WMC-TV: News, Weather, Traffic, Radar, and Sports for Memphis, TN; WMCTV.com | Oakland Police investigated for collecting on "dead" K-9 officer

Oakland Police investigated for collecting on "dead" K-9 officer

OAKLAND, TN (WMC-TV) - The Oakland Police Department is under the microscope after authorities discovered a former K-9 officer owned by the department may still alive, after it was reported dead four years ago.

Oakland Police Chief Bob Tisdale said in an interview Wednesday that it all began in 2004 when the department purchased a new drug dog and sent it to be trained in Hardeman county.

"We had officers who had the dog out for training," Tisdale said. "The dog was hit by a vehicle."

According to Tisdale, the Hardeman County Sheriff's department filed a report about the incident, which read a car hit and killed the dog.

Tisdale said the department filed a $5,000 insurance claim on the dog, and used the money to buy another K-9 officer.

Recently, officials began to investigate after getting reports that the dead dog was really still alive.

The Tennessee Bureau of investigation began looking into yhe allegations on July 15th of this year.  According to District Attorney Mike Dunavant, the dog in question, named Kit, was actually found alive last week in Atoka in South Tipton County.

Officials are waiting to determine whether or not the police department filed a false police report and received payment on a false insurance claim, something Tisdale denies.

"No part of the city or anybody up here has done anything wrong," said Tisdale.

Oakland Mayor Bill Mullins is out of town but told said by phone he does not believe there is anything to these allegations. 

The TBI says its report should be ready in about a month.

Click here to e-mail Justin Hanson.