IMG_2148.JPG

Montville Township Sgt. Brett Harrison, who police dog Beny died in his cruiser Sept. 28, testifies at his trial Wednesday at Medina Municipal Court. Harrison was found guilty of one count of companion animal cruelty but not guilty of a second count.

(Evan MacDonald/Northeast Ohio Media Group)

Montville Township police dog Beny died Sept. 28 after being left inside a police cruiser.

MEDINA, Ohio -- The Montville Township officer whose police dog died in a cruiser has been found guilty of one count of companion animal cruelty but not guilty of a second count.

Medina Municipal Court Judge Dale H. Chase found Sgt. Brett Harrison guilty of failure to provide K-9 Beny with sufficient food and water. Beny died of heatstroke Sept. 28 after being left in a police cruiser for more than four hours.

Harrison was found not guilty of "negligently, needlessly killing" Beny, a separate section of the companion animal cruelty statute.

Harrison will not serve jail time but must pay a fine of $500 plus court costs.

Harrison said he thought he left his cruiser's air conditioning on when he left Beny outside the Montville Township Police Department at 10:54 a.m. It was 69 degrees outside at the time, according to court records.

Harrison discovered Beny unresponsive when he went back out to the cruiser at 3:13 p.m. By that time the temperature had risen to 79 degrees.

Montville Township officials suspended Harrison for two weeks without pay for violating department policy and procedures. Forty vacation hours were also taken from him.

Harrison has since been reassigned and will not be handling another K-9, Montville Township Police Chief Terry Grice said in October.