WADESBORO — It has been an emotional week for the members of the law enforcement and dog handlers’ community, as well as for Anson County residents following the tragic loss of an officer in the line of duty, K-9 Blitz, when he was shot to death by a fellow WPD officer following an early morning high speed chase that crossed county lines into Montgomery County, or Mt. Gilead city limits Wednesday, April 2.
According to reports, when police stopped the suspect, Lewis Davis Jr., he attempted to flee on foot, prompting Blitz’s handler to release him on the suspect. After biting the suspect, the dog, who was not properly trained for this type of field work, turned and bit the hand of his alleged female handler, Officer Kayla Wright. In response, another officer with the WPD shot the dog to death.
Several law enforcement agencies responded to the scene.
Arrested after the incident, Davis was charged with assaulting a law enforcement agency animal, eluding arrest, assault with a deadly weapon, multiple drug possession charges, and traffic violations. He is currently being held at the Anson County Jail under a $60,000 bond.
K-9 Blitz was donated to the Wadesboro Police Department the day following Chief Brandon Chewning’s retirement from the force, January 31, by his owner Josh Harrington. To build the Wadesboro Police Department’s K-9 unit, a law enforcement program interim Chief Jason Eschert has been heavily involved in for many years, Eschert allegedly made several promises to Harrington in order to procure Blitz’s “adoption” by the force.
In a viral Facebook posting Harrington stated “On January 31 Wadesboro PD took possession of Blitz. On April 2 EOW [End of Watch] – He was shot and killed by his own allies. I donated Wadesboro Police Dept Blitz for $0 and not a thing in return. Not even a penny to help re-start their K-9 Program.”
Harrington said he did this to help the drug issue in the community and to help make Wadesboro a safer place. Prior to coming to the Wadesboro Police force, K-9 Blitz had a successful career as a drug dog at another police agency in a different state.
And that is what Harrington said he donated Blitz to the WPD to do — work in narcotics, not apprehension.
He wrote “I did this under the agreement that they agreed to. That he would never be used for apprehension, Blitz was only to be used for narcotic searches to show results of K-9’s to their community and gain support with the city council in order to get more canines onto the streets of Wadesboro to further help the community. They shattered this in less than three months. This agency [WPD] denied all training opportunities that were offered free of charge. They picked him up and never looked back.”
Following the incident, revelations regarding the event were slow to come to light, resulting in a firestorm of demands for transparency from not only WPD, but also town leaders, erupting on social media throughout the day Wednesday.
While social media postings suggest community members are on the same page in expressing outrage, Wadesboro town leaders do not appear to be as cohesive in their response to K9 Blitz’s death.
Councilman Chipper Long is now calling for the resignations of several town leaders.
In a text chain exchange between Long, Town Manager Wiley Ross Jr., Interim Police Chief Jason Eschert and Mayor Fred Davis, that Councilman Long has since turned over to the Anson Record for publication, Long demanded answers.
He stated to the trio of town leaders on the text messaging chain, “I demand answers and the resignations of Eschert, Wiley and Fred and anyone else who knew about the incident.”
He further instructed them to “man up, this is a disaster, and we have to respond. Since June this town has been a circus. Our town manager [Ross] consistently ignores my request for public information so now it is my duty as a duly elected official to find the truth and what is going on with this cover-up.”
In the same text chain, Long let Eschert, Davis, and Ross know “I own the rights to the messages on my cell phone on a response that I initiated. So this is all fair game for publication.”
In response to Long’s demands, Mayor Davis reminded him of his daughter’s recent ill health and hospitalization.
During the text exchange, Davis stated to Councilman Long “My daughter’s well-being is my top priority.”
Long reminded Davis his daughter is on his [Long’s] church’s prayer list, but admonished, “I suggest if that is taking your time then you need to remove yourself from your position as town official and dedicate your time to your daughter.”
Summing up public sentiment on the matter, Anson County resident Jerel Miller stated “The Wadesboro Police Department’s incompetence and outright negligence have resulted in the unnecessary and tragic death of K-9 Blitz, a dog that was donated to the department under clear terms that they completely disregarded. This isn’t just a betrayal of the agreement; it’s a disgraceful failure of leadership and accountability.”
