CHARLESTON The former Chapmanville police officer indicted over the disappearance of a police K-9 is a no-show in Kanawha County Circuit Court Wednesday.
The 26-year-old Marcus Dudley, and former officer with the Town of Chapmanville, has a capias warrant for his arrest after skipping his 10:30 a.m. hearing in front of Kanawha County Circuit Court Judge Duke Bloom. The judge issued a capias warrant for Dudley’s arrest, if he doesn’t arrive in front of the judge tomorrow morning.
A county Grand Jury handed down indictments for Dudley after the Chapmanville’s police dog went missing four months ago. Dudley was in charge of K-9 Officer Chase and claimed the dog escaped its collar at Dudley’s residence in South Charleston. According to the charging documents, Dudley’s story changed from his residence to a park.
Dudley has been charged with including counts of falsely reporting an emergency, two counts of making false statements and obstructing an officer and one count of misdemeanor animal cruelty.
The defense says Dudley could not secure transportation to attend the arraignment.
Bloom called the excuse from the defense shallow and set a deadline eleven o’clock Thursday morning to be in person before the court.