5/23/03                                                                                              

ROCKFORD, Ill.—A police dog suffered a broken foot after the squad car he was in was stolen and later crashed.

A K-9 officer patrolling South Main stopped to investigate an argument between two men at about 11:10 p.m. Sunday evening. As soon as the officer stopped his patrol car, one of the suspects, later identified as Jermaine Ruffin, 29, fled on foot.

The officer pursued, leaving the other suspect and the squad car behind. The officer’s K-9, Castor, was kenneled in the back of the patrol car.

The officer eventually caught up with Ruffin and arrested him. Backup officers arrived and the K-9 officer asked them to check on his car.

The suspect, patrol car and police dog were gone from the scene.

A short while later, they received a report that the car had crashed near Cunningham and Meridian roads.

The suspect, Jeffrey A. Stuart, had fled but witnesses described a man fitting his description as exiting the car after it crashed.

One of Castor’s feet was broken in the accident.

Stuart was charged with driving under the influence, failing to reduce speed to avoid an accident, leaving the scene of an accident, having a suspended license, failure to wear a seat belt, vehicle theft and resisting arrest.

Ruffin was charged with resisting arrest and possession of 30 grams or less of cannabis.

Backup news staff writer Jenny Seib

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