By Sally Krutzig
The Idaho Statesman
NAMPA, Idaho — A Kuna woman will serve more than a decade in prison for her role in a high-speed chase that injured an officer and killed a police dog.
A jury in a March trial found Stephanie A. Kettermann guilty of nine charges, including assault or battery of a police officer, killing a police dog and fleeing an officer. Others involved drug charges, aggravated driving and destruction, alteration of concealment of evidence.
Kettermann, then 33, was arrested in September after the Nampa Police Department responded to a reported drug transaction at the Walmart parking lot on East Franklin Road in Nampa, the Canyon County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office said in a news release.
Kettermann fled the scene in a pickup truck with police in pursuit. The prosecuting attorney’s office said she “reached speeds of up to 85 miles per hour, at times driving into oncoming traffic.”
Officer Cody Huss attempted to stop Kettermann using a precision immobilization technique or PIT maneuver, police said in a September news release, which involves an officer hitting a vehicle’s rear to make it spin out. But Kettermann “turned into the police vehicle, ramming it, and causing both vehicles to roll and leave the roadway and land in a cornfield,” police said.
The collision injured Huss and killed his K-9 partner, a German shepherd named Riddick.
Officers quickly apprehended her after she attempted to flee on foot, according to police. The Prosecuting Attorney’s Office said law enforcement found “a significant quantity of illegal substances, including methamphetamine and fentanyl” in her vehicle.
Canyon County’s 3rd District Judge Thomas Whitney sentenced Kettermann to 17 years in prison with the possibility of parole after 12 years.
“This sentence holds the defendant accountable for her selfish and reckless actions, which endangered our community, injured a law enforcement officer, and led to the tragic loss of K-9 Riddick,” Canyon County Prosecutor Christopher Boyd said in a statement.
Nampa police honored Riddick with a memorial service and received an outpouring of support in the wake of his death.
“Riddick’s dedication and bravery will forever be cherished, and his contributions to keeping Nampa safe will never be forgotten,” Idaho State Police said in a statement.
Huss and Riddick received the Servpro First Responder Award at the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.
A 27-year-old Caldwell man who was a passenger in the vehicle pleaded guilty through a plea agreement to possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, according to court records. A judge sentenced him to 12 years with eligibility for parole after three years.
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