Hampton Roads police dogs receive their bulletproof vests from Anderson Cooper donation

NORFOLK

In Brian Ingram's SUV, pinned under a light fixture, there's a picture of a dog he doesn't own, doesn't know and never met.

The photo of Krijger, a 4-year-old Norfolk police dog killed during a standoff in January, is a reminder.

A reminder that the Portsmouth police dog in the back of Ingram's Chevy Tahoe is his friend, roommate and partner. A reminder that any time Bear goes to work, a criminal could shoot or stab him, and Bear may not make it back.

"It's definitely been on my mind," said Ingram, a 15-year veteran at the Portsmouth Police Department.

The odds of that happening just lowered significantly. Bear, a 3-year-old German shepherd and Belgian Malinois mix, was one of more than 40 police dogs from around Hampton Roads who got bulletproof vests on Friday.

Jimmy Hatch, founder of the nonprofit that raised some $90,000 to get the vests, said 25 percent of police dogs in the region don't have vests. He plans to raise money and get them outfitted by the end of the year.

"Protecting them is a mission for me," Hatch said.

The vest manufacturer, Canada-based K9 Storm, measured the dogs in late January, and spent the past three months making and sending the vests.

The vests are made of Kevlar. They cost about $2,500 apiece and weigh 3 to 5 pounds, with both cost and weight depending on the size of the dog.

Vests substantially cover a dog's vital areas and, according to Hatch, a dog shot in the exposed areas would probably survive the injury.

Bulletproof vests keep police dogs safe, but they also keep officers safe, said Jim Slater, founder of K9 Storm. If a dog can continue attacking a suspect for even a few seconds longer during a life-and-death struggle, it gives the handler that much more time to realize the suspect is armed, and react.

Krijger's death led CNN newsman Anderson Cooper to donate enough money to outfit police dogs in Norfolk. Cooper also tweeted about Krijger to his 7 million Twitter followers, which led to more donations.

Sources familiar with the standoff say Krijger would’ve lived if he’d been wearing a vest like the ones made by K9 Storm.

Ingram got Bear in December 2014. After training together, they hit the streets in October. They go to all high-priority calls: felonies, shootings, tracking suspects. Ever since he heard about Krijger, Ingram said he worries about Bear when he hears a call about an armed suspect, a shooting in progress or a robbery.

Nothing's 100 percent, but Ingram said he feels a lot better now that Bear has the vest.

"These are going to go a long way toward keeping him safe," he said. "It's reassuring."

Jonathan Edwards, 757-446-2536, [email protected] Follow @VPjedwards on Twitter.

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