Midwest
Missouri police officer charged in death of K-9 officer left in hot car
A Missouri police officer has been charged after allegedly leaving his K-9 officer inside a hot car overnight in June, leading to his death.
On Friday, charges against Savannah Police Lt. Daniel Zeigler were filed in Andrew County, including one count of animal abuse.
According to court documents obtained by Fox 2, the incident took place on June 20 when Zeigler and his K-9 partner Horus completed their overnight shift just before 5 a.m.
Just before 6 p.m. the same day, Zeigler contacted Savannah Police Chief Dave Vincent and informed him Horus was dead.
MISSOURI K-9 OFFICER DIES AFTER BEING LEFT INSIDE HOT CAR OVERNIGHT: ‘TREMENDOUS LOSS’
A Missouri police officer has been charged in the death of a K-9 officer who was left inside a hot car overnight earlier this summer. (Savannah Police Department)
An investigation determined Horus had been left in the police vehicle by Ziegler following the end of the shift and had died of heat exposure, court records stated.
FOX 4 reported that the maximum temperature that day was 90 degrees, with the low being 70 degrees outside.
According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, research indicates that the temperature inside a vehicle can rise to over 100 degrees in a half-hour, even if it’s only 70 degrees outside.
In the court documents, a witness told investigators about seeing the deceased K-9 officer in the yard near the police vehicle that evening and described Zeigler as “flipping out” and yelling in disbelief that he thought he had brought the K-9 in at the end of his shift.
HERO SOUTH CAROLINA POLICE K-9 DIES SAVING HUMAN TEAMMATES IN SHOOTOUT WITH FUGITIVE SUSPECT, AUTHORITIES SAY
Officers in a small Missouri town in Andrew County are mourning the death of their K-9 companion, Horus. (FOX 4/Savannah Missouri Police Department )
A test was also conducted on Ziegler’s vehicle following his alleged confession about Horus’s death. His vehicle was parked outside in direct sunlight with the ignition turned off and court documents stated that when the internal temperature reached 90 degrees, the vehicle began to honk repeatedly, rolled down the rear windows, and activated a fan.
This test was used to demonstrate the AceK9 system inside the police vehicle was in working order and would have had to be manually turned off or deactivated on June 20, aiding in the death of Horus by removing a safeguard to prevent the tragedy, court documents stated.
A farewell service was held on Saturday to honor K-9 Officer Horus who had served the community for over three years.
LAS VEGAS POLICE K-9 UNDERGOES SURGERY AFTER BEING STABBED MULTIPLE TIMES BY SUSPECT
An anonymous donor purchased a permanent headstone for fallen Savannah Police K-9 Officer Horus. (Savannah Police Department)
The police department also posted a statement on social media back in July announcing that an anonymous donor had offered to purchase a headstone for Horus.
“Thank you to our donor, and Vanvickle Monuments for the headstone honoring our K9 Officer Horus,” the department wrote in a caption with images of the headstone.
A bill was recently signed by Gov. Mike Parson called Max’s Law, which increases penalties for injuring and killing animals in law enforcement.
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“These heroic animals put their lives on the line every day to protect the public and their human partners,” Republican state Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer said in a previous statement. “The law should protect them.”
According to the Savannah Police Department website, Lt. Ziegler is still listed on the staff roster.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Savannah Police Department for comment, but has not yet heard back.
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On the roster: Aidan Hutchinson, DJ Wonnum, Derrick Moore, Payton Turner, Tyler Lacy, Tyre West, Ahmed Hassanein
Twentyman: Hutchinson, 25, was named Second-Team All-Pro after setting a new career single-season high in sacks (14.5) while leading the NFL with 100 total pressures. Hutchinson is the first player in franchise history to log multiple 10.0-sack seasons through the first four years of a player’s career. With Al-Quadin Muhammad and his 11.0 sacks last year signing with Tampa Bay in free agency, the Lions needed to find Hutchinson a new running mate on the opposite edge.
