Canine Law

Instructor:   Andrew Tallmer       REGISTER HERE
Date:  August 30, 2023
Location:  RCCC-N, Bldg N110 – 204
Time: 8 am – 5 pm
Total Hrs: 8
Purpose of Course:          To expose students to the legal issues involved with the use of canines.
Objectives:                         At the end of the course, the student will:
Understand the law of force, including deadly force
Comprehend the legal issues facing canine officers
Be able to discuss constitutional issues commonly arising with the use of canines
Discuss ways to limit civil liability, including qualified immunity
Course Length:                  8 hours
Instructional Design:       Lecture, Discussion, Videos/DVD’s , interactive exercises
Course Materials:             Federal and State Case Law (to be distributed in class)
Federal and State statutes (to be distributed in class)
Course Topics:
Overview of search and seizure issues
Criminal vs. civil litigation
Deployment decisions
Training of officer and canine
Use of dogs to sniff people and their houses
Certification issues
Common grounds for defense attorneys to challenge K-9 officers
Dog bites: deadly or non-deadly use of force?
Defending K-9 officer and K-9 in court
SOP’s to consider
42 U.S.C. 1983
Qualified Immunity
Objective reasonableness in the use of force
Deadly force—Tennessee v. Garner standard
North Carolina statutes covering the use of force
FLSA 29 U.S.C. 201 et. Seq.
Injury protocol if dog bites
Mission statements
Drug/explosive/missing suspect canine case law
Ownership rights upon retirement
Use of canines at DWI roadblocks
Use of canines during search warrant executions
Agency liability under 42 U.S.C. 1983
Reducing civil liability risks