ROCK SPRINGS, WYO – He’s only been on the force a short time but K9 deputy Gino, a two-year-old German Shepherd-Belgian Malinois mix, made his first collar this week for the Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office.
Gino and his partner, deputy Sheriff David Henderson, were on routine patrol in the Purple Sage Road area west of Rock Springs Monday afternoon when they encountered a blue 1989 Mazda speeding 46 in a 35 MPH zone.
Henderson stopped the vehicle, which was occupied by its driver and a passenger, Erich McCormack, 19, of Price, Utah. Henderson spoke to both men outside the vehicle and informed them of his intention to deploy Gino to do a “free air sniff.” An undisclosed quantity of marijuana was found in McCormack’s possession and he was taken into custody.
McCormack is charged with possession of a controlled substance. As of press time, he remains in custody at the Sweetwater County Detention Center in Rock Springs in lieu of a $1,000 cash or surety bond.
