Cop Shoots Service Dog, Owner Gets Citation at boy's birthday party. "Horrifying Video"

reply to post by TorqueyThePig



If the dog attacks you, you are justified to use the force necessary to stop it from hurting you. I would do the same with an animal, or a person.

Your actions in the situation you described were commendable, justified and correct. However, your description of the event gives insight into your moral standing and personal values.

Ignorance does not protect you from the law, so ignorance shouldn't protect you from being judged on your morality.

Declining to kill something because of possible repercussions, is the lowest form of moral behavior. If it weren't for people like this we would NOT NEED any police on the streets.

It is the combination between this moral standpoint, combined with opportunism, and either bravery or foolishness; that requires us to have police, and a criminal justice system.

The people representing this justice system should be above the moral behavior they are working to prevent. In your situation, this is not the case. With this kind of morality, you turn the police force into nothing more than a criminal gang with a sovereign monopoly on violence; and that is dangerous.

If I am mistaken on my analysis of your moral standpoint, I apologize. The post alone is not enough to judge your morality definitively.

reply to post by fedeykin


Oh you are more then mistaken.

Again you must have missed the other reason why I didn't want to shoot the dog. I risked my own safety because I felt bad for the dog, realizing he was the product of a bad owner. But hey keep cherry picking my post.

I have done a lot for my community. I have sacrificed a lot for it, and the people in it. I have risked my life on multiple occasions to help people in need both on and off duty.

I couldn't care less as to how you view me. I know the truth. My friends and family know the truth. My community knows the truth.

I am done here.

If 2 aggressive dogs are roaming loose, and display that level of aggression towards people, you're damn skippy deadly force will be used...

Irresponsible dog owners are INEXCUSABLE. DURR, I think I'll let my 2 aggressive dogs out all day to roam the neighborhood freely, then I'm going to act surprised when cops show up and utilize self-defense. DERP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Having watched the video, and looking at it the following can be stated:

Here are the facts in what is shown by the video that would be taken into account:

1) Officer in the course of his duty, pulls up to a house.
2) The owners dogs are not restrained and are free to run around, including into the street.
3) The dogs were getting up on the car, barking and growling when the officer was getting out of the police vehicle.
4) The officer tried to use his foot once to push the dogs back, the dogs kept coming towards him, barking and growling.
5) The officer shot one of the dogs.


Those are the facts and should be taken into account, nothing else. The issue here is not that the officer shot the dog, rather the issue here is that neither of the dogs that appeared on video were properly restrained. They were running around and if you have ever worked with unknown animals, you have to be under the belief that the animal will bite you. I know this as I used to work for animal control and saw it far too often, and was bit twice in the 2 years that I was there. I saw it with my parents dogs, the first is when they owned 2 dogs at the same time, and a person went to lean over the fence to pet one dog and my mother had to tell the person not to, as they did not see the other one coming up to attack.

People fail to take into account when there is multiple dogs in say a house, the nature is to be a pack. And in any pack situation, there is an alpha that determines when to eat, when to sleep and when to attack or defend. They do this all on instinct, it is a part of the nature of the animal.

Now there are a few questions that should have been asked, and hopefully will be asked and the primary one is that if this was a service animal, why was the dog just outside and why did it not have on its vest indicating it was a service animal? Most service animals go through years of training and have qualities for such, and usually ignore all outside influences, even not getting in the way of someone in a uniform, as it could be required for say an EMS person to get to the person with the service animal. They are usually one of the most well trained animals you will ever see, and are not pets.

The ultimately point here is that is you have animals, like dogs in a city or country, in most states there are rules and laws that state that the animals have to be under the control of the owner if not properly restrained. And if the dog had bit the officer, the owner could and most likely be charged with felony assault.

The bottom line is that if a person owns a dog, it is the owners responsibility to ensure that the dogs do not get out or run around uncontrolled. If they do and get killed, it is not the fault of the officer who shoots the dog, or the car that hits the dog, but the owner for failing to keep control over their pet.

reply to post by Mianeye


you're a fool and an apologist for the police state. good luck with your freedom.

reply to post by sdcigarpig


another fool. cops are out of control. shooting should be the very last, not the first, response. this particular cop was in zero danger. he is now.

Kromlech
If 2 aggressive dogs are roaming loose, and display that level of aggression towards people, you're damn skippy deadly force will be used...

Irresponsible dog owners are INEXCUSABLE. DURR, I think I'll let my 2 aggressive dogs out all day to roam the neighborhood freely, then I'm going to act surprised when cops show up and utilize self-defense. DERP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That doesn't mean the dog needs to be SHOT DERRRRPPPPP.
We are all are in agreement that the dogs should not have been on the loose, they were NOT aggresive dogs. They were doing what dogs do, protecting the house. The cop was scared and the dogs could sense that, he kicked at the dog twice, landing one. Great way to get the dog to not be aggressive at you DERP!!!
He then took all but 1 min to decide that this dog needs to get shot, forget all the other non lethal ways I can take care of this dog
DEEERPPPPP
How about I stay in my patrol car and call animal CONTROL to take care of this out of CONTROL dog. DEEERRRRRRRPPPPPPPPP
Those dogs were not aggressive, they were wagging their tails the whole time... This cop was a trigger happy and scared of dogs so he took the easiest way out like a coward. DEEEEEEEERRRRPPPPP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

RoScoLaz
reply to post by sdcigarpig

 

another fool. cops are out of control. shooting should be the very last, not the first, response. this particular cop was in zero danger. he is now.

