A man who was picked up by authorities while he sat sleeping at an IHOP table now alleges that Loudoun County Sheriffs deputies are responsible for the death of his dog.
Loudoun County Sheriff’s officials say they are investigating allegations that were made by Stuart B. Grimes, 24, who stopped by a local IHOP restaurant around 5 a.m. on May 31 at the Cedar Lakes Plaza in Sterling. The deputies responded to the call of an intoxicated man at the restaurant. While he was taken into custody, Grimes alleges the deputies ignored his pleas to take care of his dog that was waiting in his car. His dog later died.
After a brief struggle, Grimes was eventually taken into custody.
“Due to his combative nature, once he was secured by Sheriff’s deputies, [Grimes] was immediately taken to the Loudoun Adult Detention Center,” Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Kraig Troxell said. Grimes was later taken before a Loudoun magistrate and charged with drunk in public and obstruction of justice.
The following day, Grimes made allegations through a statement that the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office did nothing to ensure the safety of Grimes’ dog, which was left in his car while he was in jail.
Speaking to the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday June 7, Sheriff Steven Simpson denied Grimes’ allegations.
“We wish we would’ve known that there was a dog in his car,” Simpson told the Board. “Had we known there was a dog in the vehicle, it would’ve been addressed, I assure you.”
Grimes has yet to return multiple calls for comment, but last week he told ABC7 that he repeatedly asked deputies to get his dog Rex, a 4-year-old Labrador-Boxer mix, out of his Chrysler SUV.
“[The deputy] pulled my keys out and hit the panic button to find out which vehicle was mine, and it was in front of him,” Grimes told ABC.
At the June 7 board meeting, Supervisor Stevens Miller (D-Dulles) asked Simpson to clarify that remark.
“Why would a deputy see if a car was [in the parking lot] and not go look inside the car?” Miller asked Simpson.
“When [Grimes] was asked how he had arrived at the IHOP, he said he had arrived in a spaceship and from magic dust,” Simpson said. “The deputy wanted to see if his car was there. But at no time did [Grimes] mention a dog.”
According to Simpson, if a person is not in or around their vehicle at the time of their arrest, Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office policy says that the police do not go looking for their vehicle.
“We have no right to search for vehicles if they are not incident to the arrest, the vehicle in this case was not incident to the arrest, so we didn’t search for it,” Simpson said. “There’s nothing that requires us to look for a vehicle.”
Simpson told the Board that due to Grimes’ combative nature – the profanity he used and the physicality it took to restrain him – deputies concentrated their efforts on getting Grimes to jail.
While in jail, Grimes told ABC he was “praying [Rex] wasn’t in the back of my car.”
According to Simpson, once Grimes arrived at jail he refused to make a phone or cooperate with any deputies at the facility.
“I’ve spoken with the deputies that picked [Grimes] up, the IHOP workers, and the deputies at the jail,” Simpson said. “At no time did [Grimes] mention a dog, a car, or a dog in a car.”
Simpson said that Grimes was intoxicated for most of the afternoon and appeared before a magistrate around 4 p.m. He then made two phones calls, the first to a bondsmen, and the second to a friend to come pick him up.
When Grimes was bailed out of jail at 8 p.m., ABC said, he went to the IHOP and found Rex dead in his car.
“They say they didn’t know about the dog or the car,” Grimes told ABC. “That’s not fair. I was begging them to save my dog.”
As of 3 p.m. June 7, more than 3,700 Facebook users have “liked” a Justice for Rex Facebook community page. “Justice for Rex. Innocent victim of Police failure! The Police are supposed to: ‘serve and protect’ – what about the animals?” text from the Facebook Page reads.
On the Facebook page, text from a story published by examiner.com has been reprinted.
“During [Grimes’ time in jail], he begged for help for his dog,” the examiner.com story says. “He pleaded with officers and guards to get his dog out of the car still parked in front of the restaurant.
“According to Grimes, his pleas not only fell on deaf ears - his pleas were ridiculed by those at the jail. Grimes begged for help - he even showed one of the guards a photo of his dog on his cell phone. But no one offered to help. No one searched Grimes’ car,” the article says.
But Simpson’s report to the Board contradicts Grimes’ allegations in the examiner.com article.
“As I said, I wish we would’ve known that there was a dog in the car,” Simpson said.
When asked if video surveillance exists of the incident, Simpson told the Board that in addition to surveillance footage from IHOP, there is video from the deputies’ cruisers, as well as footage from the jail, although the jail footage, Simpson said, does not contain audio.
Simpson did not elaborate further about the content of the surveillance tapes.
On May 31, temperatures in Sterling reached 94 degrees. According to Loudoun County Animal Control, it could take as little as 15 minutes for a dog to be in serious health risk if left in a car in hot temperatures.
“It depends on the breed, some dogs do better in heat than others, but if it’s over 70 degrees outside, it can get very hot inside a vehicle,” an official with Animal Control said. “It can take 15 minutes before the dog is in rough shape. But it does depend on the specific circumstances, the overall condition of the dog, the breed of the dog, and so on.”
If Animal Control receives a call about a dog stuck in a car, procedure says that, under the appropriate circumstances, they can extract the dog from the vehicle.
“County code says that if it’s over 70 degrees outside, or 80 degrees in the vehicle, it’s a class three misdemeanor to leave your dog in the car,” Animal Control said. “If that is the criteria, we would send an officer to deal with the situation. If the dog is going downhill and in a state of distress, we can remove the animal from the vehicle if need be.”
Simpson told the Board that the Sheriff’s Office receives many calls about dogs being left in cars, and, if necessary, people have the authority to break car windows to extract a dog on a particularly hot day.
“The deputies responded to the call in a professional matter,” Simpson said. “It’s unfortunate that the deputies are being blamed for this. They did their job, and they did a good job. It seems that people are losing sight as to how this started in the first place. A gentleman had been drinking all day and left his dog in the car.”
When asked by Miller what is left to be investigated in the case, Simpson responded by saying, “I don’t know at this point, unless something comes up that surprises us. Animal control is working on their investigation as well. There may be nothing new, I’m not sure. This is where the investigation is at, as I sit here today.”
Read the above article and you will see the update. Wether any more updated news will come out is doubtful. It’s a horrible story, and not checking a vehicle for the safety of humans and animals after the owner is arrested for drunk in public at a restaurant is horrible.
When are we getting an update on this. With video and audio recordings, it shouldn’t take 7 days to prove this guy is lying.
