Prison guards sue for damages

Here's something you don't see every day Shorter quotes:

The State Highway Patrol post in Findlay, Ohio has paid $7,500 in settlements in the last five years to 13 people -- most of them state prison guards in Toledo and Lima -- whose vehicles were clawed by Hans or Ringo.

The patrol paid the settlements because no drugs were found. But that doesn't mean they weren't there, Laubacher said. "I have no reason to doubt the dogs - none whatsoever," he said. "If a canine indicates the odor of narcotics, I believe they were in there or are in there."

He probably believes in the tooth fairy as well, because the dogs don't have a 100% record of reliability. Dogs trained in the "aggressive" style are taught to scratch where they smell drugs. Hans apparently is somewhat overzealous in obeying the command. Laubacher however, defends his canine friend.

"I wouldn't call him aggressive," he said. "I'd call him motivated."

Some percentage of prison guards will have had drugs in their vehicles at some time. Drug use crosses all boundaries and all too many guards deal to prisoners. But according to the aggrieved guards, Hans was more goaded than motivated. If the accounts are true, it sounds like a bad combination of an aggressive dog with a near rabid handler.

[hat tip JackL]