Miller went on to state “The facts are simple: Blitz was never certified for apprehension, never trained to bite, and never meant to be used in suspect takedowns. Yet, this department took it upon themselves to train him improperly and put him in a situation he was never meant to be in. And when their own reckless actions resulted in chaos, they executed him. This wasn’t just a mistake; it was a failure on every level.”
Miller added, “Their [WPD] negligence has exposed the town to massive liability at the expense of the taxpayers. Wadesboro citizens should not have to pay for the incompetence of those sworn to protect them. Blitz was not just a dog, he was an asset to the community, meant to help fight the drug crisis in Wadesboro. His death was preventable. His death was unjust. The people of Wadesboro deserve better. Demand accountability. Demand change.”
Blitz’s previous owner, Harrington, agrees.
He stated “This agency took it upon themselves to do ‘bite training’ on their own. (Which explains why they did not want me to know what they were doing, and why they did not accept any of my offers for free training). They put him into this situation and executed him for doing what he should not have been doing.”
Harrington remains adamant neither Blitz nor his handler were certified by any organization, nor was he trained to apprehend by any professional police canine facility. Certification is not required under North Carolina law; however, it is highly recommended by nearly all professionals in the field.
Harrington stated, “When I went to WPD to speak with the chief [Eschert], he lied right to my face about the facts of what happened to Blitz. Deputies and officers on-scene told me the truth.”
Elaborating on promises Harrington says were made to him in regard to Blitz, he said, “I was told by the handler that Blitz would be getting a new patrol car with a cage. This was also untrue. They rode him around on patrol in the backseat of a 2000’s crown vic. This is very dangerous for the K-9 in pursuits, [like] in which he was involved. Yet another lie. I was told that they “tazed” Blitz. This was also untrue. They simply mag dumped him.”
Now Harrington is pleading for K-9 Blitz to be remembered by the community he served for the hero he was. “His name will not be tarnished, give my boy the sendoff he deserves with a proper funeral and let me carry him one last time, as they do not deserve the honor.”
Another source of public anger was the WPD’s United States’ flag not being flown at half-staff, as is customary when honoring the life of a fallen leader or hero.
As of late Friday afternoon, the flags at the WPD remained high, with many concerned residents drawing attention to the glaring sight on social media. Following the outcry, Councilman Long says he contacted Mayor Davis to issue a city-wide notice to lower flags to half-staff.
Initially, Long says, Davis wanted to wait until town council’s 5 p.m. meeting at the Wadesboro Fire Department April 7 to let council take a vote on the matter.
According to Long, he insisted the mayor had the authority to lower town flags without the necessity of taking the matter to vote, and by late evening Friday Mayor Davis issued the following statement: “In honor of K-9 Blitz’s service and sacrifice, I, Fred Davis, hereby order that all flags within the town be flown at half-mast from now until April 8, 2025. This gesture serves as a symbol of our collective grief and respect for the bravery shown by K-9 Blitz and all our four-legged heroes who serve alongside law enforcement.”
Equally concerning to the public as the flags is the mystery surrounding Blitz’s remains.
It has been reported by media outlets Blitz was cremated, his body possibly returned to Mt. Gilead.
While Chief Eschert and other WPD officials have remained mostly mum on this issue, well-known dog lover Sheriff Scott Howell has been quick to explain his deputies’ involvement in the incident, as well as express his dismay over the outcome.
Howell stated “Once the suspect was in custody my deputies returned to their patrol vehicles, which was not in the location where the incident occurred resulting in the shooting of K-9 Blitz. My opinion is the same as most of the public’s that this was something that should have never happened with a proper training protocol and K-9 assignment. This is a tragic event for everyone involved.”
A memorial in remembrance of K-9 Blitz was held on the Wadesboro town square Saturday, April 5 at 12 p.m. Attempts to reach Chief Jason Eschert for a statement on Wednesday’s incident have repeatedly gone unreturned throughout the week.
This is a developing story, and updates will be provided as they are made available.