Posted Thursday, January 12, 2012 --- 2:32 p.m.

Incident Report from the Madison Police Department:

Incident Type: Robbery

Incident Date: 01/11/2011 - 6:04 PM

Address: Northwestern Ave.

Arrested:
Marsean D. Taylor, age 18, Fitchburg
Mr. Taylor was arrested for Armed Robbery.

Demitrius D. Furdge, age 17, Madison
Mr. Furdge was arrested for Armed Robbery.

Kristopher J. Hughes, age 18, Madison
Mr. Hughes was arrested for Armed Robbery.

Victim: Male, age 15, Madison

Male, age 16, Madison

Male, age 16, Madison

Details: A Madison Police dog, named for an officer’s fallen son, proved instrumental in the apprehension of armed robbery suspects Wednesday evening.

Multiple officers, including members of the North District’s Community Police Team, responded to alert tones shortly after 6:00 p.m. after three teenagers were robbed at gunpoint. They had just gotten off of a bus and were walking on Northwestern Ave. when they were approached from behind by several older teens. One pointed a handgun at the victims and demanded they empty their pockets. The thugs made off with two wallets and two cell phones. Among those responding to the scene was K9 Josh. He led officers on a track that led to Loftsgordon Ave. where Josh laid down, which is his alert that an article of possible interest was nearby. His partner located the two stolen wallets. They had been dumped on the ground. Josh then continued to track the suspects along railroad tracks, and toward apartments in the 2100 block of Packers Ave. At the same time, CPT officers in squad cars paid heed to Josh’s tracking direction. One was using binoculars to scope the area, and spotted the suspects boarding a bus on Northport Dr. Josh’s partner was plugged into the sighting, and could see the bus was now heading their way. She flagged the bus down, and could see a MPD squad was also lighting up the bus. The suspects were inside. One had a handgun tucked in his waistband. It turned out to be a starter pistol.

K9 Josh is named for Army Sgt. Josh Brennan. Sgt. Brennan was a member of the 173rd Airborne Brigade, and was killed in 2007 following a firefight in Kunar Province, Afghanistan. Sgt. Brennan was 22-years old, and had dreamed of following in father Mike’s footsteps by becoming a Madison Police officer.