These pigs are liars. First thing they do when they get a perp is see where the car is for drug or weapons convictions. WHat a bunch of liars.Rot in hell pigs
typical loudoun sheriffs office. liars that they dont go looking for the car. they always go look in the car so they can try and put something else on you. this is the good ol boy system. it always will be untill they remove that ####### sheriff simpson. he has been around way to long.loudoun needs change from this corrupt sheriffs office. i have seen them break the law time and time again and sweep it under the carpet. WAKE UP LOUDOUN NOTHING WILL GET RESOLVED WITH THIS. THEY WILL WAIT TILL IT GETS OLD AND SWEEP IT UNDER THE RUG. LOUDOUN NEEDS CHANGE FROM THIS GOOD OL BOY SYSTEM.
How would this all play out if there had been a child strapped in a car seat 1).while Grimes was in IHop and 2).police arrest him, hold him overnight and the child dies in the overheated car interior?
@NOT A SURMON—Thank you for being one of the many few intelligent ones! I 100 % AGREE the Officer’s should sue.
AND funny thing is, all these people who are hating on the police, when they need someone to help them with a break in, or the next time there’s a domestice problem, who are they going to call? Why certainly not the ghost busters! Their little fingers will be quick with that 911 dial.
You fools are being fooled by a drunk pothead. Wake up.. The dog was probably dead before the Cops even arrived. Let’s all use our brains and do something I like to call.. THINK!!!
Stu, I have just three very simple questions for you..
why were you drinking an driving in the first place?
why would you PUT YOUR BEST FRIEND, REX, in the car with you while you drove DRUNK to ihop?
and last..
You had at least ONE PHONE CALL, why would you not call your parents and ask them to rescue your dog?
If you can answer at least 2 out of the 3 questions with some intelligence, then maybe I would feel for you. I feel horrible for your dog, but the Police are not responsible for the death of Rex, YOU ARE.
This situation is a very poor outcome, someones dog is more than just an animal, its a family member. Currently, the sheriff’s department is suffering from lack of leadership, and this situation is a sympton of the overall lack of leadership by Sheriff Simpson, if anyone on this blog realy wants to effect change please visit my website and register to become a delagate for the July 23rd convention for the republican party or contact our office 571-209-9040 signed Ron Speakman Candidate for Sheriff Loudoun County VA
I will tell you that time of death will likely not support Mr. Grimes desription of how the animal passed away. He suggest the animal died during his encarceration. Well, I am telling you (supporters) he was not telling the truth. Believe what you want, but the dog passed away prior to him arriving at IHOP. Sorry to ruin your agenda.
I do not support or not support Mr Grimes. I do however support animal rights. To answer your question, yes I am stable.
I am going to call the Sheriff’s Dept tonight. I plan to go out drinking at a friends house. I was hoping they could come by and feed my dog and walk her twice. If she craps in my neighbors yard, they can scoop it. Please toss it Ms. Judy’s house who supported Mr. Grimes. She supports $hit anyway. While the Deputies are at my house, they could water my flowers and cut the front lawn. Of course, I would do it but I will be drunk. Thanks guys!
So after this Fkn idiot had 3 phone calls or even 1, why didn’t he call a friend, relative or even the restaurant to have someone check on his dog? That would have prevented the dog from dying. To blame the deputies, you are looking for a scapegoat. Take responsibility for your actions.
I am appalled by the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Department. The Sheriff needs to take responsibility for his departments irresponsibility.
So the deputies should have gone to his house and feed his fish? His pet bird? His cats? Changed the oil in his car to prevent sludge? Take his trash out for him? Oh wait, I believe they neglected to wipe his @ss too. The deputies were responsible for removing the subject from the premise. Since he was drunk, they had the responsibility to book him. Quit blaming the deputies for what the defendant should have prevented prior to drinking. If his would have wrecked his vehicle, he would have been at fault as well. So why blame an officer for some immature idiot’s decision. Personally he should be sent to jail for a year and released after bubba handles him.
@losers everywhere….I don’t think you understand, it is not about Stu being drunk or an idiot or breaking the law. THIS IS about Rex, it is about police officers that did not listen about a dog in a car! You and many others here think it was OK to let Rex cook in that car all day because his owner was arrested for drunk in public. Why did they not search the car? They knew one was there, what if a child had been in the car? Authorities were notified a dog was in the car at the court house, they did nothing.
To vigilante supporter: I have encountered Deputy Casey Johnson while on patrol in the past and was treated with courtesy and respect. He’s one of the good guys.
This was a preventable tragedy!!!! Why would it not be procedure when arresting someone to check their vehicle!!!! Inexcusable!!!
I don’t believe a word Simpson says, period!
What a sick society we now live in. This thread has reached over 100 comments. The guy was breaking the law and showed total disregard to his dog. He was too drunk to support the idea that he actually told an officer. Although he received what he deserves, the victim (Max) was punished for being in the care of a total idiot. What really concerns me though, is the fact there are so many supporters for the the drunk. Have we really become a society that supports such losers? Placing blame on the police does not excuse the real problem, Mr. Grimes.
Like all of us who are speculating on here, we do not know what happened, but if there is video/microphones, that would certainly settle LCS arguments that they handled the situation correctly. Now, from my experiences over the years (as a witness) I’ve witnessed a few people being arrested for late night drunkenness in eateries, and the police in those instances either checked the car(flashlight search through window) or walked over to check and tow car. I don’t necessarily believe this drunk yelled to officers at IHOP or the jail about his dog, but I think it very suspect that they didn’t check his car. To show that he drove there drunk and perhaps to search for drugs etc.
I think Deputy Casey Johnson should be booked in uniform unarmed and with maximum security inmates so they can run a train on him. You all know that a train is don’t you??
This is bull that the sheriff claims they don’t search arrestees cars when they aren’t in or near it. I know this because Deputy Cote did this to me unlawfully. Officers like him and this jerk who let Grimes’ dog die should be fired and booked in uniform so the other inmates can run a train. Ya’ll know what a train is don’t you?
This story just makes me sick! I hope November elections bring in new blood! Not checking the vehicle for for the safety of any animals or humans,after arrest of the drunk owner is horrible.
If somebody says they arrived in a spaceship I’m pretty sure the police would be looking for a car for maybe…..drugs?
I think Simpson is shady, and always have. I don’t believe he truly cares about our county and I wish he would get fired and replaced with an upstanding citizen. Regarding the deputies in LoCo, I have always met and dealt with polite, professional officers and never seen any of them mistreat anyone or act the way they are being accused of acting (negligent, uncaring, unprofessional), so I hope this information is incorrect. If it turns out that there was no dog, I can’t even think of what should be done to this individual. If it is true, that this dog was not only left in the car, but suffered a terrible death as well, my heart breaks for the poor animal. In addition to that however, pet owners MUST be responsible!! Regardless of what the circumstances were, he was DRUNK, and DRIVING, he added insult to injury by risking the lives of himself and others as well as that of his dog. The one to blame is the pet owner for acting irresponsibly by drinking and driving and having his pet in the car. This was all as a result of his decision and action, NOT anyone else. If LCSO was told there was a dog in the car, I truly find it hard to believe that not one of them wouldn’t have cared enough to check, but if this truly was the case, shame on them and I hope they regret that decision each night they go to sleep. But, even so, the blame remains with the pet owner. Period.
