October 22, 2024 / K9, News

SDPD K9 Officer, Local Hero Honored by San Diego County District Attorney’s Office 

On June 13, 2020, the San Diego Police Department’s K9 Officer Jonathan Wiese responded to the scene of a vehicle that had crashed down Sunset Cliffs and was lying upside down in the ocean. Deploying a 100-foot dog leash to rappel down a cliff, he rescued twin two-year-old girls, and their father, who had intentionally driven them off the cliff.

Last week, the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office held a ceremony to recognize Officer Wiese’s heroic efforts. Officer Wiese was joined by the twins, Hailey and Aubrey, now six years old, and their mother, who attended to celebrate his award.

This celebration follows the sentencing of the girls’ father on September 20, 2024, where he received the following charges: two counts of attempt to murder, two counts of child abuse, two counts of kidnapping, burglary, and domestic violence. He will serve 31 years in state prison.

“I would do for the public, what I would do for them,” Officer Wiese said. “I treat everyone that way. I treat them as if they were my family down there, and that’s pretty much what happened in this case.”

Because of his heroic actions that day, Officer Wiese was awarded the country’s highest honor for civilian heroism, the National Carnegie Medal, and the TOP COP award, presented by the National Association of Police Organizations.

The very same Officer Wiese was also honored for his response during the Poway Synagogue shooting in 2019. His quick actions led to the arrest of the shooting suspect at the Chabad of Poway.

Officer Wiese has served with SDPD for over twenty years. Since 2008, he has been part of the K9 Unit, currently protecting the community with his canine partner Uno.

For the past 21 years, every police service dog at the San Diego Police Department, including Uno, has been purchased with funds donated by the community through the Police Foundation. These specialized canines safeguard public events, find missing persons, locate evidence, de-escalate dangerous situations, prevent shootings, and preserve life.

Officer Wiese and K9 Uno are part of this public-private partnership that helps create a safer San Diego for all. Read more about the San Diego Police Foundation’s K9 Program.