NYPD Detective, K9 'Timoshenko' share special bond
NEW YORK (WABC) -- When NYPD K9 Detective Timoshenko is training and working he is all business.
The 9-year old Shepherd suddenly barked when catching a scent and looked back at Detective Benny Colecchia. Timoshenko is given praise for his find.
"He's very special. He's one in a million," says Detective Colecchia.
He and Timoshenko are part of the highly trained NYPD Emergency Service K9Team.
"He can read me. I can read him. It's a great bond between both of us," says Colecchia.
Forty-four other K9s and their handlers make up the team at their Brooklyn training site.
Recent high profile gun seizures have gained the pair notoriety - recently there was a sizable gun and ammunition find on Staten Island.
"It was over 1200 rounds and shotgun shells. 45s. Glock 9. It was a good catch," Colecchia said.
Colecchia adds that everything was hidden under a sub floor.
The K9 is named for Russel Timoshenko, a 23-year old officer who was shot and later died in July 2007 after pulling over a stolen vehicle in Crown Heights.
His mother, Tatyana Timoshenko works at Police Headquarters. She is very proud of her son's namesake, and knows her son would be proud.
"He would be very proud. Definitely. He's a very active dog and Russel would be proud. Absolutely, no question about it," she said.
When Benny Colecchia was promoted to Detective, Tatyana had the honor of giving Timoshenko his #44 Detective shield.
"No question in my mind what they have done. They have saved a lot of lives and they make the city safer like my son used to do," she says.
This team has been together nine years and are also part of FEMA's Search and Recovery Team. Timoshenko also has his own Twitter site where he and Detective Colecchia share their work and his unique abilities.
"Hopefully I'll get another couple of years with him. We are still out there working hard like we do every day," said Colecchia.
And proudly carrying on Russel Timoshenko's legacy.
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