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Slain Shelby officer's K-9 partner gets new home

By Gina Esposito, wsoctv.com
By Gina Esposito, wsoctv.com

SHELBY, N.C. — While the community mourns the shooting death of Shelby Police Officer Tim Brackeen, his K-9 partner, Ciko, is starting a new life.

As a request from Brackeen’s family, Ciko will retire with Howard Young and his wife, Lisa. Young, the Shelby Police Department's K-9 trainer, trained Ciko has a puppy.

“He’s actually having to be retrained to become a pet,’ Howard Young said. “He’s never been a pet. He’s also been a working tool. He’s always been Tim’s partner.”

Young said Ciko is a police dog, trained on narcotics, tracking and taking down perpetrators. The transition to retirement won’t be easy.

“We are trying to integrate him into becoming part of my family. Right now, he has bonded very closely with me, and that’s been a process that has taken a few weeks now,” Howard Young said.

RollOver Pets in downtown Shelby is trying to raise money for Ciko’s family.

Jennipher Harrill said Brackeen and Ciko often visited the shop so Ciko could bathe.

“Ciko is not a shop-around dog, he’s a specially trained K-9,” she said. "He’s a police dog. He would come straight in, follow his commands and get his bath and then come right out.”

Harrill is hoping to raise enough money for Ciko so he can have the retirement he deserves.

“It’s not that he doesn’t have enough now, it's just that he deserves more,” Harrill said. “(He needs) some open space to run free; we need to build a fence for him. He needs a larger kennel. He’s no longer out and about like he’s accustomed to so he needs a larger safer kennel for him to be in.”

Harrill said people who want to donate can stop by the store or connect with her on the shop's Facebook page.

Man accused of killing Shelby officer faces judge for first time

The man accused of shooting and killing a Shelby police officer made his first appearance Monday in a Cleveland County courtroom.

Irving Fenner Jr. is accused of killing Officer Tim Brackeen last month. After the shooting, Fenner escaped to Rhode Island and was taken into custody days later.

Last week, Fenner was extradited to North Carolina, and the district attorney said he will seek the death penalty against him.

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Channel 9 was in the courtroom as Fenner told a judge he has a lawyer who will represent him on all charges. Fenner's attorney is a capital defender, who traveled to Asheville to represent him.

Brackeen was shot while serving a warrant. He died from his injuries two days later.

Investigators said Fenner fled to Rhode Island to stay with family. Four others are also facing charges related to Fenner's case.

If Fenner is convicted of the murder, he could face life in prison or the death penalty.

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