court records show. The dog had been in the car from the end of his last shift at 6 a.m. to the beginning of the next at 6 p.m. the same day.

The department’s assistant chief was tasked with retrieving Zeusz’s body and transporting it to a local veterinary hospital, as well as securing Vincent’s duty weapon, ID card and badge, court documents state.

Two days later, Vincent submitted his resignation.

During the investigation, Vincent allegedly gave several accounts of what led up to his K-9 partner’s death before admitting that he left Zeusz in the car.

Three days after the dog’s death, Vincent sat down for another interview about the incident, court records show. He said during his shift before Zeusz died, he had a “mental fog” and lack of motivation, only making one traffic stop.

Typically, Vincent told police he would get out of his patrol car, open Zeusz’s door and the K-9 would run straight to his kennel where he would get food and water, according to court documents. The officer said he didn’t remember leaving Zeusz in the car because of the “fog” brought on by his depression and PTSD.

When asked why he gave different accounts of the incident, Vincent allegedly said he was “so f***ed up,” referencing his mental and memory issues, that he didn’t know why he gave various stories.

Indiana State Police Detective Jonathan Cole said Vincent was somber and quiet throughout the interview, court records state. When the detective asked Vincent if he would define working his shift while lethargic and forgetting his K-9 in the car as reckless, the former police officer said it was stupid and he should have told someone he was struggling.

In June, Vincent pleaded guilty to misdemeanor animal cruelty, resulting in a suspended one-year jail sentence and a year of probation.

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