Deputy Brett Berry with the dog he abused

UPDATE @ 6/29/2015 10:11 PM: Minnesota police have launched a public relations advertising campaign after the negative press garnered by Deputy Berry for beating the dog left under his care while at a casino. Tom Scheck, writing for MPR News, gives the following report:

The Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association says a new public relations campaign that includes paid advertising will highlight the work officers do in their communities.

“Their whole desire is to make their communities a better place,” said MPPOA Executive Director Dennis Flaherty. “I’m not sure the public understands that, so we’re going to try to get that word out.”

Flaherty said they’re launching the effort after his members started raising concerns about the perception of police officers nationally. He said media scrutiny over police incidents in Ferguson, Mo., Baltimore, Md., and North Charleston, S.C., has prompted his members to raise concerns.

“It can be very demoralizing for anybody that every story that seems to be coming out is negative,” Flaherty said. “We could see where it was having a very negative effect and it was important for us as the state association to take the lead.”

The MPPOA said it hasn’t yet decided how much it will spend on the public relations campaign.

Video of the beating Deputy Berry gave the dog under his care, now identified as Boone, has been released since our original report. The video is available below, courtesy of Minnesota CBS Affiliate WCCO:

MINNEAPOLIS — A Ramsey County Sheriff’s deputy has been charged with animal cruelty after being caught abusing a police dog under his care.

Deputy Brett Berry, 48, was staying at the Black Bear Casino in Minneapolis on June 14 while attending a canine training and certification trial.

A surveillance video shows Berry taking the dog in his care to his hotel room, then carrying the dog to his car five minutes later while visibly agitated. Berry then pulled the dog up by its collar and threw it on the ground. The dog ran from Berry and got stuck in the casino’s door, where it remained until Berry caught up with the dog and started beating it.

Police say they responded to a report of animal cruelty early the next morning after Berry had been asked to leave following complaints from the casino’s staff.

Berry, an 18-year veteran of the Sheriff’s office, was arrested and is now facing criminal charges for animal cruelty and assaulting a public safety dog.

The Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office decided to place Berry on paid administrative leave, and issued the following in a statement to the press:

“Deputy Berry was sent home from the K-9 trials and placed on administrative leave. The K-9 was evaluated by a veterinarian and no injuries were found. The K-9 partner is currently in the care of others.”

Cpl. Josh Coleman and Mason, the dog he left to die in his patrol car

UPDATE @ 6/27/2015 3:49 PM: Initially prosecutors declined to press charges against Cpl. Coleman, but the District Attorney’s office has now decided to conduct an official investigation, saying charges may still be filed after a grand jury review.

GULF SHORES, Ala. — A police dog died Thursday after being left in a hot police cruiser by his own handler.

Cpl. Josh Coleman left the dog, Mason, in the car while he attended a hurricane preparation conference. Coleman says he forgot that he’d left Mason in the back of the car, although no reports state the length of time the dog was trapped in the vehicle before he was found.

Mason was discovered and taken to a veterinarian when Coleman returned to the vehicle. Police originally said Friday morning that Mason’s condition had “improved,” but he died later that evening of injuries sustained from heat exposure. The dog was three years old.

Sources describe Mason, a yellow Labrador Retriever, as a “community engagement officer,” presumably used to help improve the public’s perception of police, rather than an “enforcement K-9” used for attacking suspects.

The Baldwin County District Attorney’s Office says Coleman will not be charged with a crime. The police department says Coleman will face “sanctions,” but did not explain the nature of the sanctions.

ORLANDO, Fla. — Orlando police supervisors are investigating the arrest of a 12-year-old boy who was mauled by a police K-9 unit on June 4.

According to reports, the boy spent three days in the hospital after receiving multiple dog bite injuries to his arm.

Police claim the boy pried open a door at the Shingle Creek Elementary School late at night on June 4. Police have not identified the boy because he is a minor.

Police let the dog loose to assist in the arrest. According to the Orlando Police Depratment, it is not normal police protocol to have a dog attack a child under the age of 13, but police say they may not have been able to identify the age of the child they allowed their dog to maul.

Two witnesses to the attack say the boy had dropped to his knees and surrendered to police before police let the dog attack the young child.

The boy’s family hired an attorney, Bradley Laurent, who says the boy will need extensive rehabilitation and physical therapy. “This kid is going to need extensive rehab,” Laurent said. “There’s no telling if he needs surgery to repair any nerve damage, and he may need plastic surgery.”

Update: The unnamed boy was reportedly kept in the hospital for two days to receive treatment for his injuries. Pictures of the boy bitten by the police dog were released by his family and are available below.