COLUMBUS, Ind. — A Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office canine helped deputies serve an arrest warrant on a suspect in the Elkland Hills Trailer Park at 11:12 p.m. Thursday.
Detective Dane Duke, sheriff’s office spokesman, said deputies had obtained information
that Daniel Michael, 31, of Columbus, was inside a trailer there and had outstanding warrants for his arrest.
Michael is on the local Intelligence Led Policing Unit most wanted list and had eluded arrest
last week, Duke said. Michael’s warrants were for dealing in methamphetamine, a Level 2 felony, manufacturing methamphetamine, also a Level 2 felony and possession of methamphetamine, a Level 6 felony.
Deputies made contact with residents at the home who confirmed that Michael was inside the home. The residents attempted to have Michael voluntarily exit the residence but they were unsuccessful. The homeowner then gave deputies permission to enter the residence in order to apprehend Michael, Duke said.
Deputies gave multiple verbal commands to Michael to surrender and exit from his hiding place and he refused. Deputy Dylan Prather and his K9 Frizko were deployed to assist in
locating the male in hiding. As verbal commands were again given this time including the possibility of apprehension by the dog, Michael surrendered and was taken into custody. Michael later told deputies that the potential use of K9 Frizko led him to surrender to law enforcement, Duke said.
“This is the perfect outcome for the use of our law enforcement K9s, we encountered a hiding uncooperative wanted subject who presented an unknown danger to my deputies.
K9 Frizko’s presence alone appears to have motivated the individual to surrender peacefully which prevented possible injury to himself and my deputies. Our K9s have been and will continue to be valuable tools for the Sheriff’s Office,” said Sheriff Chris Lane.
Duke thanked the individuals who reached out to deputies to make the arrest possible. “We value our relationship with the community and appreciate their assistance,” he said.
