Justice catches up with suspect: Teen wanted in robberies chased down by Akron K-9 officer

Justice caught up Monday night with a 17-year-old robbery suspect in Akron's Firestone Park.

And took him down.

Justice, an energetic 70-pound Belgian Malinois with a crooked ear who is an Akron Police Department K-9 officer, chased down a teen who is suspected in taking part in six armed robberies in November in the Firestone Park area and shooting one store clerk who remains hospitalized. At least one other suspect in the robberies remained at large Tuesday.

Akron Police Officer Jeff Edsall, who is the handler for Justice, returned to the scene of the chase and arrest early Tuesday afternoon to recount what happened Monday night.

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Edsall, a 22-year APD veteran, and Justice, a 6-year-veteran, were at the police station when a call came in about 7:50 p.m. for an aggravated robbery at a Family Dollar store on South Main Street in Firestone Park. It was the second time in less than two weeks that the store had been held up by what sounded like the same suspects.

Minutes later, the two were in their SUV cruiser and in the area. Detectives thought at least one of the suspects in the recent string of robberies lived in the neighborhood, Edsall said.

He turned off South Main and onto Firestone Boulevard.

"This was the first place I came," Edsall said. "As soon as I passed Crescent Drive ... I saw a male in all-black clothing walking on the sidewalk."

When the male on the sidewalk saw the police cruiser change directions, he took off running and threw off a bag, Edsall said.

Edsall stopped his cruiser.

He saw the suspect run by on a front yard at Firestone and Thornapple Avenue.

"I opened up my car door and took off running. I told my dog to do what he does best, which is catch the bad guys," Edsall said. He saw two other Akron officers running after the suspect as well.

At this point, Edsall said he had given commands to the dog. Justice looked around to acquire the target, spotted the suspect and took off running after him.

"My dog passes both (police officers), a little faster than them," Edsall said. "There's a predator-prey aspect of it. This is something we have done tens of thousands of times."

It's likely the teen never knew Justice was chasing him until the dog knocked him down, Edsall said. The dog is trained to stay silent in a chase.

"I'm sure he thought he was getting away," Edsall said. "We're talking about a 17-year-old in-shape kid against officers carrying 30 pounds of gear and bundled up for cold weather."

With a K-9 officer in quiet pursuit, a suspect may think they are getting away, he said. "That's part of our tactic, that sudden apprehension. One minute you are running, thinking you are going to get away, then you are getting knocked to the ground by the dog.

"There's a common misperception that these police dogs are man eaters, trying to hurt people, whatever," Edsall said. "In our training, we have made it a fun game [for the dog]. ... A game of tug. When my dog goes to do it, he doesn't go to cause injury. He goes to bite and hold and play tug like a lot of other dogs do. ... This is a game for him. It's fun. He gets to play tug and Dad is going to praise him and tell him what a good boy he is."

Justice got hold of the suspect's pants leg and did not let go until commanded to so by Edsall. Justice is trained to keep hold of a suspect until the person is in handcuffs, he said.

Edsall said the arrest hit home with him. He grew up in Firestone Park and has friends living in the neighborhood.

"I've been following this case and this investigation pretty close and looking for an opportunity to end it," he said. "I was lucky enough to have good detectives put me in the right direction."

Edsall recovered a backpack near the arrest scene that held a shortened .22-caliber rifle similar to a weapon used in the other robberies.

Akron Police said the teen was taken to the police station and admitted being involved in the Family Dollar robbery as well as other Firestone Park robberies, including one on Nov. 20 where a store clerk was shot.

The teen was booked into Summit County Juvenile Detention on six counts of aggravated robbery, felonious assault and obstructing official business, police said.

Edsall said he loves to see his dog succeed. Over the years, Justice has chased and taken down other suspects as well, he said.

The dog is named for the late Justin Winebrenner, the Akron police officer shot and killed in 2014.

Justice got his usual reward for catching the suspect, Edsall said.

"He gets a steak after a big case," he said.

In case you are wondering, Justice likes his steak medium rare.

Beacon Journal reporter Jim Mackinnon can be reached at 330-996-3544 or jmackinnon@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow him @JimMackinnonABJ on Twitter or www.facebook.com/JimMackinnonABJ.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron K-9 officer arrests teen suspect in Firestone Park robberies