In a bizarre turn of events Monday morning, Cody Dillard’s attempt to evade police went from a typical cat-and-mouse chase to an unintentional audition for a canine talent show. When Officer Jordan Starkey recognized Dillard as a wanted man strolling down South Lake Drive, Dillard’s instincts kicked in: he ran for it. Unfortunately for him, he had unknowingly chosen the absolute worst possible place to disappear.
What Dillard didn’t know was that just a few hundred yards away, 25 of the region’s finest police K9 teams were putting their tracking skills to the test at Grady T. Wallace Park. As Dillard dashed through the underbrush, he was practically ringing the dinner bell for the canine stars of the USPCA trials.
Texas Parks and Wildlife Game Warden David McMillen and his eager partner Jake took up the chase, with Jake hot on Dillard’s trail. In a record time of just three minutes, Jake uncovered Dillard’s hiding spot under a pile of brush, proving that Dillard’s idea of “going incognito” was barking up the wrong tree.
Dillard was quickly taken into custody and now faces additional charges for his not-so-great escape. Perhaps next time, he’ll check the calendar for any nearby police dog competitions before he decides to pull a fast one on the law. Thanks to the swift work of McMillen and Jake, the chase ended as quickly as it began, and Dillard’s luck seemed to have run out just as fast.
