K9 Chilli was left in hot car unintentionally, Pitt County Sheriff's Office says in report

Following an outcry over the death of Pitt County Sheriff’s Office K9 Chilli, the sheriff’s office released five pages of information on the dog’s death late Monday night.

WITN reports the pages reveal more details about the investigation and why it took so long to release details of the death that happened last month.

In a post on Facebook, Sheriff Paula Dance said the loss of Chilli has been one of the most difficult events the sheriff’s office has faced, while acknowledging the community deserves honest answers.

The sheriff’s office said, on June 11, Chilli and her handler traveled to Rocky Mount for scheduled explosives detection training. After several hours of training, they returned to the Pitt County Sheriff’s Office shortly after 12 p.m. with Chilli in the rear seat.

According to the sheriff’s office, Chilli’s handler tragically forgot she was in the car. When he returned to his vehicle after 4 p.m., at the end of his shift, he discovered Chilli.

The sheriff’s office initiated an internal affairs investigation on June 12 and said, because a sheriff’s office employee was involved, the review had to be completed before information was released to the public.

That investigation concluded on July 21 and determined there was no evidence that Chilli was left in the vehicle intentionally and that criminal charges are not supported.

The sheriff’s office also said that while the SBI may assist local law enforcement upon request, it is not required in every incident involving a law enforcement employee.