Something sounds fishy with Simpsons statement, “We have no right to search for vehicles if they are not incident to the arrest, the vehicle in this case was not incident to the arrest, so we didn’t search for it,” Simpson said. “There’s nothing that requires us to look for a vehicle.”
Now they had asked the gentleman how he had gotten there. If the vehicle wasn’t important or a part of the arrest, why would they ask? The first thing I would do is look to see if there WAS a vehicle. Hell, the guy was drunk, there could have been a kid in car!!
Don’t believe a word officers say anymore because I have seen how some people get treated by them even when they are innocent bystanders. They probably knew the dog was in there.
I feel sad to hear that,dog is our human’s friend we need to pay more attenton to dog!GPS tracking
county police what a joke.they get away with everything.getting the guy in jail is always first,screw the dog,child,etc,make your quota,eat your doughnuts.hope they sleep well.these power freaks need 2 be put in their place.
Wonder if the magistrate was from lovettsville….
Unfortunately for LoCo residents, I have first hand knowledge of two recent incidents where the LoCo Sheriff’s department acted unethically at best and borderline criminal/incompetent at worst. We should all be very concerned. I want to see the video and audio recordings of Mr. Grimes. I know the LoCo Sheriff’s offices SAYS he never mentioned the dog but should we believe them? In the words of Ronald Reagan “Trust But Verfiy.” We have the video - where is it????
If the deputies did not know that a dog was in the car, then this is a tragedy caused by Mr. Grimes.
If Mr. Grimes spoke the truth and the deputies allowed that dog to die in a hot car, then Loudoun County residents should be very, very worried that lowlife men like this are walking around with badges and guns.
I don’t think the officers intentionally left the dog in the car to die. At least I HOPE they didn’t and that they wouldn’t be that cruel. I feel that they were negligent. This man must have mentioned his dog, even in his incoherent state. If he didn’t, you would think the officers would make a good faith effort to find this man’s car and assess the situation. There could have been a child inside! In most other situations like this, the car would have been impounded. I respect our law enforcement, but I keep hearing more and more stories about unethical behavior on behalf of cops…I hope there’s an investigation into this.
@ NOT A SURMON…..Why did the police change their story? Why did they say they did’nt know about a car? Then when video tapes were mention, they knew about the car, but not th dog? It stinks, Grimes got a DUI, Cops need a neglect and abuse charge for crulty to animals.
This is not a tragedy. It’s sad that an animal died, yes, but that is all. I don’t see anything that shows any police wrongdoing.
Why would anyone believe the irresponsible owner who left his dog in a car in the first place? Perhaps he should be prosecuted for animal cruelty on top of his arrest for public intoxication.
I hope the individual deputies named by Mr. Grimes sue him for deformation of character. It is also sad that the public always jumps on the cops whenever they are ACCUSED of doing something wrong. Now that the details are coming out I hope all you bashers will send an apology to the faithful deputies that protect you every night and did nothing wrong.
@Leesburgmama
“just like the rescue squad ignored the guy drowning.”
What are you talking about? Are you talking about the department in California? If so, what the hell does that have to do with anything?
Another police FAIL. They claim they had no right to inspect his vehicle but they walk around opening up people’s doors putting fliers on their seats telling them to lock their doors.
The officers willfully ignored the man, just like the rescue squad ignored the guy drowning. Pathetic.
@ OhNoUDidnt;That was mean and inaccurate! Everyone knows the new IHOP “Rex Special” is Pancakes with a fried egg and a Coors lite
I heard IHOP is offering the Rex Special….a hotdog, side of pancakes and case of beer.
Either one of two things happened in this case…Grimes told authorities about his dog being in his car and EVERY officer, jail deputy, magistrate, jail nurse, fellow inmate ignored his pleas OR grimes did not say anything because he was too drunk and did not want to bring attention to his vehicle because he is still on probation from his previous DUI and his license is currently suspended. If i’m not mistaken, in VA if you are caught driving while your license is suspended for DUI, your vehicle gets impounded for 30 days!! Very expensive!! It is clear this idiot was drunk, careless, DUI (again) and said nothing about his car because he wanted to protect his own butt. I feel very sorry for this dog, but this guy gets no Pet-Owner-of-The-Year award. They should violate his probation and charge him for cruelty to an animal. The rest of you are just a bunch of dopes who already dislike the police.
@one more:
Thanks for the info, this Grimes sounds like a real stand-up guy.
Yes, he is a repeat offender. Of course, DUI is not his only previous charges. This is another incident that he is trying to place the blame elsewhere. Also, it seems to be an attempt to use his dog to sue the county. He needs to be charged with animal cruelty. He failed to take proper care of his animal. Next question, if the dog was not registered/rabie vaccinated, he can be charged for that. His best bet is to pay fine and part his way. He is a loser to society and of course the some freaks will always come out in his support. It’s a free country, if you want to support him fine, we will do our best to deal with his lost followers. After all there is little hope of curing your mental disorder.
If the deputies had any idea that there was a dog in the man’s vehicle they would have called to have it taken care of. Why was the drunk driving around with his dog? Now that he has been caught, he needs to blame someone else for what is clearly his fault. I wonder how well he cared for that animal. May Rex Rest in Peace in a place where he doesn’t need to worry about being cared for properly. Thank goodness this foul man wasn’t driving around with a baby.
Interesting - I just looked at the Virginia courts website and see there is a Stuart Bartlett Grimes who got a dui in June 2010 and because of the one year restriction should not have been driving in may 2011. Maybe that’s why he didn’t really tell anyone about his car and dog, opting instead for “spaceship?”
Shame on the LCSO for not checking his spaceship for animals.
If indeed there is audio and video from IHOP and the police cruisers, let’s see and hear it. And no, I don’t mean let the Sheriff’s department review and and tell us what (they think) is on it. Post it online - unedited - and let the people decide if Mr. Grimes discussed the dog or not. We can go from there.
My owner needs to go and see a doctor and say i’m not sure whats wrong with me, but I think i suck.,
Police officers I know not only love dogs, they OWN dogs. Grimes did not tell the cops about his dog until he realized he had royally screwed up and essentially murdered his beloved pet. He should be prosecuted for animal cruelty.
