‘Right thing to do’: KS paramedic won’t be punished for treating dying police dog
A Sedgwick County paramedic won’t be punished for providing basic life support to a dying law enforcement K-9 that was killed in the line of duty in 2023.
The Kansas Board of Emergency Medical Services investigations committee voted Thursday to dismiss a case brought against longtime paramedic Bryan Shastid, who helped law enforcement officers performing CPR on K-9 Bane after the dog was strangled by a wanted man who had crawled into a storm drain in southeast Wichita.
Members of the board acknowledged Thursday that Shastid likely broke the rules when he used medical equipment meant for humans on Bane. But they decided that, under the circumstances, Shastid’s actions did not warrant a suggested $150 fine or a formal finding that a violation had occurred.
Staff who investigated a complaint about EMS treating the dog had recommended Shastid be penalized for diverting property from an ambulance service to give advanced emergency care to an animal. The complaint came from a member of the public who saw a news story that mentioned EMS had assisted with the dog’s care, according to comments made during Thursday’s board meeting.
“I understand rules. But … sometimes there are things that just don’t fit in the rules,” board member Dr. Greg Faimon said after moving to dismiss the case.
“I don’t think there was a choice here. And it sounds like this did not put anybody in jeopardy. And I think it was, in my opinion, the right thing to do.”
Shastid told the board Thursday that he was part of a co-responder team on standby for law enforcement and was not on an ambulance that day. He said he made sure no human needed help before he did “what I thought was the right thing to do … and secure an airway for this animal.” An ambulance was also on standby, he added.
Authorities have said first responders performed CPR on Bane, an 8-year-old Belgian Malinois, for more than 30 minutes before he was pronounced dead on Nov. 16, 2023. Another K-9 deployed alongside Bane that day was not hurt.
“I had no idea what to do because … in 30 years of EMS, I’ve never come across this situation,” Shastid told the board. “… At that point, I did in the moment what I thought was the ethical and correct thing to do for a Sedgwick County asset, as well as officers that I had worked with on a close basis and had developed a good relationship with.”
He also told the board that laws about whether and when EMS workers can treat police dogs vary from state to state and that he didn’t know what Kansas law allowed when he provided medical care to Bane.
“Diverting equipment and resources to this is most likely … not totally appropriate,” board chair Dr. Joel Hornung said.
“But on the other hand, not trying … especially for a K-9 officer that’s trained … I would feel worse about that.”
Bane was working for the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office when he was killed but had previously been a Wichita Police Department dog. His former handler, Wichita police Officer Daniel Gumm, died of cancer in 2022 and had also been the handler for K-9 Rooster, who was fatally shot during a call in 2017.
The man who strangled Bane, Kaylon Kirkwood, was sentenced to 29 months in prison for battering a law enforcement officer plus one year in jail for killing the dog. A judge also ordered Kirkwood to pay a $5,000 fine and more than $38,000 in restitution to cover the cost of a new police dog and training, a K-9 ballistic vest and Bane’s necropsy and cremation, The Eagle previously reported.
