LSPD K-9 Officer, Partner Receive Commendations

Lower Saucon K-9 Officer Steve Kunigus and his partner Atos last month were presented with Unit Letters of Commendation by the City of Bethlehem Police Department for their involvement in an incident which occurred on July 3, 2014, the township police department announced in a post on its Facebook page Thursday.

The awards were presented by Bethlehem Police Chief Mark DiLuzio and other department officials at a public ceremony held at Bethlehem City Hall on May 16 in conjunction with National Police Week.

The commendation letters presented to Kunigus and Atos stated, in part:

On July 3, 2014, officers were advised that a male suspect was observed speeding away from the 200 block of W. 3rd Street in a vehicle that he stole the previous night. Officers were also informed by family members of the suspect that he was believed to be armed with a .44 caliber handgun.

[BPD] Officer Shirk spotted the vehicle near Livingston Street. When Officer Shirk positioned himself behind the stolen vehicle, the suspect sped away and crashed into a building. The suspect fled on foot and Officer Shirk gave chase. The suspect entered into the backyard of an abandoned property in Bethlehem Township. Officer Shirk was forced to stop the foot pursuit, but officers quickly set up a perimeter.

Lower Saucon Police Officer Stephen Kunigus arrived with K-9 Officer Atos. When the suspect heard Atos, he leapt from his hiding spot underneath a collapsed shed in the abandoned property. There was a brief foot chase but the suspect was again able to find a hiding spot. Secure in the knowledge that he was not able to breach the perimeter, officers began to search the nearby yards. In the first yard searched, K-9 Atos began to alert to the presence of a suspect unseen by any other officers. The show of force along with the presence of this well trained police dog convinced the suspect to surrender without further resistance. The suspect eventually emerged from a bush.

The suspect was charged with several felonies and once word got out of his arrest, previously unreported claims of Aggravated Assault and Auto Theft were uncovered.