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My career with the Sheriff’s Department began in January 2001 after completing the Sheriff’s Basic Academy. I was hired as an on-call Deputy Sheriff and assigned to work the Sacramento County Main Jail. A short time later in 2001, I was hired as a full time Deputy Sheriff and remained assigned to the Main Jail. While working at the jail, I worked various positions and attended classes to become a firearms instructor for the department. As a firearms instructor I taught several classes pertaining to the use of firearms for recruits and department personnel. In January of 2004 I was transferred to patrol services and was assigned to work with the Elk Grove Police Department, a contract city of the Sheriff’s Department. My entire life, I have had a profound interest in police service dogs. In mid 2000, before my career with the Sheriff’s Department began, my experience with the Sheriff’s Canine Detail started. I attended the Canine Detail’s weekly maintenance training at first only to watch and later I became an agitator. I continued assisting the Canine Detail until attending the Sheriff’s Academy. Upon graduation, I again assisted the detail as an agitator, this time on a more consistent basis. I soon became the detail’s primary agitator and rarely missed a week of training or a canine demonstration. In December 2005, my dream came true. After testing, I was selected as a Canine Handler for the department. Deputy Gordon Beamer (formerly K912) was leaving the detail and transferring to the department’s Air Operations Division, at the same time retiring his canine partner Hunter. Gordon was leaving some huge shoes to fill. I was ecstatic upon being selected, but also disappointed I would no longer be able to work with Gordon and listen to his heckling at weekly training. Gordon, you are missed and I don’t think I’ll ever be able to fill your shoes. After being selected as a handler, I was paired up with my new canine partner, Kyzmo. Kyzmo is an energetic 74-pound German Shepard from the Czech Republic. Kyzmo was born on July 06, 2004 and upon meeting him, he seemed very curious and anxious to learn. Kyzmo and I started training together on December 09, 2005 and hit the street for the first time on February 24, 2006. It wasn’t too long into our very first shift, when officers requested a canine to assist in locating a suspect. The suspect ran from a stolen vehicle after leading California Highway Patrol Officers on a vehicle pursuit. Kyzmo and I arrived and started a track for the suspect. Kyzmo pulled me across a huge field, which led to an industrial business complex. Kyzmo then pulled me across an asphalt street where we contacted a citizen. The citizen informed us he witnessed a female running in the area who matched the suspect description. This reassured me that Kyzmo was doing just as he was trained to do. Kyzmo and I continued to search the area. Kyzmo later pulled me to a large dumpster approximately ½ mile away from where the female was last seen by officers. Kyzmo started “alerting” on the dumpster, telling me someone was inside. I later climbed into the dumpster and started digging through the trash. Kyzmo and I found the female hiding in the dumpster under a huge amount of garbage. Kyzmo had definitely done his job. On his days off, Kyzmo enjoys lying around the house just being a dog. He is extremely friendly with adults and children. Kyzmo is an all around good dog and loves to have his belly scratched.
Video Clip of Deputy Shaun Hampton sending K9 Kymzo to apprehend a bad guy during training following a short pursuit. |
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