“Whether they knew or did not know is irrelevant. Since when does an officer arrest someone for being drunk in a public place and not impound the vehicle.”
All of the time. If the vehicle is secure and not blocking traffic why would the police go to the trouble of calling a tow truck and causing the drunk to have a $150 tow bill.
As usual you don’t know what you are talking about.
Whether they knew or did not know is irrelevant. Since when does an officer arrest someone for being drunk in a public place and not impound the vehicle.
There are very few statements made in this article that aren’t he said-he said. However, there are certain things that can easily be corroborated. If the cruiser cameras have audio, whether or not Grimes said anything about the dog in the car can be determined there. I would be led to believe that nothing was said in the car because the Sheriff would probably have had that deputy disciplined for ignoring those pleas to show that he’s willing to work on corruption. This is an election year after all.
Finally though, I have to say I fully believe that they didn’t know about the dog… why? Because Grimes makes himself out to be an opportunistic liar who forgets to check his facts before he lies. As anyone who has been arrested in Loudoun County can tell you… you don’t get to keep your cell phone in the jail, so you can’t show pictures of your dog on your cell phone to jail guards. Plain and simple. He’s lying and just wants to get his fifteen minutes. If he had cared about his dog, he wouldn’t have had it sitting in a car for a night of drinking. For an animal caretaker to be that irresponsible is the true crime here. He should be charged with the death of the dog himself since his negligence, irresponsibility and juvenile behavior led to this poor animal’s suffering.
The text of an informational memo about this from the County Administrator is up at my blog, http://withoutsupervision.com.
Stevens Miller
Woof, I’m not “hearing” this , I’m reading it, that is I would be if I were not a dog and if I were actually alive. Douchbag!Woof Woof. We get it,you people who are all bent out of shape love dogs. We get it!
I hope that statement about them not knowing is true. This is so sad that this dog had to die though.
haha. “Again you are incorrect. Allow me to educate you”...
I think the last thing anyone wants is your lesson on getting arrested buddy
Do you all honestly believe that the police would let a dog die on purpose?
Should they have checked his vehicle? I don’t know, I’m not a cop, don’t know their protocol. And neither do you.
Honestly…you think that they would just knowingly let an animal die, knowing what sort of problems that would cause them…
Use your heads.
The fact is the cooked a dog because they didn’t want to check inside the car!
Stick to the facts before you reply and run your mouth folks. I present to you some factual data to comment on…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNA7upJChEU
I’m glad it wasn’t a sleepy baby or it would have died. No one looked inside the vehicle…what a bunch of stupid cops.
We got a drunk on our hands Ralph let’s take him to jail…job done.
“When [Grimes] was asked how he had arrived at the IHOP, he said he had arrived in a spaceship and from magic dust,” Simpson said.
Well, that kind of says it all right there. I think this Grimes guy was completely bombed and didn’t even mention a dog.
@Devil: Thank you for the apology. This whole thing is a horrible tragedy!! See what I mean about inebriated people - they say & do crazy, off-the-wall things…..that’s why I feel so strongly about the fact the windows of his car were not looked thru for another person or child, or in this case they may have found the dog. There’s always 3 sides to every story, his, theirs, and the truth. Sadly, we may never know the truth. I can only hope this will turn into a life lesson for Grimes and something good will come of this eventually; something that will be in Rex’s honor & memory. Many times new laws are presented & truly do become laws because of tragedies just like this one. I wish you well Devil & stay out of jail!!
Sheriff Simpson just did a presentation for the Board of Supervisors on this matter. (On the Loudoun Channel) There was video and audio in the car Mr. Grimes was transported in to the jail. The Sheriff also said all of the video had been reviewed from both IHOP and the jail and at no time did it appear that Mr. Grimes was talking about his dog. The video also showed that Mr. Grimes told deputies that he had gotten to IHOP by a spaceship and then he said that magic dust got him there. The Sheriff’s also stated that Mr. Grimes had access to phones and did not make any calls until 4pm when he called and friend about getting a ride from the jail. The conversations are recorded and at no time did Grimes mention the dog to his friend.
Jarvis: I apologize for attacking you personally. Yes, I have made mistakes in my life and I have learned from them. This is why I find it so frustrating when people will immediately jump to blaming someone when they have little of no facts about the matter at hand.
What happened at the scene is what is in question. The officers always should check the vehicle and make sure no animals anything is in danger in the car. Taxes are outrageous in this county, and I am appalled that police work was so
unchecked in a situation that proved tragic for the owner’s dog.
As a dog lover with two of my own, this just makes me sick. Someone should have let the dog out of the car or called the animal control officers. Says alot about our Loudoun County Sherrif’s officers. Way to go, a poor innocent dog is dead.
Being intoxicated in a place like IHOP (doesn’t serve alcohol) should have been a big clue. The drunk should have been arrested and the car should have been searched!!
A poor animal had to die because of it’s stupid owner and poor police work.
@ Devil: Never having been arrested, and only going on what I’ve been told about the place by people who’ve been there, I may be incorrect about exact procedures once inside. Your final paragraph saying, “It’s stupid people like you….”, well, you’ve been there twice, actually on charges, so you tell me how stupid is that? By printing insulting remarks you show your colors. I’m not disputing what you are saying but I’m going to say I find it a little bit odd that there are telephones on the wall within the drunk tank and/or actual jail cells and that they actually give you a piece of paper to hold on to after they’ve taken everything away from you.
Any way I look at the whole situation I still come up with tremendous fault on both sides, Grimes & LCSO. Everything Grimes did was stupid & he admits that. But I feel the LCSO should have at least looked thru the windows of his car for any other occupants. Drunk people say & do some pretty ignorant things….just saying there could have been someone inside needing medical help for alcohol poisoning or he may have been so drunk he forgot he had a child with him. Even firemen look thru a burning building for occupants!!
of course the officer saw the dog in the car - I am sure they searched the car for any open containers or bottles as evidence or any other illegal substance…..they just didn’t care….but you know they would never do this is a K9 Unit…..
bow wow - what a nice person you are….NOT!!! Hope you never need a service dog, or a great companion…..
The deputy had an obligation to make a call to animal control - what is the difference between this and leaving a dog in a parked car and a deputy being dispatched to rescue the animal if the owner can not be located - especially if the animal is in distress.
wrong is wrong….and this poor dog had to die needlessly….
yes the driver should not have been driving - I TOTALLY AGREE, but the offier had an obligation to take care of the situation!!!! very disappointed in this situation….no EXCUSE!!!
Jarvis: Again you are incorrect. Allow me to educate you.
