The Washington County Sheriff’s Office is proud to announce the 200th capture for Corporal Micah Akin & K-9 Stark. The dynamic duo logged their milestone capture on Wednesday, May 1, 2019 while assisting Forest Grove Police in tracking down a suspect.
At around 6:00 p.m., a woman reported to police her 20-year-old son-in-law was recording cell phone video of an underage girl in the bathroom. The suspect ran off into a large field. K-9 Stark arrived and tracked the man through the field. The team located him hiding 15 feet up in a tree. The suspect surrendered to Corporal Akin and K-9 Stark.
Corporal Akin and K-9 Stark have been partners since October of 2012. Stark was born in California and is half German Shepherd and half Belgian Malinois. Corporal Akin and K-9 Stark are certified in both narcotics detection and tracking. In August 2017, K-9 Stark had knee surgery on both of his back legs. Remarkably, he made a full recovery and returned to full duty just four months later.
Looking back, K-9 Stark has had some very memorable captures. Just a month post-recovery, Corporal Akin and K-9 Stark located a suspected car thief after nearly four hours of tracking. Additionally, the pair has successfully tracked multiple attempted-murder suspects. K-9 Stark has had multiple “hat-trick” days, logging three captures in one shift, often on separate incidents. Perhaps K-9 Stark is best known by the community and his co-workers for his adorable photos in costume, which he often wears while tracking.
When asked about his furry partner, Corporal Akin had this to say: “The dog just loves his job and never quits. That’s why I love him… we are inseparable.”
Congratulations to Corporal Akin and K-9 Stark!