Los Angeles Police Dog Helps to Save Many Lives This Week — Meet Kota

Deputy Hayden and his K9 partner, dog Kota, from Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department are some of the heroes who risk their lives to protect the city's citizens against crime.

The LASD Metrolink Bureau with LA County Sheriff's Department Transit Services Bureau have provided security in LA Metro for several years. At these times, when many people have to go out to work, they need to travel safely.

This is the work that these two security entities do together. This work paid off a few days ago when a criminal with a history of violent crime charges broke into a train with a gun and a knife.

The criminal boarded a train heading to Union Station and brandished these weapons in front of customers onboard the train. He then left the train at the California State University station.

The LASD Transit Services Bureau wrote on Instagram: “Thankfully, long time #lasdtransitservices K9 Deputy Hayden and his K9 partner “Kota” were very near and were first to confront the suspect… The suspect was shortly taken into custody without further incident.”

SITUATION UNDER CONTROL

Both Deputy Hayden and Kota acted promptly and were assisted by the Special Assignment Unit (SAU) Deputies Plichta, Feliciano, and Vargas. All these officers tried to subdue the suspect, who continued to provoke the officers with violence.

The suspect tried to escape using the Metrolink tracks, but other LASD Transit staff members managed to capture the suspect, and he was eventually taken into police custody. It was later discovered that the gun was only a facsimile, but the knife was real.

HONOR AND RECOGNITION

The LASD Transit Services Bureau has decided to honor the people who lost their lives in the 9/11 attacks. During commemoration events for the 19th anniversary of the bombings, they remembered the retired Explosives Detection K9 "Bbrooke."

Bbrooke and her handler Deputy Kyle Hayden have worked for years to keep the Metro system safe. The program names the dogs after one of the 9/11 victims, and the first letter is doubled to avoid confusion.

HONORING BROOKE JACKSON

Bbrooke is named after Brooke Jackman. Jackman was 23 years old, used to work as a stockbroker, and sadly did not survive when the North Tower of the World Trade Center fell.

The photos LASD posted on their Instagram include a photo of Brooke Jackman, one of her surviving family, and the location of her name at the 9/11 Memorial in New York City.

SPECIAL CONDITIONS

Not all dogs can be part of this police canine program. For many years, dog breeders have worked to identify breeds of dogs with special characteristics that can be incorporated into these tasks.

In order for dogs to work as police dogs, they must have a natural disposition to work alongside their caretaker, incredible workability, and in some cases tenacity to hunt down and catch criminals.