Overview
- Prosecutors announced charges on July 7 against Sgt. Cody Henderson after an investigation found he left two K-9s unattended in a sheriff’s office vehicle for about seven hours.
- The dogs, Rip and Boomer, were discovered dead after being left in the car on May 29, and a veterinarian at the New Jersey Animal Health Diagnostic Laboratory concluded their deaths were likely heat stroke.
- Charging documents cite courthouse surveillance video and key‑fob logs that show Henderson did not check the vehicle, and they say indoor kennels at the facility were immediately available but not used.
- Investigators also note the patrol vehicle was turned off so its emergency heat‑alarm system did not activate and that maintenance records flagged an air‑conditioning problem before the incident.
- Henderson is suspended while criminal proceedings continue and the sheriff’s office conducts an internal review, and the case places questions about K‑9 handling, equipment checks and departmental procedures under scrutiny.