US Navy Seals K9 contractor arrested

Jeffrey Scott Franklin, age 52, was taken into custody on Friday, August 2, and charged with two felonies after hours of evading officers under the dark of night. He was charged with corporal injury including domestic violence with great bodily injury.

While the individual's weapon status was unknown at the time, the incident was treated as a possible active shooter situation.

It is unclear what took place to warrant the charges, and if they stem from a previous encounter between the suspect and the reporting party, a woman, who appears to have had a professional relationship, if not a personal relationship.

The woman apparently was kept at a secure location with her Navy Seal husband since 1 am when the suspect reportedly called the couple with threatening statements, alerting them he was on his way from San Diego. The Fallbrook Sheriff's Department responded to the situation as a high-priority call.

It was unknown whether he was armed or if alcohol or drugs were involved, however, a neighbor reported to Village News that there were open containers of alcohol in the rental car driven by Franklin the night of the incident.

Over a dozen law enforcement vehicles, a Sheriff's Bearcat armored vehicle, and at least one K-9 unit searched for the suspect throughout the Macadamia and East Mission Rd neighborhood. A heat-sensing drone was called up from San Diego and was reported to have seen a person "crawling through the bushes" on one of the properties close to where Franklin had parked his rental car and exited the vehicle. Macadamia Street was closed off with yellow tape, keeping the neighborhood closed to through traffic until about 6 am the same morning.

Neighbors were roused by deputies calling for the man, who was believed to be on the couple's property.

Franklin, the suspect, owns Cobra Canine and is a civilian contractor securing trainers and procuring dogs for the Navy Seals. He was a U.S. Marine Reservist in a tank battalion that deployed to Iraq in the first Gulf War. He was then a police officer and K-9 handler in Kentucky for about 10 years and then took a job working for Vohne Liche Kennels in Denver, Indiana.

While he was there the U.S Navy DevGru unit (SEAL Team 6) offered him a job as a K-9 trainer and he took it and moved to Virginia, according to a trainer who wishes to remain anonymous.

He left DevGru and the East Coast SEALs hired him as their contract K-9 trainer and he has had the U.S. Navy SEAL K-9 contract from 2011 till currently. He also was later awarded the West Coast Navy SEAL K-9 contract to supply K-9 trainers to train Navy SEALS to be K-9 handlers and procure dogs for the Navy SEAL K-9 program on the West Coast in San Diego.

Franklin appears to be well-known in his industry as a canine trainer for the Navy Seals and has had multiple write-ups in industry magazines. There also is a book written about Franklin by Matthew Duffy, his friend and mentor, entitled 'The Man Behind the U.S. Commando Dogs.' The facts in the book have been questioned by other trainers in the field who are familiar with Franklin.

Franklin posted bail Sunday and has his first court date today, August 6, 2024.

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It has been reported to Village News that the suspect, Jeffrey Scott Franklin, has been taken into custody after evading Sheriffs for over five hours. He is being charged with corporal injury including domestic violence with great bodily injury.

There were more than a dozen law enforcement vehicles, a Sheriff's armored vehicle and at least one K-9 unit. The street was closed off with yellow tape, keeping Macadamia closed to through traffic.

The incident began around 1 a.m. when the Sheriff's Department responded to a high-priority call after a man allegedly threatened a resident in Fallbrook, claiming he was on his way to their home. The suspect was described as ex-military who made threatening statements. The individual's weapon status was unknown at the time of the report.

According to a Sheriff's deputy at the scene, the suspect parked his rental car on Macadamia Street, just north of East Mission Road, and exited the vehicle. Neighbors were roused by deputies calling for the man, who was believed to be on the property. The car remained on the street until after deputies left.

In response to the situation, the Sheriff's Department deployed a heat-sensing drone from San Diego to assist in locating the suspect, given the darkness of the night. The drone detected a figure crawling in the bushes, prompting further pursuit by deputies.

As the search continued, a Bearcat armored vehicle was called in to aid in the operation, arriving later in the morning. After approximately five hours of searching, authorities issued a Be On the Lookout (BOLO) alert. The street was reopened to traffic, and deputies began to leave the scene, although there is still a law enforcement presence in the area.

The suspect has been apprehended and placed in custody.

This is a developing story.

More details will be provided as they become available.