“Hero” K-9 visits teller and other employees threatened by bank robber

CHEYENNE — A heroic K-9 who was key in apprehending a robbery suspect last week visited Jonah Bank and the teller who was threatened by the robbery suspect.

Maverick and his handler, Officer Ben Vapenik, joined a surprise K-9 team visit to Jonah Bank of Wyoming on Friday morning. Jonah Bank was one of two banks impacted by the July 25 back-to-back robberies, alongside the Western Vista Credit Union.

The visit gave one of the tellers, who was confronted by the suspect, the opportunity to meet “her hero” in person, according to a Cheyenne Police Department post on Facebook. The incident made several tellers involved fear for their lives, according to police records.

One teller at Jonah Bank has kept a photo of Maverick at her desk since the robbery.

“Moments like these remind us how fortunate we are to serve this great community,” CPD shared via Facebook.

Employees from both financial institutions were able to meet the K-9 team and express their gratitude to Maverick and CPD after last week’s fear-inducing incident.

Employees from the Western Vista Credit Union stopped by the bank with a special dog-themed gift basket for Maverick, which he loved, according to a CPD Facebook post.

“Maverick made quick work of opening the gift,” CPD shared in a Facebook post Friday. “He has been showing off his new squeaky toys all day.”

Maverick and Vapenik were key in apprehending Eric Smith, the suspected bank robber, after he allegedly committed a series of crimes. Just before he was apprehended, Smith threw a hammer at Vapenik, police said. Maverick was then deployed, biting Smith and ultimately taking him down.

Smith was arrested on charges of felony aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon, theft and inference with a peace officer that resulted in injury July 25.

“Maverick, the police department and the entire community have been so supportive,” Cheyenne market president for Jonah Bank of Wyoming Mike Williams told the Wyoming Tribune Eagle via email. “The opportunity for Jonah Bankers to thank Maverick in person (Friday) was very special, and we’re glad he brought Officers Vapenik and (Sgt. Eric) Norris with him so they could carry our gratitude back to every officer involved.”

Maverick is a part of the CPD K-9 Unit along with his peers Tyler, Pavel and Dutch. These pups are dual-purpose K-9s, trained to find odors and perform patrol functions, according to CPD public information officer Alexandra Farkas. These teams are trained in drug detection, tracking, apprehensions, building searches, area searches and patrol route searches.

Maverick is an international pup. Bred in Holland, he joined CPD in February 2019. He was originally partnered with Norris, but when Norris was promoted to sergeant, Maverick was reassigned to Vapenik.

K-9s like Maverick are typically assigned to one handler, living in the officer’s home. The dogs often live out their retirement with their handlers, continuing to be a family member, Farkas told the WTE.

The handler acts like any responsible pet owner, feeding, grooming, and caring for their K-9 partner, though these dogs have a lot more responsibility than a household pet. The officer K-9 team completes an extensive eight-week training together upon assignment, maintaining daily individual training once in service. They train as a unit twice monthly and complete an annual certification.

The duo became a certified team in May 2022 and according to CPD, they have been working well together ever since. Their work July 25, in collaboration with other local law enforcement officers, demonstrated how well they work together.

“The quick thinking and reaction of CPD last Thursday along with the absolute outpouring of support from the community since then reminds us that we live in a remarkable place,” Williams said via email. “We’re grateful to be a community bank in Cheyenne and beyond blessed by the partnership we have with the Cheyenne Police Department.

“We’d really like every first responder to know we’re always grateful to have them on our side, regardless of whether a crime is involved.”