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July 28, 2009

K-9 officer pays off for LG

Melissa McClendon

All the hard work and training is beginning to pay off for Locust Grove police officer Nate Cooper and his K-9 partner, Brit. A former Oklahoma Highway Patrol officer, Brit was given to the town and matched with Cooper.

Together they have trained to become partners. Since Brit joined the Locust Grove police department he has been instrumental in finding drugs during traffic stops. He has discovered many types of illegal drugs and more recently guns.

“He’s doing a good job,” said Cooper.

On Friday, July 17, Cooper and his partner were involved in a routine traffic stop of a semi truck at 9:30 p.m.. During the stop, Dispatch told Cooper the driver of truck, Romell Keith Esters, 43, of Augusta, Ga., had two felony warrants in the state of Georgia. One warrant was for felony burglary while the other was for felony fraud.

Cooper said he got the driver out of the vehicle to talk about the warrants and asked him to put his hands behind his back.

“He started to comply and boom he just took off,” Cooper said.

Another officer, Wade Henderson, began a foot chase while Cooper told the man to stop, he had a K-9 officer.

“Brit gave chase and ran into a creek bed,” Cooper said.

Cooper said the dog hit the man with his body knocking him to the ground so that the other officers could make the arrest. Esters was taken to Mayes County Medical Center for an abrasions on his knees and right calf. After being released from MCMC, Esters was transported to the Mayes County Jail where he is awaiting extradition to Georgia.

“All the hard work and long hours have paid off,” Cooper said.



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