1: Any arrested person must appear before a magistrate and get a “reading of the charges” where by the magistrate decides if there is sufficient evidence for the officers to obtain a warrant. The magistrate then establishes if there is to be a bond. (In this case no bond would be set because Va law requires the person to be sober during the bond hearing)
2: All personal effects are removed from the pockets of the person prior to being brought into the jail. There is a big sign on the wall of the holding area that says this. Officers take your stuff and put it in a plastic bag and it is handed over to the jail officer along with your arrest paperwork when you are escorted into the jail.
3: The intake or booking person does ask you a bunch of questions about medical stuff like if you take any medications, are you suicidal, are you injured, etc. They also have you sign this electronic pad for your personal stuff they have in storage. You are given a copy of this receipt with a four digit number that is your code for the phones.
4: There is no bond for DIP, it is a civil penalty and requires no bond. But, you have to be sober to be released because you have to understand that you may have a pending court appearance if you do not pay the fine before the court date.
5:READ THE FACEBOOK PAGE. Grimes states ” he showed a female jail officers pictures of his dog.
6:As soon as he is sober he would have gone before a magistrate to be released. The jail has to take people before the magistrate “within a timely manners once sobriety is determined and the person can effectively participate in the bond process.”
7: OK he is in the “drunk tank” I have been there twice and both times there were at least 4 phones on the wall. Still he made no calls or asked someone to call for him.
8:IF YOU HAVE NOT BEEN THERE THEN SHUT UP….. STOP QUOTING YOUR “FRIENDS” WHO PROBABLY BARELY REMEMBER THE PROCEDURE THEY WENT THROUGH.
It’s stupid people like you that get normal people worked up with your incorrect information and lack of true experience or knowledge.
It seems that everyone overlooked a few key concepts. 1st: Mr. Grimes had his dog with him, while intoxicated. This means that he was endangering its life anyway by drinking and I will assume driving as well and leaving the dog in the car. Where was the dog while he has throwing back a few? 2nd: Although it is sad that his dog died and I do feel bad for him, if every cop listened to every criminal about all their pleas about stupid stuff to delay getting arrested; they would never get anything done. Criminal will throw every excuse they can at the police to try to get sympathy or whatever. I am sure there is a lot more to the story than what we know, but this is my 2 cents worth.
@REX FROM THE GRAVE…..I think your a little drunk…you got it wrong. Your hearing is $#$#@ up. It is “Thank you everyone for being my voice, just because they were made at my owner, did not mean I had to bake and suffer in that car when they someone knew I was suffering, thank you everyone.”
My owner was a drunk idiot and now I’m dead. Blame him.
Grimes says that he told multiple deputies about his dog over a period of several hours. If he is telling the truth then it must also be true that of multiple deputies who heard him, not a single one cared enough about the dog to do something. Deputies are the same as any other group of people, not many of them hate dogs. It would be hard to find 2 people in 1000 who cared so little about a dog to let it die in a car. The deputies are no different. Sorry to hear about Mr. Grimes dog, but his story is just not reasonable.
This whole story is horrible and reflects an image of the department. Respect for life of animals and humans is important. The department should check all the facts in this case. Reflection on how people view police in Loudoun is important, the taxpayers more taxes for police and education in this county than others in the state.
@all for shipping you to mars. I think you are from Mars, the dog was in the car at 5am in the morning when it was 60 out! Mr. Grimes told the officers for 8 hours a dog was in his car. The police’s 1st statement was “he did not say he had a car”, then when they were caught, they changed the story “oh, yeah he did, but did’nt tell us about a dog” right…...you must be from the police force on mars or are you arresting officer? Mr. Grimes had a few drinks, drank coffee and ate food. If the officers can’t deal with a kid who has had a few drinks and a dog in the car at IHOP, well no wonder crime is getting worse in Loudoun County.
Some of you must live in a different world where fault must be assigned 100% to one party and 0% to the other. Here on Earth, it’s possible that both sides might bear some of the blame. I agree with the cooler and more rational posts - wait until you have the whole story, then try to see both sides, as hard as that may be. No wonder our politicians can’t get any contested issues resolved - they’re just a cross section of the rest of us. Yikes…
@ Devil in the Details: Not saying everyone’s experience is/was the same but - Based on my personal experience with friends who were DUI/DIP: you do not appear before a magistrate until you are sober - the magistrate is not going to deal with a drunk (someone who may be intoxicated & not understand the charges, the bail process, etc). I concede there may be other cells for drunks - both instances my friends were put into a community drunk cell. The deputy does not ask you medical questions - you are seen by a registered nurse & your vital signs are taken as well as medical questions asked. As far as I’ve read & heard Grimes’ phone & all personal belonging were removed - he begged the female guard to GET his phone & look at the pix of his dog; other guards told her NO. I never saw anywhere that Grimes said he had his cell phone still on him personally. He said he had his cell phone (as part of his belongings which were in his personal bag to be retreived when released) & was begging the guards to look at it - I think some may have misinterpreted this. He was arrested around 5 a.m. and left the jail around 8 or 8:30 p.m. Depending on who posted his bail, he may have had to wait for the bondsman until 5 p.m. in the evening to come to the Loudoun jail (as I did) and then I waited another 2 1/2 hours for the jail to actually release the person and complete release paperwork. And when I called the jail I was told not to bother to arrive before 5 p.m. as inmates were on “lockdown” from 3-5 pm for dinner. I found the whole process long, drawn out, tedious, and simply designed to make everyone involved in the process as miserable as possible and weary! There’s got to be a better way!! Actually my friend was ready to go at noon but had to wait for bondsman to show & paperwork processing - we left the jail at almost 8 p.m.
Secondly, I was in the area when the LCSO showed up to arrest a drunk man. They told him he was DIP and being arrested; he stuck out his arms for the cuffs - no problem - or so one would think. I then witnessed LCSO goad & intimidate him with questions (still no cuffs on him). I watched them push him, again for no reason, and when they pushed him backward his arms flew forward & one arm brushed one of the officers arm. At that point since they had pushed him he was on the ground on his butt, they rolled him, pinned him, jerked his arms behind him, and finally cuffed him. None of this was necessary - NONE OF IT! The end result was his charges ended up being DIP and assault on a police officer. It was pitiful and unnecessary - initially he had his arms out for the cuffs.
Unfortunately, this story only tells one side of the story - that of Mr. Grimes. It is unfortunate that his dog perished in his vehicle as a result of this incident. However, not only are the deputies law enforcement officers, they are also human beings. Do you seriously think, with all of the people that Mr. Grimes has alleged to have told about the dog, that ALL of them would have purposely ignored him to allow the dog to die? REALLY? Those bashing the Sheriff’s deputies should wait until you hear the other side of the story. And, even if it was the fault of the deputy (which I firmly believe that it’s not), don’t lump all deputies together. These men and women are the people who put their lives on the line for YOU. Day in and day out. Are there some bad apples - sure, just like with every organization. But there are more good than bad and they work very hard for very little.
