Officer Rusty Foster and K-9 "Ciro"
The Re-Capture of the
Murderer of Oregon State Trooper Bret Clodfelter
Franscisco
Manzo-Hernandez was convicted of murdering Oregon State Trooper Bret Clodfelter
by shooting him 4 times in the back of the head. In 1993 he was sentenced
to life in prison in the Oregon State Penitentiary. Due to overcrowding,
he was transferred to a jail in Denton, Texas where he escaped with an
accomplice and fellow inmate named Ruiz on September 19, 1996
. Both were
recaptured through the diligence and untiring efforts of Officer Rusty Foster
and his K-9 "Ciro". Without their devotion to duty, both of
these criminals would have escaped to freedom in Mexico. The account of
their capture as told by Officer Foster.
"I
was dispatched with my K-9 dog Ciro and on scene quickly, as I lived only a few
blocks away. It is an entirely
different experience when you are literally hunting a killer blocks away from
your own wife and children…quite motivating I must say.
I found
Ruiz
in 15 minutes. A brief time unloading, setting up in a harness and
tracking line... a scout, a strong cut, two fences then about a 400-500 yard
track at a 3/4 sprint through a field into some heavy brush.
He didn't get far with an injured ankle.
The newspapers said there was a big blood trail was left.
I had to laugh when I read this as I never saw blood and I was running
trying not to get my arm yanked off by an 80 pound furry rocket.
Ruiz
hid under a muddy bank overhang in a creek. Ciro
knew he was there... I really had no
clue. The guy could've killed me if
was armed. He couldn't hold his
breath long enough for us to leave. He
surrendered without incident.
Hernandez
, the killer of Trooper Clodfelter was tougher. He
wasn't injured and he REALLY wanted to get away. He
went nearly a mile. I went through
brush so thick I was shredded, cut, and stung by the sweat pouring off me.
Thank God he was running away from MY street!
Those
stories about using a creek to lose the dog... not always... water hydrates and
enhances odor. I went through at
least 2 creek crossings up to my waist. I
lost
Hernandez
about three times but doubled back into large loops to cut the track again.
We were very tired. I think
the main reason me and Ciro lost the trail was due to speed. We
were going very fast and most likely shooting past turns. Just
as we got to within 50 yards of the perimeter... 50 yards to freedom for
Hernandez
, I cut his trail for the last time. Being
so close to the road I pulled Ciro off the track and ran to the street to block
him before he ran out.
Hernandez
SAW me before I saw him. Again, I
was a exposed… had he been armed this story may have been different.
Instead, he chose to call out to me rather than get bit… Damn!
Glory days remembered that I will never get back and most everyone has
forgotten. We had a lot of help out
there that day. I took two officers
with me for back-up and they ran as hard as I did only without the ease of being
towed by Ciro.
Ciro is
long gone. I remember his last
breath at the vet's office. Old age
and kidney failure took him... The
last thing he ever did... His last
move before he died in my arms was to wag his tail.
His eyes were dilated when this happened.
I would say he was passed on by only a second...
he was half here and half there. I
will always wonder what he saw. Who
did he wag his tail for as he greeted them? God?
I don't know. It
was very profound for me. I refuse
to believe it was a reflex. I
haven't thought of these days for a long… long time. It
hurt too badly.
I posted
the above picture of Ciro and me on my Flickr page just before I ordered
Robert
Dent
’s Spanish language book. It was
quite a coincidence that I got the book in the mail about the same time I posted
the picture. Inside was the story
about the murder of Oregon State Trooper Bret Clodfelter by the coward…
Franscisco Manzo-Hernandez
.
It is
indeed a small world. I was honored
to meet (online) some of
Bret
's friends
Robert
Dent
and
Bruce
Phillips
from the
Oregon
State
Police. I was also privileged to
receive a letter from
Bret
's father,
Lloyd
Clodfelter
."
Rusty
Foster
Officer
–
Denton
,
Texas
Police Dept.
Oregon
State Police Press Release on Death of Trooper Clodfelter
Return
to Constable Public Safety Memorial Foundation