CHICOPEE, MASS. (WHDH) - State police are crediting a K9 handler and his canine partner with tracking down a pistol-whipping suspect.
Troopers responding to a reported domestic incident on Tuesday, Dec. 13 lost sight of the suspect, Nathan Leblanc, 27, behind a residence at a trailer park on Kon Tiki Circle near a Honda dealership, according to state police.
Last Tuesday night, Chicopee Police initiated a foot chase of a male suspected of pistol-whipping the victim in a domestic incident. Officers lost sight of the suspect, NATHAN LEBLANC, 27, behind a residence at a trailer park on Kon Tiki Circle, adjacent to a Honda dealership.
Among the teams assisting in the search were Trooper Ken Hanchett and his partner Orry, who were backed up by Trooper John Areche. After clearing several yards in the area where the suspect was last seen, Orry began to show trailing behavior behind a residence on Kon Tiki Circle, and the Troopers observed fresh foot impressions in the snow.
Orry continued to move eastward through the trailer park and crossed several roads and a small, wooded area to reach Sunrise Lane. He continued to track east through numerous yards among the mobile homes, and then turned to the northeast, where he reached a large fence that enclosed a junkyard on Donohue Road. Orry and the Troopers navigated through a break in the fence and entered the junkyard.
Orry showed a proximity alert along a row of junked vehicles, ultimately focusing on a red dump truck carrying a salt box on its bed. Trooper Hanchett issued a K9 warning, announcing that any suspect there should surrender or face apprehension by the dog.
That’s when police say Leblanc announced his presence and came out from his hiding spot behind the dump truck. He was arrested without further incident and turned over to the Chicopee Police Department.
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