Police dog Quanto, killed in the line of duty, gets justice

An Edmonton man who pleaded guilty to killing Edmonton police service dog Quanto has been sentenced to two years and two months in jail.

Paul Vukmanich, 27, stabbed Quanto to death during a police chase. He pleaded guilty to a number of charges including animal cruelty, possession of a weapon, impaired driving, resisting arrest and flight from police.

A provincial court judge sentenced Vukmanich to 18 months for killing Quanto; the remaining eight months were for the other charges he pleaded guilty to. The stabbing was, according to the judge, “an act of unbridled violence.”

Your attack wasn’t just an attack on a dog. It’s an attack on your society and what’s meaningful in our society. The hurt from your actions was widespread. It explains why there are so many in the courtroom today.”

The crown also demanded that Vukmanich pay a $40,000 restitution order, a fine that the judge declined to impose.

The Edmonton man was high on drugs and fleeing from police last October when he repeatedly stabbed Quanto. The German shepherd was set loose by officers after Vukmanich was caught driving a car with stolen plates. When he tried to flee by foot, Quanto followed. 

The death of Quanto made national headlines in Canada after Edmonton officers voiced their complaints that the toughest charge Vukmanich faced was animal cruelty.

The federal government signalled in the speech from the throne in October that it would create new legislation to protect animals that work with police and call it Quanto’s Law.

Quanto was the fifth Edmonton police dog to die in the line of duty.

His handler, Const. Matt Williamson, told court in his victim impact statement that although Quanto lived with his family, the dog’s primary role was as his protector, a role the animal fearlessly fulfilled.

However, Williamson said, Quanto’s death has had a profound effect on the officer’s six-year-old daughter, who came to him crying one day with a question:

If Quanto’s job was to protect you from bad guys … is a bad guy going to kill you?”

Williamson said the little girl never lets him leave for work now without giving him a hug first.

h/t:  Calgary Herald, CBC 

Photo credit: Edmonton Police Service 

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Comments

  1. If anyone thinks cops are out to kill and blood thirsty this should wake them up! I love my dogs and if anyone stabbed on of mine I know the perpetrator would be dead. This cop showed a lot of restraint. More than I would have I think. It’s hard to see an animal like this that you actually work with that puts it s life on the line for you any time you need him to, die like this. We had these same kind of brave dogs in the Gulf, I swear it hurt more to see one of them die than our own guy’s. Everyone over there dealt with this, the dogs were real heroes and tougher than most people I have met.

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