New K9 team makes first major arrest in Deschutes County

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The Deschutes County Sheriff's Office has added a new K9 team to its patrol division, pairing Deputy Marshall Dean with K9 Creed, a 2-year-old Belgian Malinois.

The acquisition of the K9 was funded by a $20,000 donation from Sisters residents Gary and Dixie Baker. Deschutes County Sheriff Ty Rupert stated that the addition aligns with the agency's long-term operational goals. “We are pleased to see Deputy Dean take on this new assignment with Creed and we are grateful for the donation that made it possible to expand our K9 team this year,” Rupert said. “Our long‑term goal is to have a K9 unit on every patrol team, because dogs serve as effective de-escalation tools and an added layer of protection that keeps our deputies safe on every call.”

Creed is a dual-purpose K9 trained in both detection and apprehension, allowing him to locate specific types of contraband and assist deputies in apprehending fleeing or dangerous suspects. Before joining the sheriff's office, Creed completed advanced training overseas and underwent development at Tarheel Canine Training in South Carolina. After being paired together this summer, Deputy Dean and Creed completed additional training and certification through the Oregon Police K9 Association.

Deputy Dean began his law enforcement career in 2017 with Benton County. He has served on the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office Patrol Unit for three years.

The new team responded to an incident on Saturday, Oct. 3, after a driver fled a traffic stop and hid inside a residence in Deschutes River Woods. Dean deployed Creed, who located the suspect hiding under mattresses inside the home, enabling deputies to arrest the suspect without incident.

Sheriff's office officials noted that the addition of the new K9 team was made possible through the $20,000 contribution from Gary and Dixie Baker.