Federal law enforcement officials descended on a home owned by Michael Vick yesterday armed with a search warrant that suggests they’re taking over an investigation into the Falcons quarterback’s possible involvement in dog fighting.

More than a dozen vehicles went to the home early in the afternoon and investigators searched inside before turning their attention to the area where officials found dozens of dogs in late April and evidence that suggested the home was involved in a dog-fighting operation.

Surry County, Va., officials had secured a search warrant in late May based on an informant’s information to look for as many as 30 dog carcasses buried on the property. The warrant never was executed because Commonwealth’s Attorney Gerald G. Poindexter said he had issues with how it was worded.

That search warrant expired yesterday.

"What is foreign to me is the federal government getting into a dog-fighting case," Poindexter said. "I know it’s been done, but what’s driving this? Is it this boy’s celebrity? Would they have done this if it wasn’t Michael Vick?"

Poindexter said he was "absolutely floored" that federal officials got involved and that he believes he and Sheriff Harold D. Brown handled the investigation properly.

"Apparently these people want it," Poindexter said. "They want it, and I don’t believe they want it because of the serious criminal consequences involved. … They want it because Michael Vick may be involved."

Poindexter said he found out about a sealed search warrant filed in the U.S. Attorney’s office about the time federal investigators executed it yesterday.

"If they’ve made a judgment that we’re not acting prudently and with dispatch based on what we have, they’re not acting very wisely," Poindexter said.

He said Surry County officials were preparing another search warrant for the property and that the investigative team planned to meet to make sure they had all the experts needed to make the search most effective.

"There’s a larger thing here, and it has nothing to do with any breach of protocol," Poindexter said. "There’s something awful going on here. I don’t know if it’s racial. I don’t know what it is."

State police assisted investigators from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Attorney’s office in executing the warrant, Virginia State Police Sgt. D.S. Carr said, declining to comment further.

Last night, a state police evidence collection truck was parked inside the fence surrounding the house. Investigators could be seen carrying a large sheet of plywood and a box.

● RETIRING AS A CHIEF: Safety Jerome Woods, who played in Kansas City until his release in May 2006, has signed a one-year contract that will enable him to retire as a Chief.

Woods, a first-round draft pick in 1996, will move to the reserve/retired list today.

"Jerome Woods played his entire career with the Chiefs, a rare occasion in today’s NFL," Chiefs President Carl Peterson said. "He was an excellent first-round draft choice who distinguished himself on and off the field. He was a Pro Bowl player who helped us win many football games over his time here."

Woods played in 128 games in 10 seasons after joining Kansas City as its first-round pick in the 1996 draft.

He was credited with 720 tackles, five sacks and 15 interceptions.

He made a great comeback in 2003 and was named to the Pro Bowl after missing the entire 2002 season with a broken leg.

Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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