Exclusive: Wanted Man Captured With Help Of Miami Police K-9 Unit
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) - It was a Thanksgiving Day in which "man's best friend" was a special asset to Miami Police, leading to the capture of a criminal with an extensive arrest record.
CBS4's Peter D'Oench was with Miami Police exclusively as the police K-9 unit, SWAT team members, dozens of officers and a police helicopter scoured an area around NW 71st St. and NW 12th Ave., looking for 55-year-old Henry McGill.
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Police said McGill was wanted in connection with a domestic violence case involving burglary and battery.
A check of records showed that McGill had been arrested more than 20 times on charges including robbery with a firearm, obstructing police, trafficking in cocaine, burglary and records show he was arrested eight times for aggravated battery and aggravated assault. One case included battery on a corrections officer.
Records also show that McGill was arrested for first-degree murder in 1984, but that case was dismissed.
After a few hours of an intensive search, police said McGill was discovered hiding underneath a home on the corner of NW 71st St. and NW 12th Ave., coincidentally less than two blocks away from where he had lived up until about a year ago.
Miami Police Officer Pat Basaure told D'Oench that his 10-year-old Belgian Malinois, named Dino, picked up a scent around the home and detected McGill. That's when other officers were called in to apprehend him.
A robotic device had been used, but in the end it was the work of Dino that led to the capture.
"Always trust your dog. That's what I say robotics and technology are great, but sometimes you have to go old school. He was hiding under the house in a crawl space and Dino was able to pick up his scent and alert on him.
"We make sure we are satisfied and search everywhere so we feel good that we can find the bad guy. Dino's been doing this eight years and every day it's the same thing, searching for a human odor for subjects that are hiding.
"I feel real happy today that we got a real bad guy off the street, especially on Thanksgiving Day so everyone can now celebrate and be safe at home," said Basaure.
Basaure said Dino would not be getting any Thanksgiving leftovers or treats because he is kept on a strict diet of dry dog food to keep him fit for his missions.
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