SMYRNA, Del. - The Department of Justice has indicted a former correctional officer and K-9 handler on three charges, including a felony, for causing the death of a 4-year-old law enforcement dog named Lux.
According to the Delaware Attorney General's office, the DOJ's Division of Civil Rights & Public Trust indicted Darrel Wiley for leaving Lux confined and unattended in his patrol car while on duty at James T. Vaughn Correctional Center for more than four hours in September of 2022.
Investigators say the temperatures that day reached a high of more than 80 degrees Fahrenheit. They say when Wiley returned to his vehicle, he found Lux dead. DCRPT's investigation alleges Wiley's misconduct was not new: It's believed that from June to September of 2022, he repeatedly left Lux confined in his car for up to eight hours.
According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, daytime temperatures in a parked vehicle can rise by more 40 degrees in just one hour.
Immediately after K-9 Lux's death the Delaware Department of Correction say they placed Wiley on administrative leave, initiated an internal investigation, and contacted Animal Welfare investigators to conduct an independent investigation. Wiley is no longer employed by the Delaware Department of Correction.
The grand jury indicted Wiley for one count each of Assault 1st Degree Against a Law Enforcement Animal, a Class D Felony; Cruelty to Animals, a Class A Misdemeanor; and Official Misconduct, a Class A Misdemeanor.
