Florence Alabama Police Department Vicious K9 Escapes Negligent Handler, Attacks 60yo Woman

Florence Police K-9 Officer Josh Hein (LEFT) with Titus, his dog, has a running suspect, Florence Police Officer Jason Hodges (RIGHT), taken down at their training center. TimesDaily photograph by Jim Hannon

This past Saturday, November 11, 2017, in Florence, Alabama, approximately an hour-and-a-half before the Alabama v Mississippi State football game, a 60-year old Florence city employee, Teresa “Terre” Ann Noland, was attacked and maliciously mauled by an escaped Florence Police K9, whose negligent handler Florence Police Officer Josh Hein allowed the vicious dog to escape.

The unprovoked attack happened at Ms. Noland’s residence after the escaped Florence Police K9 had jumped a fence and began prowling the neighborhood.

The negligent handler, Florence Police Officer Josh Hein, was oblivious to any of the events while he was comfortably seated inside a friend’s house with whom he was visiting. Hein had brought the vicious Florence Police German Shepherd K9 with him.

Ms. Noland, whose 80-year old mother lives with her, and for whom she is the solitary care-giver, had just arrived home from grocery shopping, and was unloading groceries from her car which was parked in the garage.

She noticed the escaped Florence Police K9 prowling on her property, and decided to check the mail, hoping that it would go away, which would allow her to shut the garage door, and go inside away from the vicious dog which was already sniffing, and menacing her.

As she turned to walk away, the escaped Florence Police K9 jumped toward her, forcefully and violently dragged and knocked her down to the ground, which shattered her RIGHT shoulder, and then proceeded to savagely bite, rip and tear Terre’s flesh from the back of her thigh down to her knee.

As the escaped Florence Police K9’s wanton and vicious attack ensued, the black German Shepherd Dog also bit her on the head and face, causing severe damage, numerous puncture wounds and numerous lacerations.

All the while, Florence Police K9 handler Officer Josh Hein sat in comfort in the living room with his friend, oblivious to the ongoing attack being made by his German Shepherd Dog, and Terre’s screams for help.

The 911 call was made from 2201 County Rd 41 Saturday at 16:29, which is Terre Noland’s next-door neighbor, across the street on the side.

Terre was lucky to have survived the especially vicious unprovoked attack, and had it not been for a neighbor who was driving by at the time, and who stopped to intervene, and help, she could have very well been killed by the escaped and vicious Florence Police K9.

Surprisingly, the TimesDaily, a Florence local newspaper owned by the Decatur Daily, has practically had a news-blackout on investigating, reporting, or publishing any news of the vicious, nearly-fatal attack.

Carter Watkins, Shoals Bureau Chief for WHNT TV-19 in Huntsville, Alabama wrote a story on the event, which “soft-pedaled” the vicious nature of the unprovoked attack by the Florence Police Department K9, whose handler Florence Police Officer Josh Hein negligently allowed it to escape, and maliciously maul Terre, nearly killing her.

Florence PD K9 escapes; bites woman
Posted 4:46 pm, November 14, 2017, by Carter Watkins, Updated at 04:57PM, November 14, 2017
http://whnt.com/2017/11/14/florence-pd-k9-escapes-bites-woman/

According to the WHNT TV-19 news report, Florence Police Sergeant Wes Gargis, who briefed on the matter, said, “the canine escaped the kennel at its handler’s home.”

According to publicly available information, Teresa Noland resides at 2113 County Road 41, Florence, AL 35633.

That is NOT TRUE.

According to the letter below, “The K9 was at her [Terre’s] neighbor’s house and after being bathed, was left unsupervised in the backyard, not his kennel at his handler’s apartment.”

According to publicly available information, Teresa Noland resides at 2113 County Road 41, Florence, AL 35633.

Emergency Services were called to the scene of the attack via 911 from 2201 County Road 41 Saturday at 16:29. That address is her next-door neighbor, across the street on the side.

According to publicly available Lauderdale County Property Tax Records, the 2201 CR 41 address is owned by “RUTLAND, KENNETH G ETUX STACY M,” i.e. Kenneth G. and Stacy M. Rutland.

Lauderdale County Property Tax records of 2201 County Road 41, Florence, AL

According to that same news story published by WHNT TV-19, “Sergeant Gargis said the canine and handler have constantly trained for the last five years.”

However, an earlier story published June 27, 2016 on TimesDaily.com contradicts FPD Sergeant Wes Gargis’ statement that “the canine and handler have constantly trained for the last five years.”

