By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
It has been more than two years since St. Joseph police dog K-9 Max was shot and killed chasing a suspect.
Missouri law, which relegates the killing of a police animal to no more than a property crime, still hasn’t changed.
St. Joseph Police Officer Lucas Winder recalls choosing Max in 2019. Winder says handlers and trainers told him if you stay on him in training, he would be a good police dog.
“Training with the KC Police Department, some of those guys that were on their second and third dog and they said the exact same thing: if you stay on him, continue to work him the way you are, he’s going to be one of the best dogs,” Winder tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “And, lo and behold, he was.”
The death of Max prompted a push to change state law to increase the penalty for killing a police animal. Gov. Mike Parson vetoed the anti-crime bill that included Max’s Law last year, due to an objection to an unrelated matter.
The Missouri General Assembly will consider the measure for the third time this year.
This is the first in a three-part series on efforts to pass Max’s Law.
Winder initially tried out another police canine at Vohne Liche Kennels in Denver, Indiana. No bond developed between the two. Winder then took a walk with Max.
“I go and I hook him up and then we walk out into the middle of this field and while we were out there, he jumps up, puts both paws on my shoulders and looks me right in the face,” Winder says. “And I’m like, yeah, I think you’re the one buddy. So, after that, I mean, it was nothing but history.”
Max was a Czech Shepherd. Winder retains his Slovakian passport as a memento. He answered to commands in both English and Dutch.
Max was two different dogs, according to Winder. At home, Max acted as any house dog would. Winder’s daughter would go to his pen and greet Max in the morning. They would play. At work, Max grew serious and understood his mission.
Max worked narcotics, trained to detect marijuana, cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine. Max also did patrol work.
Winder remembers Max fondly.
“In all my years in the military, all my years in the police department, there was no better companion that I had than Max.”
Winder returns to Jefferson City to testify in favor of Max’s Law during a Missouri Senate committee hearing. We discuss that tomorrow in part two.
Click HERE for Part Two: Testifying on Max's Law
Click HERE for Part Three: Preserving Max's legacy
You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.