NYPD Dog Named After Slain Cop Finds Loaded Guns Inside Car During Traffic Stop

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- An NYPD dog named after a slain officer helped police in the arrests of four men in Brooklyn.

Police pulled over a vehicle with heavily tinted windows and a cover on its rear license plate on Maple Street around 2 p.m. Wednesday.

Officers detected a strong odor of marijuana as they approached the car where they found an open Pringles container with marijuana.

Four men in the vehicle were placed under arrest.

K9 Timoshenko, a German shepherd named after Det. Russel Timoshenko who was killed in the line of duty in 2007, later searched the vehicle where he found two loaded semi-automatic handguns inside the door panel. Police said one of the guns had been reported stolen in Haverstraw, N.Y.

The suspects were charged with possession of a weapon and marijuana.

Earlier this week, the NYPD held a graduation ceremony for 17 dogs joining the K9 Unit.

Detective Russel Timoshenko was fatally shot July 9, 2007 after pulling over a stolen vehicle in Brooklyn. His partner, Herman Ian, was wounded but survived.

Three men were convicted in connection with the case. Two are serving life sentences; a third man is serving a 15-year sentence in prison.

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