An inmate escapes from custody, a knife-wielding offender, riots in Sydney — and a police dog who paid the ultimate price.

In Episode 16 of Tall Tails and True, Roger takes us through some of the more confronting incidents from his years in the NSW Police.

We hear about a juvenile offender who escaped while being transported from a police station, and Roger’s pursuit and arrest with Jane by his side.

Roger then recounts the arrest of a Frenchman who had stabbed multiple people in Sydney, including a police officer, before barricading himself inside a house.

It raises an important question: why wasn’t Kancho sent in?

Roger explains the protocols around deploying police dogs when knives are involved, why protecting the dogs is such an important consideration, and the tragic reality that some police dogs have been killed or seriously injured in the line of duty.

We also revisit Roger’s involvement in the Redfern and Cronulla riots. At Redfern, Roger’s dog Anja was right there alongside him, bravely working as rocks were being thrown at police. Even after being struck in the leg by a rock and bleeding, Anja continued trying to catch the rocks being thrown.

And to finish, we bring Roger’s story right up to the present. At the time of recording, he’s preparing to head to Japan to compete in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

From chasing offenders to chasing submissions — Roger clearly isn’t slowing down anytime soon.

Listen to Episode 16 of Tall Tails and True NOW