At the time of publication of the news story headlined “Canine unit a vital part of  Florence PD,“ Florence Police Officer Josh Hein had, at that time, only been with the dog “Titus” “about a year.” According to the story, Hein said, ““We are continually training,” said Hein, who has been a handler with the department’s canine unit for about a year.”

Canine unit a vital part of Florence PD

By Tom Smith, Senior Staff Writer, June 27, 2016
http://www.timesdaily.com/news/crime/canine-unit-a-vital-part-of-florence-pd/article_88c6b262-ee36-5566-9f98-d52ddc7dfce9.html

If what the 2016 news report said was true, which was that “Hein, who has been a handler with the department’s canine unit for about a year,” Hein has been with “Titus” the vicious Florence Police K9 LESS THAN 2 years.

And, that would also make sense, because according to the letter below, “The detective assigned to the case, Wes Gargis was Titus’ original handler. He said it was just a bite, a lie to save the K9 from destruction.”

Here’s the text of a letter sent to Carter Watkins, Shoals Bureau Chief at WHNT TV-19 in Huntsville, Alabama informing him of the efforts underway by Florence City Officials to “soft-pedal” the malicious attack:

“The attack by Florence K9 Saturday has been grossly under stated. I know the victim, she’s a fellow coworker for the city of Florence. The K9 was at her neighbor’s house and after being bathed, was left unsupervised in the backyard, not his kennel at his handler’s apartment.

“It jump [sic] the fence and was in the victim’s garage when she arrived home from grocery shopping. She unloaded her groceries and the dog sniffed and followed her around. When she was finished she thought if she walked to the mailbox the dog would follow and she could close the garage, when she turned to walk away, the dog attacked. Drug her to the ground, which shattered her right shoulder and began mauling the back of her right thigh down to her knee. She has a bite also to her face.

“A neighbor just happened to pass by in her car and ran to the neighbor’s house for help, which was the house the handler was in watching tv. It was then the handler realized the dog was out.

“She had a total shoulder replacement and surgery to repair the flesh that was ripped from her leg. She’ll have months of therapy and numerous more surgeries to come.

“The detective assigned to the case, Wes Gargis was Titus’ original handler. He said it was just a bite, a lie to save the K9 from destruction. The handler, Josh Hein isn’t even off duty. His negligence has inflicted months of pain and suffering on the victim who lives with her elderly mother.

“I just wanted to let someone in the media know it wasn’t just a bite and how unprofessional FPD is handling this serious situation.”

Also, according to readily available public information, Josh Hein – as stated in the letter above – resides in an apartment complex. So again, that contradicts what FPD Sgt. Gargis told the media, which was that “the canine escaped the kennel at its handler’s home.” So what Sgt. Gargis is saying, is that the K9 “Titus” escaped from Hein’s home on Helton Drive (Summit Ridge Apartments), and managed to run over 3 miles to get to Terre’s house and attack her. That’s just too far-fetched. It’s not even a good lie.

Google Maps Route: FPD K9 Handler Josh Hein’s apartment “home” to Terre Noland’s house.

Florence City Council OKs $600 advance to employee Josh Hein for Basic Police Academy

Interestingly, Florence Police Officer Josh Hein, who is thought to be in his early 30’s, has been Florence Police Officer from approximately 2012. Here is a copy of a $600 advance approved by Florence City Council on April 12, 2012, for him “to attend the Basic Police Academy in Jacksonville, Alabama.”

Of note as well, Florence Police Officer Josh Hein has also been named in a Civil Rights violation lawsuit in April 14, 2017.

The case is:
Adame-Rodriguez v. Butler et al
Case Number: 3:2017cv00611
Filed: April 14, 2017
Court: Alabama Northern District Court
Office: Northwestern Office
County: Lauderdale
Presiding Judge: Madeline Hughes Haikala
Nature of Suit: Other Civil Rights
Cause of Action: 28:1983

Efforts are underway to raise money for Terre’s recovery, which will be many months long, and arduously difficult. In the months to come, she will have more surgeries as a result of the vicious attack by the escaped Florence Police K9 whose negligent handler Josh Hein allowed it to escape. Terre will be unable to work for an unknown period of time because of the severity of the attacks, and now remains off work from the Florence City Information Technologies Department where she is employed. She faces permanent disfigurement, and possible permanent disability. Terre may never be able to work again.

Because of of the seriously vicious, and malicious nature unprovoked attack by the escaped and marauding Florence Police Department K9 German Shepherd Dog, she is off work, and cannot work because of the severity of her injuries.

To help Terre during this very trying time, please contribute to her GoFundme account.

https://www.gofundme.com/woman-attacked-by-florence-pd-k9