Six months after investigators say a police K9 in South Carolina was injured by its own handler, Anderson Sheriff’s Office deputy Jacob Saxon, who repeatedly slammed the dog to the ground, the investigation into Saxon has been close.
Instead of being fired, deputy Saxon resigned two days after the incident when the department determined there was a “concern that the illegal use of steroids played a part in the conduct of deputy Jacob Saxon and the injury of K9 Magnum,” according to WISTV.
Deputy Saxon “slammed K9 Magnum to the ground multiple times,” according to an internal affairs memo released through a Freedom of Information Act request in January.
Recently released X-ray images show the severity of Magnum’s fracture, which resulted from the abuse by deputy Saxon.
After Magnum’s injury, deputy Saxon claimed the dog bit him and he slammed the dog several times as a “corrective measure,” which was not in line with the department’s policy.
Even though Saxon was apparently urged to resign by department officials, the state attorney general’s office determined there was not enough evidence to prosecute the officer.
Magnum has retired since recovering from his injuries and was adopted by another resident in Anderson County.
The department offered to look into their “concern that the illegal use of steroids played a part in the conduct of deputy Jacob Saxon” and the injury of Magnum.
However, Saxon refused to submit to a drug test for steroids upon their request.
A spokesman for the Anderson County Sheriff’s Officer said deputy Saxon’s file was made public Tuesday after the investigation against him was closed.
While no criminal charges were filed against deputy Saxon, the department’s internal affairs division found sufficient evidence to conclude that Saxon did not “use proper K9 handling techniques” while handling Magnum on the day of the dog’s injury,” according to IndependentMail.
