Guardian Angel
Dramatic Reading & Podcast Audio File Coming Soon!
Est. Read Time: 7 Mins.
The Name
As I walked through the factory, I couldn’t help but give thanks to God for gracing us with such a beautiful day. After weeks of overcast skies, the sun was finally out and it poured through the windows like golden honey. One such beam danced through the shop floor and drew my attention to an open Patrol Swat Vest being assembled by one of our best sewing machine technicians.
Specialty Embroidery Inside Kjeld’s Patrol Swat Vest.
“That’s an interesting name”, I exclaimed, half to myself, and half to the operator assembling the vest. “And look at the specialty embroidery. Generously Donated By The K9s of Valor Foundation, In Loving Memory of SEB K9 Jack. I wonder who Jack is…”, I said pointing to the almost fully inscribed inside facing of the vest.
We considered it for a moment, then took turns trying to determine how to pronounce this foreign dog’s name.
Ka-Jeld.
Kuh-Yeld.
Kee-Jeld.
No matter what we said, we knew we weren’t saying it right, but after seeing a lot of different and unique names over the years, I just chalked it up to being European and moved on with my day.
I never thought about that moment again until the very second I was on the phone with the handler discussing the vest.
For unbeknownst to us at the time, there would be much more than just beams of sun that would ultimately strike it.
K9 Kjeld, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department
The Scene
Deputy Williams and K9 Kjeld (pronounced “Keld”, affectionately known as “Kid”), a 4-year-old dark faced Malinois, arrive on scene with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department SWAT Team in response to a 911 call placed by an employee of a local Compton “Worm and Cricket” farm.
The suspect, thought to be running from a potential altercation with a local gang in the area, had been discovered hiding in a building on site by one of the employees. When confronted, he pulls out a gun and points it, directly at the employee’s face.
“Don’t tell anyone I’m here”, the suspect threatens.
The victim agrees and slowly backs out of harm’s way. Once safely away from the suspect, he immediately calls the police for help, knowing full well that keeping quiet was one promise he did not intend to keep.
Patrol Units arrive on scene within minutes and a perimeter of the compound is set up to contain the suspect from running into the surrounding area, potentially putting more lives at risk.
Industrial compounds are a dangerous place for any agency to attend. With items sprawling across the yard, there are an infinite number of places to effectively hide. If a suspect wants to enact violence, all it takes is for an officer to peer around an obstacle to potentially catch a bullet. The situation is treated with the highest level of caution in mind, to keep all officers safe.
Based on the nature of the crime and the fact that the suspect is known to be armed, the SWAT Team, along with Kjeld, is requested to conduct the search of the compound. After arriving on scene, Kjeld is tasked with completing an open area search. Using his keen sense of smell, the team believes that Kjeld will help locate the suspect, safely without incident.
After taking the victim’s initial statement, the team believes the suspect is concealed in a building on the far corner of the compound. Kjeld and his team systematically begin their search, with Deputy Williams intending to rule out the short side of the compound before making their way to the location where the suspect is presumed to be hiding.
Then, suddenly, Kjeld’s head snaps and he begins air scenting in the direction of an extremely large tarp that appears to be covering pallet upon pallet of bagged dirt. The tarp is completely opaque. There is no way to see what is on the other side without physically lifting it up to look underneath.
Centered solely on Kjeld’s interest, Deputy Williams and the team decide to set up tactically around the tarp and conduct call outs for anyone hiding under the tarp to surrender.
“This is the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Canine Unit. We know you are hiding under the tarp. Come out with your hands up or my dog will be sent in to find you. When he finds you, you may be bitten.”
The echo of Deputy Williams’ voice reverberates off the surrounding metal structures, then dissipates into the atmosphere.
Staring at the tarp, they wait for any indication of movement or any sound that would convey compliance, but all they are met with is silence.
High above, the air support helicopter uses zoom cameras and forward looking inferred to check the tarp for any signs of the suspect, with non being exhibited by either.
The remaining appropriate call-outs are given; however, there is a small part of Deputy Williams that questions if Kjeld is indicating in the right spot to begin with. After all, they are still some distance away from where the suspect is alleged to be. To complicate things further, several stray cats had been roaming around the yard just moments before the search was conducted.
Even with all the modern technology available, Kjeld’s keen sense of smell is the best indicator for the team that the suspect is located in the area. With that in mind, Kjeld is sent to conduct a detailed search of the tarped sector.
Kjeld races to the tarp and begins crawling around it, trying to find a way to get beneath the material. The corners are pulled down to the ground, and so he brings his nose to the bottom to lift it just enough for him to gain entry.
Finally, he finds an opening and sticks his snout underneath the tarp. Believing Kjeld may have found something, the team gets ready to move in when a surge of adrenaline spikes through the entire lineup.
*BANG*
A gunshot rings out from under the tarp and Kjeld stumbles back…
Please, not again, Deputy Williams thinks.
Photo of Kjeld’s Patrol Swat Vest with the bullet entry into the right side of the vest.
The Encounter
For a moment, it’s like everything is in slow motion.
Deputy Williams knows Kjeld has been shot at and appears to be hit.
Then something miraculous happens: Kjeld regains his footing and lunges back at the tarp in an attempt to apprehend the suspect.
Deputy Williams immediately conducts a recall and Kjeld returns to the SWAT stack. SWAT Medics rush in to check him from head to toe. While they unzip Kjeld’s Patrol Swat Vest, they observe damage to it just above the right shoulder. Tiny red droplets of blood trickle down his fur.
An entry wound?
It’s too hard to tell at this point without further examination, and Kjeld is not making the exam easy as his focus is on reengaging the suspect and getting back into the action. Kjeld is rushed to a local emergency vet.
Now, with the suspect’s position no longer a mystery, the SWAT team focuses in on the tarp, assault weapons pointed, and began making call-outs for the suspect to surrender. Realizing that he is surrounded and with zero options left, the suspect gives up without further incident. No additional shots are fired by the suspect. Not a single shot is fired by law enforcement.
The suspect is cuffed and taken into custody. Kjeld’s Patrol Swat Vest is left at the scene, as it is now evidence to be collected by crime analysts for further evaluation.
The Aftermath
K9 Jack - Officer Down Memorial Page.
At the vet, Kjeld undergoes a series of X-rays, and it is determined that the blood on his shoulder is not that of an entry wound, but rather what appears to be a superficial laceration across his skin. The wound is cleaned, and Kjeld is given 6 staples for his troubles, antibiotics to prevent infection, and anti-inflammatory meds for pain relief.
Astonishingly, he is set to make a full recovery in only a matter of days.
At the same time, Deputy Williams receives a phone call from the crime analysts. They have been able to examine Kjeld’s Patrol Swat Vest, and the findings send shivers down his spine.
“It stopped it. We recovered a bullet”, they said.
Deputy Williams can’t help but think back to Jack, his first working dog, who was shot and killed in the line of duty, a little more than 1 year ago. Looking back on the pain left in the wake of that tragedy makes Kjeld’s survival all the more meaningful for Deputy Williams and his family.
In Loving Memory of SEB K9 Jack, Kjeld’s guardian angel, who will forever be guiding his steps.
This save is for him.