Detroit added Wonnum in free agency and Moore in the NFL Draft and like what both bring to the table. It will be interesting to see how their unique skillsets fit in Kelvin Sheppard’s defense. Onwuzurike is a defensive tackle by trade but could also get some run as the big end.
While Detroit’s 49 sacks were the fourth most in the NFL last year, Detroit’s average time to pressure of 2.92 seconds was the slowest in the NFL, per Next Gen Stats. It wasn’t always the kind of pressure that affected the timing of opponent passing attacks as opposing quarterbacks finished with a 92.5 rating against Detroit’s defense, which ranked 19th.
On roster: Jack Campbell, Derrick Barnes, Malcolm Rodriguez, Jimmy Rolder, Damone Clark, Trevor Nowaske, Joe Bachie
Twentyman: The departure of Alex Anzalone means the Lions will have a new starter at the WILL in 2026. The leading candidate to fill the role is the veteran Rodriguez. Rolder has an interesting skillset, but is he ready to step in right away after playing limited defensive snaps at Michigan? Could the versatile Clark potentially be a fit there too? The competition for the starting WILL spot will be one of the better ones to watch in camp.
It will also be interesting to see how Sheppard might evolve his scheme after an extensive sit-down with head coach Dan Campbell this offseason going through all the cut-ups on defense from last year. Detroit wants to be more adaptable and versatile. Will Barnes’ SAM role change at all within the defense? Will a team that played the most base defense of any team in the NFL last year play more nickel?
MILWAUKEE – The Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission will meet on Thursday night, May 7, to discuss a number of items – including the use of Flock cameras, along with a resolution to tweak the Milwaukee Police Department’s current use of force policy.
Flock cameras
What we know:
Concerns over the use of flock cameras to fight crime – that’s one of the big topics set for discussion at tonight’s FPC meeting.
The cameras have faced push back from the community after prosecutors charged an MPD officer for misusing the technology in March.
Prosecutors allege Josue Ayala used Flock cameras to track a romantic partner and that partner’s ex. They say in the span of a month, the officer searched the pair 179 times. In February, prosecutors charged Ayala with attempted misconduct in public office.
A number of Common Council members wrote a letter expressing “serious concern” to the Milwaukee Police Department over the use of Flock cameras.
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In the letter, the Milwaukee aldermen said they had serious concerns about what they call “a lack of adequate guardrails, auditing, supervision and transparency.”
During Thursday’s meeting, the Milwaukee Police Department will be fielding questions from members of the FPC – including what guardrails are actually in place to avoid potential misuse.
“We also understand, especially from a recent situation, that we can do better. We understand that we have to put in more robust checks and balances,” said Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman.
Use of Force
What we know:
There are more possible changes coming to how Milwaukee police officers report the use of deadly force.
The modification to the use of force policy is specifically targeted at how and when officers must report the use of deadly force.
Under the current version of MPD’s standard operating procedure, a use of force report must be completed when a department member discharges a firearm. It excludes training situations, or if and when a member points a firearm at a person.
The potential change would include when a member “draws or displays a firearm (including a shotgun or rifle) to effect an arrest or seizure of a person.”
The resolution is sponsored by Alderman Peter Burgelis, who said in a meeting last month this essentially restores a recently deleted requirement previously in place.
Additionally, during Thursday’s meeting, they are also expected to dicuss the ongoing debate over MPD’s chase policy.
The Source: FOX6 News obtained Milwaukee Police Department data and utilized prior coverage.
Frey, Klobuchar condemn ICE presence in Minnesota after shooting
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar called for ICE to leave Minneapolis after another fatal shooting.
After eight years as the mayor of Minneapolis, Jacob Frey has a well-tested recipe for his State of the City speech.
Start with a healthy base of events that tested the city in the past year, but also drew out its strengths. Next, mix in updates about pet projects – Stable Homes Stable Schools, efforts to end exclusionary zoning, an uptick in police recruitment numbers – before sprinkling with some shout-outs to local businesses. Finally, add in the secret ingredient: the applause line about the Timberwolves.