So this is what is wrong with society today. People seem to defend the obvious worthless humans in hope for attention. So this moran somehow drove to IHOP. So he put how many people in danger? Then he left his dog (abuse) in his vehicle. If he would have done that to a child, he would be facing murder charges. Then he went into IHOP as a drunk and became a nuisance to everyone there. At his BAC, he would not had the ability to make sound judgement, nor would he been able to remember that his dog was in the car. It is highly doubtful that the officers could even understand what he was mumbling. He would have been seen by several people that night/morning and someone would have recalled his cryouts for his dog. Of course, if he was concerned or even aware of his dog, he had plenty of opportunity to get help. If the deputies were made aware of the dog, they would have made the animal patrol aware.
Why did he leave his dog in the vehicle with the windows up? At that hour he could have parked in front of a window and asked to be seated so he could monitor the dogs well being. It is 100 % his fault that the dog passed away. Though I feel great sympathy that the dog died in such a horrible manner, I feel he deserves knowing everyday that he caused it. If his recovery involves blaming the deputies, so be it, functioning people of society know the truth.
Don’t blame others for your mistakes.
Of course, there will be some people who decide to support this losers cause….. but then again these same people believe in alien abduction. Try your best to separate yourself from fact and fiction.
As a kid I remember watching the movie Total Recall, thinking that was so fake. People like you are starting to make me think society is not too far from becoming so freakish! They should have eliminated some certain ancestors who have now multiplied. It seems that there are too many idiots roaming around.
Those of you who are blaming Mr. Grimes for this are ignoring the obvious: the cops took him, and from that point on THEY controlled the situation. Mr. Grimes could do NOTHING but beg someone to get his dog. Those of you who are nuts enough to think that he wouldn’t simply don’t understand that anyone who loves their dog would be raising hell to get someone to help him, and the fact that he was ignored and / or ridiculed makes it that much worse. Some of you have even suggested that there was no dog (proven wrong ) or that he didn’t want to pay a fee (crazy when you think that a shelter fee is a LOT less than a vet fee- but those who would think that way obviously have NO WAY of knowing that! The temperature was close to 100 that day- how do you think he felt knowing his dog was COOKING, LITERALLY, IN THE CAR? And that stupid crack about some people eating dogs shows what kinde of mentality others sport. What I love, though, are those who ignore some of the facts that: Mr. Grimes went to IHOP to drink coffee and eat to sober up a bit; and Mr. Grimes was in jail until he could get BAIL, as stated on ABC7, not until he was sober! When you try to make a heavy out of one of the victims YOu show what kind of people you truly are. What you want to forget is that an innocent victim DIED because some cops simply didn’t care, and refused to lift a finger to save him. There was no excuse for it. Stop blaming the victim and put it on the shoulders of the people who can’t even tell part of the truth without being prodded by videotape.
the dog left in the car while it was too hot was the cops fault. otherwise we could all say…if he never had a license he would not be in this shape. or if he never got a car…or if he never made it to driving age…or drinking age..or never had a dog….get real folks. the cops are at fault. they neglected to call animal control about the dog and didnt seem to care. :(
no apology for the cops. they even tried to say they couldnt find any paperwork that this man was locked up….til the man showed them his copy. then they said he said nothing about the car ...until they saw it on the IHOP survalence tape. then they said he said nothing about a dog…..until reminded that the others in jail were ragging his but about worrying about his dog. and you know they would. the cops were wrong. no doubt about it. covering up to save their own asses. to say there was no dog….that is pitiful. you never read the original article or viewed his video. i have no doubt his story is true and im so very sorry this happened. i have no doubt the cops were asked time and time again and did nothing just because they thought they could.shame on them. shame on them for not caring for the innocent dog. one call to animal control and the dog would still be here. and..i have no doubt he begged the cops to get his dog out of the car while at the ihop still cause….......THATS WHAT DOG LOVERS DO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@ Nofan…Yes, when arrested they take everything off you, AT THE STATION. Have you stopped to think that it was at this time when handing over the cell phone that he showed the picture of Rex?
I’m pretty sure Mr Grimes is beating himself up more than anyone else could, that the stupid act of drinking and driving led to the loss of his beloved friend, a lesson I doubt he will ever forget…BUT, that does not take away the callousness of the Police Department. One call to animal control is all it would’ve taken to save this dogs life.
It’s utter ######## to say anything about him having the dog out with him at all. It’s not a crime to take your dog in a car. He certainly didn’t expect to end up in the cells when he left home now did he.
Mr Grimes will pay for his actions. The Police Department need to pay for theirs.
i believe it when your cuffed and their in controle… they dont listen to your pleas! i’m all for supporting the police ,...but… they get this “god” complex and they dont listen to people…...hello cops not everyone is a liar!
So is there a dog dead over this or not?
To all saying that it is Mr. Grimes fault the dog died, you are wrong. It was Officer Casey Johnson’s fault for not listening and checking the vehicle. The officer is the reason that the dog died, the officer failed to protect and serve as oath dictates. Why was there no call to animal control. Why was it said to Mr. Grimes when he stated that his dog was in the car at the IHOP BEFORE they left for jail with him “don’t worry about it” Why did a female guard at the jail get told NO when she offered to go check on the dog by another officer? Why was another customer at IHOP told to leave the dog alone by the officer? Flat torture is what this was and that officer needs to be held liable. Had anyone else left their dog in a car in that type of heat, they would be up on charges and that “officer” needs to be as well. JUSTICE FOR REX!!!
What if that dog had been a child? Would the officer acted differently? Not likely with his disregard for animal safety.
Oh, and to One Who Knows, you are mistaken. There was a dog, it was dead upon arrival at the vets officer, his name was REX and there are pictures of him on Facebook. Look it up.
One who knows::: If you are correct then this is one weirdo!!!!
This guy is lying. He has been asked by the police to produce this dead dog and has refused. He also has claimed that he took the dog to a vet but has refused to name the vet. He also claimed that the police and/or jailer stole his money but later reversed course and said that he was not allowed to get his dog.
This very well may turn out to be a case where there was no dog.
The police take a oath to protect and serve. Apparently the police did not do this in this case.
It is not like the police in Loudoun have so much to do with one of the lowest crime rates in the country. They could of at least checked on the dog even if some of the facts may be wrong in what is reported. Even if this guy told the police from the jail the police should of checked. And like someone said this guy could of called one of his friends to also check on the dog.
Jarvis: Clearly you are the one who can’t read. Maybe you should look at the facebook page before you write something frought with errors.
