Palm Beach man gets life for shooting police dog

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By SARAH PROHASKA Palm Beach Post Staff Writer Friday, September 14, 2007 FORT PIERCE — The 21-year-old man convicted of shooting a St. Lucie sheriff's K-9 to death in 2004 while fleeing deputies after participating in a carjacking and kidnapping was sentenced this morning to life in prison, plus 50 years. During an emotional hearing, Circuit Judge Gary Sweet sentenced Barrington Levy to three life sentences, one each for the kidnapping, carjacking and burglary while armed. He ordered those sentences to be served at the same time.Post a

tributeVasko's guest book</div> He ordered Levy to serve 15 years each for injuring or killing a police dog, resisting an officer with violence and possession of a firearm after being found delinquent. Levy was sentenced to five years for aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer. Sweet imposed those sentences to run consecutive to each other, but concurrent to the life sentences. Levy was convicted in August of shooting a St. Lucie sheriff's K-9, named Vasko, in June 2004 as Vasko was apprehending Levy, who had fled officers. Earlier that night Levy had carjacked a Fort

Pierce man at gunpoint and stuffed the driver in the trunk of the car. Half a dozen sheriff's and police K-9 officers showed up to watch Levy learn his punishment. Vasko's handler, Port St. Lucie K-9 officer Mike Colton, who worked for the sheriff's office at the time, became chocked up when he described the effect of Vasko's death on his family. "I've waited for this day for a long time, a long time," Colton said. "It was tough on me personally, tough on my family, tough on the law enforcement community." During the trial, Colton testified he saw and heard a flash and crack after Vasko knocked Levy to the ground. Vasko then yelped in pain and recoiled from Levy, he said. "He also said he saw a gun in Levy's hand. After Levy shot Vasko, Colton said, Levy pointed the gun directly at them. Colton then fired several shots at Levy. Levy testified he did not have a gun and suggested Colton shot his own dog. He also

said his co-defendant, Clemon Sneed, was responsible for the carjacking and kidnapping that led to the shooting. However, prosecutors pointed out, veterinarians extracted a .22-caliber bullet from Vasko's body, and Colton shot a .40-caliber pistol that night. Levy still maintains his innocence, and interrupted Colton's statement during the sentencing this morning, saying: "I didn't point no gun at him." Palm Beach Post "Think occasionally of the suffering of which youspare yourself the sight" Albert Schweitzer

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