Tuesday morning’s State of the City speech – the first of Frey’s third term – had all of that. But there was a little more bite than usual to the optimism that often shines through the annual address.
The mayor, who has taken some heat locally for his national notoriety, said that local government leaders needed to refocus on their core responsibilities before the city’s strong standing takes a downward trajectory, referencing discord between his administration and the Minneapolis City Council, though never saying exactly where he’d assign the blame.
“We tried to do everything – things that aren’t always a local government’s job – and in the process we didn’t always do the most important things well enough,” Frey said. “We’ve spent time debating things that are not the most critical parts of our job.”
Those critical parts, Frey said, start with public safety. He cited the police response to the Annunciation shooting and 911 operators’ work during Operation Metro Surge as core reasons to invest in public safety before proudly sharing that in 2025, 2,328 people had applied to become officers with the Minneapolis Police Department.
He also focused on some ground-level efforts, including the now-completed backlog of streetlight replacements and the upcoming implementation of the Community Safety Ambassador program in Uptown.
Not directly mentioned was his controversial veto of a Council ordinance that would have decriminalized the possession of drug paraphernalia. Supporters say the ordinance would’ve aligned the city with Minnesota state law and the principles of harm reduction – the idea that reducing the negative consequences of illegal drug use is an effective way to get users on a path to recovery.
“Continued open (drug) use on our streets is devastating: for residents, for families, and for businesses, large and small,” Frey said in his speech. “Compassion matters but it doesn’t mean anything goes.”
Switching to affordable housing, the mayor praised the transformation of commercial spaces into housing, citing examples like Opportunity Crossing and Groove Lofts. He also pushed for the city to cut the red tape keeping more properties from being built, including controversial accessory dwelling units.
The speech also marked a change in his rhetoric on one specific topic: Minneapolis’ return to office work, especially downtown.
In his 2023 speech, he said he didn’t really “get” remote or hybrid work, though he understood the appeal of “sweatpants on Mondays” and encouraged a commitment to in-person work in downtown Tuesday through Thursday.
“Wouldn’t that be nice,” he said, “to have everyone back downtown for three whole days each week?”
He was a little more blunt in 2024, expressing growing concern from “residents having to pick up the tab because less taxes are generated from downtown buildings.”
Last year, he noted that “nearly 70% of downtown workers are back at least once a week – by the way, please keep it coming.”
In Tuesday’s speech, though? A note that COVID-19 had “expedited a necessary transition away from full-time, in-person work” and a push for businesses to consider changes to how they use their buildings.
“If you’re willing to invest in a big vision for a building where the basis has been lowered, come talk to us,” said Frey, calling out the use of tax increment financing to support redevelopment. “If you’ve got one gigantic retail space on Nicollet Mall, and you want to change it to a bunch of smaller ones, come talk to us.”
As he closed, he made another call for city leaders to get serious about results, foreshadowing a challenging budget process ahead and “hard conversations” about programs and investments that weren’t delivering for residents.
Minneapolis Council members respond to Frey
Council president Elliott Payne (Ward 1), vice-president Jamal Osman (Ward 6) and member Robin Wonsley (Ward 2) spoke briefly with press after the speech, expressing a general appreciation for Frey’s remarks and a hope that they could collaborate.
“Governance is not an individual sport,” Payne said. “We govern collectively and we move our city forward together. And so we’re looking forward to a four year term where we have deeper collaboration with the mayor and can actually advance a working class agenda that really puts the people first.”
Wonsley called for additional revenue options to reduce the burden of property taxes on residents, saying that things like income taxes or taxes on empty homes could raise millions “so that we can make sure we’re preserving the programs that actually help our residents have a good quality of life.”
And asked about the recent vetoes, Payne said he was open to discussions about solutions that could make it past the mayor’s desk.
“We would like the mayor to set his veto pen down and meet me at the whiteboard so that we can actually come up with the solutions to a lot of those intractable problems,” he said.
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