After only being “sworn in” for less than two months, the Macon County Sheriff’s Office’s newest member is already leaving his mark on Macon County.
“K9 Jax joined the MCSO K-9 Unit in August of 2020, and since then he has been utilized 27 times for narcotics investigations with his handler, Corporal Derek Stamey,” said 1st Sergeant Clay Bryson, who is also in charge of Macon County Sheriff’s Office K9 program. “After weeks of training, K9 Jax was certified by the North American Police Work Dog Association (NAPWDA) and was ready to get to work.”
Members of the MCSO K9 Unit took a break from patrol on Tuesday to visit students at Cartoogechaye Elementary School. The second grade at Cartoogechaye just finished reading “Officer Buckle and Gloria” a book about a law enforcement K9. Cartoogechaye Elementary School Resource officer along with K9 Jax, as well as MCSO K9 Rocky and his handler 1st Sgt. Clay Bryson, and K9 Diesel, and his handler Sergeant Nick Lofthouse spoke to students about real-life applications for K9s and the different uses for the dogs, and how they benefit the community.
K9 Jax is the newest addition to the Sheriff’s Office growing K9 Unit — which currently utilizes a total of five dogs.
In the 27 deployments for narcotics investigations, K9 Jax is responsible for the recovery of 105 grams of Methamphetamine, one firearm, and seized $1,095 in drug forfeiture money.
K9 Jax can even add human tracking to his list of accomplishments during his short time at MCSO, as K9 Jax was deployed recently to assist in the apprehension of Benjamin Owens, a fugitive wanted by the US Marshals and Clay County Sheriff’s Office for drug trafficking and weapon violations. Owens was considered to be armed and dangerous, and after a vehicle pursuit with Clay County, Owens wrecked his vehicle in Macon County and quickly fled into the woods nearby. The quick response to the scene of the accident made it possible to track the wanted suspect. The track was successful and Owens was taken into custody.
Funding for K9 Jax was made possible by the ‘9-1-1 Charity Golf Classic’ tournament held at Mill Creek Country Club and made possible by owners Brenda and Tony Munger. The Mungers have been, and continue to be, very supportive of our K9 program.
In 2020, Macon County K9s were deployed 401 times and were able to seize 249 pieces of contraband. The MCSO K-9 Unit is a huge asset to the department and the citizens of Macon County.
“We are excited about how much K9 Jax and Corporal Stamey have been able to accomplish together in such a short time,” said Sheriff Robert Holland. “Macon County Sheriff’s Office will always protect and serve the citizens of Macon County to the best of our abilities, and our four-legged officers are no exception.”
To learn more about our K9 program, you can reach out to 1st Sergeant Bryson at 828-349-2202 or cbryson@maconnc.org.
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