LOCAL

Man charged with killing K-9 Baron asks for bond reduction

JENNA CARPENTER
PETER.WILLOTT@STAUGUSTINE.COM Brandon Allison appears before Circuit Judge Michael Traynor for a hearing in the St. Johns County Courthouse on Thursday, January 8, 2015. Allison is charged with killing a St. Johns County Sheriff's police dog in October of 2014 and with drug charges.

The St. Augustine man who turned himself in after allegedly fleeing the police and killing a police dog remains in jail on a $155,000 bond.

Brandon Allison, 27, appeared before Judge Michael Traynor on Wednesday for a motion to reduce the bond to $56,000.

Allison was booked on Oct. 8 in connection to the death of K-9 Baron of the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office.

He was charged with resisting an officer without violence, which is a first-degree misdemeanor, and the third-degree felony of causing great harm to a police animal.

Allison also was arrested on an unrelated sale of cocaine charge, which is a second-degree felony.

During the proceedings, Allison's attorney, Gary Smolek, asked for the three charges be brought down to the minimum requirement.

"His current bonds are punitive," he said.

The charges and proposed bond are:

¦ Resisting an officer without force: From $5,000 to $1,000;

¦ Causing great harm to a police animal: From $50,000 to $5,000;

¦ Sale of cocaine: From $100,000 to $50,000.

Smolek said while Allison has previously been arrested on other drug-related and stolen property charges, he never missed a scheduled court appearance.

"This is indication he is not a risk of not appearing after he's released," Smolek said.

Smolek said Allison wishes to be released so he can return to his job.

However, Assistant State Attorney Chris Ferebee cited Allison's previous record as substantial evidence to keep him in prison on the $155,000 bond.

"This is not his first brush with the law," he said. "He was sentenced to six years in the Department of Corrections and was released fairly recently. He also has been arrested on a charge of dealing in stolen property. So with his prior record alone, the bonds are reasonable."

Ferebee also said the nature of the charges is reason enough to sustain his current bond.

"Allison allegedly knew there was a warrant for his arrest, and in attempt to avoid being captured, he realized he killed a police dog," he said. "So just the nature of those allegations, Allison is a flight risk."

Traynor did not immediately change the amount of Allison's bond but told Smolek he would take a look at the motion and send out an order.

Allison fled when deputies responded to a disturbance on Twin Aspen Circle on Oct. 7. When Deputy Farrah Ashe and Deputy Baron pursued him into a wooded area, the K-9 ran ahead of Ashe. She found him unresponsive in a shallow pool of water.

Baron was pronounced dead at a veterinary emergency hospital.

Allison appeared in court Jan. 8 for a pretrial hearing, but Smolek asked for more time to work the case because he believed more evidence needed to be gathered.

Allison's next court date is scheduled March 5.