1:He would have gone before a magistrate when the officer received the warrant and otherpaper work used to hold Mr. Grimes at the jail. The magistrate has to tell the person arrested that they are not allowed to leave until they are sober.(required by law)
2: He would not have necessirily gone to what you call a “drunk tank”. There are a bunch of small cells and I think three larger cells at the jail. He could have been in any of those. The larger cell have multiple phones on the walls.
3: I was brought in as a drunk once and I got a code to make three phone calls when the deputy asked me a bunch of medical questions.
4: “Grimes begged for help - he even showed one of the guards a photo of his dog on his cell phone.” From Facebook Page. He SAID he had his cell phone!
5: I am sure there were others in the cells. He could have asked one of them to call someone for him.
6: The news story said he was let out at 8pm. If it took him 15 hours to be sober that means his alcohol level was somewhere around .18 if the website i am using is correct. That’s more than twice the legal limit. He probibly bearly remembers the whole incident.
I hope that when the investigation is over and the true details come out all you LCSO bashers will send a letter of apology to those who had their name slandered by your jumping to conclusions.
First off, for those of you can’t read: Grimes was arrested and taken to the Adult Detention Center where if he was arrested for drunk in public you are put in what they call the drunk tank until you blow zeros (unebriated). Once you blow zeros you will then be taken before a magistrate or released if you have no other charges. At that time you are then allowed your phone call(s). At no time did Grimes ever say that he still had his phone - what was said was he had finally gotten the attention of a female guard in the jail & she had agreed to look at the pix of his dog on his phone; but sadly other guards told her NO. Mr. Grimes has repeatedly said all his actions were contributors to this incident. With regard to Mr Grimes not speaking to anyone further regarding this matter I’m sure his legal representative has now told him to no longer answer questions, return calls, or give interviews. Did The Loudoun Times Mirror report this story fairly and accurately. I say no. I see many moronic comments written here. Ok, this is fiction & I’m speculating here but let’s say Mr. Grimes was intoxicated and stopped at the IHOP for coffee & fell asleep and let’s say he left a drunk, passed out friend or even worse an infant in the car - remember he was drunk they are saying. So the LCSO arrests him, verifies as they are saying that his car was in the lot - wouldn’t common sense dictate that you look thru the windows of the car to see if anyone may have been with him? I say yes, to me that is part of doing your job properly. And my final words here: so many of you are acting so holier than thou with the comments - we were all young at one time, probably 98% of us drove at some point when we shouldn’t have - intoxicated…..so don’t be so quick to point your fingers because I doubt many of you wear that glowing halo you so indicate that you do.
Stephens City,
You’re blaming the workers at IHOP (“workers at IHOP seen…” UGH) but don’t blame the DRUNK driver! Why don’t you also blame the passing motorists in the shopping center!! HOW sad
2Cents and NoFan make some good points. I checked the weather history and the 30th the high was 82 and the 29th it was 79. He may have thought he would get back in time to get his dog and didn’t want it to go to the shelter and pay a fee to get it back. I say wait until the investigation is finished before you pick a side.
its just a dog, some places eat them
I am no fan of the Sheriff’s office since I have been a customer a time or two BUT I went to the facebook page and what he says happened is just incorrect. When you are arrested they take everything away from you and put it in a plastic bag and you are handcuffed. Your stuff goes into a big bag with your personal clothes. He wouldnt have had accesss to his phone to show to anyone. Also like 2Cent said he went before the magistrate and the magistrate would have had a converation with him. He could have told the magistrate his story. A magistrate is like a 24 hour judge. Also when I got arrested I got three phone calls. He could have called someone to go and get his dog or his car. Why didnt he call someone to go get his dog?
I think this guy got drunk and then got arrested and thought he would just go back and get his dog later. From inside the jail you can’t tell how hot or cold it is outside and there are no clocks you can see from the cells.
I hate to say it but the cops might not be wrong in this case.
By no means is it Mr. Grime’s fault!! I am sure he told the police about his dog!! Plus I am also sure that the workers at IHOP seen the dog in the car all day and did nothing!! Shame on you!! You are the ones responsible for the animal’s death!!
Rex was a dog who was loved since the day that Mr. Grimes laid eyes on him at 4 weeks old. Rex was a dog that went everywhere with Mr. Grimes. Rex was a dog that was loved like a child. There is no way that Mr. Grimes did not mention Rex to the arresting officers. This is not about Mr. Grimes falling asleep in a coffee house—this is not about Mr. Grimes drinking excessively—It is about a dog who was intentionally left in a hot car on a hot day who was literally cooked. This is about a Sheriff’s Department abusing their power and not doing their job. Mr. Grimes paid by having to stay in a jail cell for over eight hours which is nothing compared to what Rex endured. He will pay for his mistake for the rest of his life by knowing he let Rex down. This does not in any way excuse the behavior of the responding officers and those in the detention center. Surely there are cameras and audio in the detention center? I certainly hope some brave soul steps up to report what really happened that day. If not, you are no better then your clique of bullies that you work with. God help them all.
It’s obvious how much Mr Grimes cared about his dog and the other innocent people on the road that morning. I am just glad that Mr Grimes didn’t kill anyone while driving drunk!! Take some responsibility and realize you are at fault even more than the police.
@Dana
I’m sure he loved his dog BUT he shouldn’t have been driving around DRUNK with his dog in the first place and he shouldn’t have left him in the car! Period! The dog should have been outside on a leash or the window rolled down depending on the tempature outside)!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I think May 31st was a pretty hot morning/day, so the dog shouldn’t have been in the car unattended. At all. Plus if he hadn’t been drunk, none of this would have happened.
That being said, no matter how stupd the 24 year old was I place about 95% of the blame on the so-called professional officers!!! SHAME ON THEM!!
I think everyone should slow down and wait for all the facts to come to the surface. Right now all we really know is that a guy was drunk and stopped to get coffee, fell asleep, and the management called the Sheriff’s to come and get him. Everything else is two different sides of the story.
1:Law Enforcement cannot search a persons car without cause. If the IHOP manager told the deputies that it was OK to leave it there they wouldn’t have gone near it or moved it from it’s parking place. They would have just confirmed it was there. IE: pressing the panic button to see where it was parked.
2: Even if the arresting deputies and jail staff ignored him, he went before a magistrate. I doubt the magistrate (a lower level judge) would have ignored his comments.
3: Depending on how drunk he was he could have gotten to the jail and fell asleep thinking he would be out in a few hours to get his dog and never mentioned it to anyone.
There are so many ways for this story to go….wait for it all to come out before you condem an entire agency.
