Bend PD officer, K-9 recovering from chase crash injuries

A Bend police K-9 officer and his four-legged partner were recovering Friday from injuries suffered when a Lake Oswego man fleeing police crashed into their patrol vehicle, officers said.

Bend police identified the officer involved in the crash Thursday afternoon as Officer Robert Pennock, a 12-year veteran of the department.

Pennock and other Bend officers were assisting the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office by helping with setting a perimeter but were not actively involved in the pursuit, officers said.

Pennock is currently a narcotics K-9 handler. His K-9 partner, “Ladybug,” a 6-year-old female Belgian Malinois, also was in his vehicle, where they were stopped along the roadway at the time of the crash.

Officers said Pennock is recovering from non-life-threatening injuries as a result of the crash. Ladybug sustained a broken tail vertebrae, but is recovering at home. Her anticipated recovery time is six to eight weeks.

Pennock and Ladybug began working together in March of this year. Since then, police said, they have been highly successful in drug detection and enforcement.

They have deployed on 59 incidents involving not just the Bend Police Department, but also all agencies in the Central Oregon area. They have assisted in 34 arrests, seized nearly 1 1/2 pounds of methamphetamine, an ounce of heroin, numerous controlled pills and tablets, five guns and money.

The Oregon State Police remains the investigative agency in the chase and crash.