And another thing…people keep saying he should not have left Rex in the car. Does anyone know how long he was in or intended to be in Ihop? It was 5AM and was by no means extremely hot out yet at that time. Just beacuse the so called news says that he was intoxicated, maybe just maybe he was not!! Maybe he had not had a drink in hours and was just very tired and actually did the right think by stopping to get coffee and not driving any further. I know for a fact that the LCSO are gorillas on power trips and act in excess in probably every situation they are called to and I can bet that Stu probably should never even been arrested!! But nobody knows that for sure other than Stu and the LCSO and the LCSO has already showed that they themselves are confused about what they actually knew or didn’t!!!
The whole thing is shoddy. Police, customers and employees…I’d hate to see what happens if someone leaves a kid in their car in that town….no ones responsible? Really? Blame the drunk guy? Sure…he planned on his dog being left in the car all day…seriously!
I honestly at this time feel ashamed to live in Loudoun County, not only because of what happened to Rex but, also because our local paper could do such shotty reporting on a very serious subject. Come on Loudoun Times Mirror and do some real, professional, and unbiased reporting. I am truely appalled by what happened to Rex and 100% believe that Stu told them several times that his dog was in the car. I do not personally know Stu, but if you look at his FB page and see the many pictures of Rex and him and his friends with Rex, you can tell that Rex was not just his dog but his companion and would someone that loved their dog that much just allow the police to take him away and leave his beloved dog in his truck…I DON’T THINK SO!!!! I have two dogs that are like my children and I know whole heartedly that no matter how tired or drunk he might have been, he would never have forgot about Rex!!! I along with many people are behind you Stu and we will help you do what ever it takes to make sure that the people responsible for this are punished and that this will never happen again to anyone!!
Another thing, while I’m not a cop and don’t know much about arrests, shouldn’t they have checked out his car? Maybe for open containers, drugs or other things?? I’m not sure if that’s standard procedure but it would make sense.
I mean, if he was drunk and he drove there…hello!
STILL OUTRAGED @
One dead doggy (RIP-Rex), one stupid drunk and a whole team of IGNORANT, IMCOMPETENT, IDIOTIC SO-CALLED POLICE OFFICERS THAT SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE!!!!!!
I’m sooo angry over this. A defenseless animal died a HORRIBLE DEATH because of a drunk idiot (the dog should have never been left in the car to begin with) and the Barney FiFe group of cops we call the LCSO!!!
The drunk was a young stupid idiot but the REAL CULPRITS are the so called PROFESSIONAL POLICE DEPT.
I’m so angry!!!! HOW dare they not check all the facts!!! Did they asked him how he got there? DID THEY EVEN CARE? WHAT IF HE HAD A SMALL CHILD IN THE CAR? I AM OUTRAGED!!!
The sooner the Simpson and his band of imcompetents go the better.
Thanks Carrie for the info regarding the “Justice for Rex” facebook page. So sad.
I just left a message for the newspaper; I need to speak with someone in your legal department.
I would appreciate a call back, I left my number on your voicemail. What news agency closes down at 5 P.M.?
This is shotty, sloppy journalism or should I say more of a Creative Expressionist Opinion Colum; poor skills and bad investigative work. Piece together an article on the fly from not only hearsay but with no factual evidence in hands to support your accusations will and is going to get your little paper into much trouble.
Call me crazy but this is lacking all and more.
Did you not take notes on the Authorities actions during and AFTER REX DIED ?
You printed that several calls were not returned from Mr. Grimes. I have phone records proving that on behalf of Mr. Grimes, I phoned your little paper this morning directly after Alex Withrow, a freelance writer called twice trying to speak to Mr. Grimes about Rex, the DEAD DOG, and alleged incidences; however luckily Mr. Grimes took legal advice and is smart enough to know who to speak with and who not to speak with.
Mr. Grimes is not available for comment because he has LEGAL Representation and I personally called your paper this morning to inform you that Mr. Grimes is not to speak to any media outlet about his dead dog REX; or any alleged incidences.
Angela Valianos
Pull the tape from IHOP. Should be end of story. The County will settle.
This article is VERY one sided… Perhaps people need to get ALL the FACTS before ASSUMPTIONS are made… Thank you “former agent” you nailed it on the head… As for the rest that are only going by what this article says I’m here to say I know from VERY reliable people that the facts of this case are definitely not in this article… It’s a shame that whoever decided to report on this didn’t wait til they got all the information… If anyone would like any info there is a justice for rex page on facebook… We welcome anyone that is supporting that Justice be served for Rex… We do ask that if u are anti Stu in this matter please lets be civil and focus on the dog… He is suffering enough and he’s not the bad guy they are making him out to be… This entire article is a disgrace to other writers such as myself and I’m ashamed to see that people can and will jump to conclusions without actually learning everything… In the end no matter how you feel on who did what - A dog is DEAD and it COULD have and WOULD have been prevented had anyone CARED… Of course the cops are gonna cover their butts now… After all would we expect otherwise especially after they KILLED a dog…
I think they police acted HEARTLESS & RECKLESS they knew about this guy svu bc they hit the Panice Button on ti so they could find his vehicle / at that point I am more than 100 % sure REX started barking as they went up to the vehicle so this is b/s they lied about the car and now they are lying about the dog . The truth is they are JERKS and don"t give a damn about people much less their animals… I would sue them for everything they had if this was me and my dog…
I wonder why this guy was willing to be interviewed for ABC7 but he’s not willing to talk to a newspaper? Maybe he read all the comments on the ABC7 story that bash him and has since decided to keep his mouth shut…?
Did anyone at the IHOP parking lot see this dog? Very sad story; I think the police should have done something with the dog.
The whole article is squirrely.
“Late Friday afternoon, after ABC7 inquiries, the sheriff’s office changed its position, saying they did know about the car but maintained Grimes didn’t say a word about Rex”
The police have changed their story, many of your facts are very wrong.
I am a former law enforcement officer and the two comments made are moronic. Regardless of whether Mr. Grimes was drunk, tired or just stupid, its reasonable he would become “combative” (a great cop word to suggest a violent struggle but unlikely) when he realized his dog would be left alone. All the officer had to do was say, “Mr. Grimes, you are under arrest but I will call Animal Control immediately.” And then, all the deputy had to do was…..call Animal Control.
Perhaps its because I was a federal agent in New York City for years that impacts my view, but this is the type of chicken malarky that gives people the impression Sheriff Deputies act a little too “Five-O” as they say in the cop world
Just another person looking to blame rather than accepting the responsibility for their actions.
Mr. Grimes should say, “It is my fault my dog died.”
Maybe if you had not passed out drunk in the restaurant your dog would still be ok.Call me crazy, just one man’s opinion.
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