No, I believe the 2 aggressive dogs roaming freely were out of control -- hence the cops showing up. And his first response WASN'T shooting the animal, go back and look where he kicked it off of him. Quit making excuses for irresponsible dogs owners and their aggressive dogs roaming loose...

reply to post by sdcigarpig


And another huge post blaming the owner but not one mention of why a non lethal way would not work...
Regardless if it is a dog or a person cops need to go through all procedures before firing their weapon.. I really don't understand why so many are failing to see that in this situation. That is one of the FACTS of the situation as you pointed out. He skipped ALL of his non lethal actions and he has plenty. He was there to get the dogs under control, WHAT DID HE DO TO GET THE DOG UNDER CONTROL BEFORE HE SHOT IT? Yes that is his job, that was the call, dogs at large. Why was animal control not called if he could not get out his patrol car like he told the owner while he was yelling and cussing and threatening to arrest him?

Sremmos80

Kromlech
If 2 aggressive dogs are roaming loose, and display that level of aggression towards people, you're damn skippy deadly force will be used...

Irresponsible dog owners are INEXCUSABLE. DURR, I think I'll let my 2 aggressive dogs out all day to roam the neighborhood freely, then I'm going to act surprised when cops show up and utilize self-defense. DERP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That doesn't mean the dog needs to be SHOT DERRRRPPPPP.
We are all are in agreement that the dogs should not have been on the loose, they were NOT aggresive dogs. They were doing what dogs do, protecting the house. The cop was scared and the dogs could sense that, he kicked at the dog twice, landing one. Great way to get the dog to not be aggressive at you DERP!!!
He then took all but 1 min to decide that this dog needs to get shot, forget all the other non lethal ways I can take care of this dog
DEEERPPPPP
How about I stay in my patrol car and call animal CONTROL to take care of this out of CONTROL dog. DEEERRRRRRRPPPPPPPPP
Those dogs were not aggressive, they were wagging their tails the whole time... This cop was a trigger happy and scared of dogs so he took the easiest way out like a coward. DEEEEEEEERRRRPPPPP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

edit on thFri, 14 Feb 2014 12:27:23 -0600America/Chicago220142380 by Sremmos80 because: (no reason given)

"How about I stay in my patrol car and watch these dogs maul the next bystander... while I sit here with my thumb up my ass waiting 15 minutes for animal control."

Yeah, teh poor widdle baby puppy chihuahuas didn't know what dey were doing!!! LOL... As they continue to roam freely and lundge aggressively at bystanders. Yeah, the cops were totally called for "NO" reason... /DEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERP

An imminent threat DOES need to be dealt with IMMEDIATELY. Yes, let us wait until these dogs maul a bystander while waiting all eternity for animal control. Let's sit here with our thumb up our ass until the dogs feel like "protecting" their house from little 3-year-old Tina from next door. Let us wait to act until AFTER they attack. "NOOO, but teh poor widdle LUNDGING AGGRESSIVE DOGS didn't know what dey were doing! DURR, how dare I not let it attack me before taking action."

reply to post by Sremmos80


I blame the owners but feel the cop was a POS and needed very little reason in his mind to shoot a dog. No reason to think this cop wouldn't react the same way to anyone including a child if he felt "threatened". We don't need cops like this. He got out of his car and kicked the dog once, maybe twice (by first yalp in video) and he wasn't bitten. A vicious dog would have laid into him.

Those dogs tails were up and wagging the entire time, that is not a sign of an aggressive dog.
The reason its the owners fault is its their dog. Some people have no to little experience with dogs and some are deathly afraid of them, more so with large breed dogs. Once the owner looses control of his/her dog its in the control of someone else. It cant be assumed that the other person knows anything about dogs or are comfortable around them at all.

Kromlech

Sremmos80

Kromlech
If 2 aggressive dogs are roaming loose, and display that level of aggression towards people, you're damn skippy deadly force will be used...

Irresponsible dog owners are INEXCUSABLE. DURR, I think I'll let my 2 aggressive dogs out all day to roam the neighborhood freely, then I'm going to act surprised when cops show up and utilize self-defense. DERP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That doesn't mean the dog needs to be SHOT DERRRRPPPPP.
We are all are in agreement that the dogs should not have been on the loose, they were NOT aggresive dogs. They were doing what dogs do, protecting the house. The cop was scared and the dogs could sense that, he kicked at the dog twice, landing one. Great way to get the dog to not be aggressive at you DERP!!!
He then took all but 1 min to decide that this dog needs to get shot, forget all the other non lethal ways I can take care of this dog
DEEERPPPPP
How about I stay in my patrol car and call animal CONTROL to take care of this out of CONTROL dog. DEEERRRRRRRPPPPPPPPP
Those dogs were not aggressive, they were wagging their tails the whole time... This cop was a trigger happy and scared of dogs so he took the easiest way out like a coward. DEEEEEEEERRRRPPPPP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

edit on thFri, 14 Feb 2014 12:27:23 -0600America/Chicago220142380 by Sremmos80 because: (no reason given)

"How about I stay in my patrol car and watch these dogs maul the next bystander... while I sit here with my thumb up my ass waiting 15 minutes for animal control?"

Yeah, teh poor widdle baby puppy chihuahuas didn't know what dey were doing!!! LOL... As they continue to roam freely and lundge aggressively at bystanders. Yeah, the cops were totally called for "NO" reason... /DEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERP

An imminent threat DOES need to be dealt with IMMEDIATELY. Yes, let us wait until these dogs maul a bystander while waiting all eternity for animal control. Let's sit here with our thumb up our ass until the dogs feel like "protecting" their house from little 3-year-old Tina from next door. Let us wait to act until AFTER they attack.

edit on 14-2-2014 by Kromlech because: (no reason given)

Those dogs were not attacking any one, that wasn't the call. So it would be completely plausible for him to be able to wait in his car. Remember he told the owner he couldn't even get out of his car? Right then and there he has every reason to call AC and wait in his car as long as he has too. So how was he able to get out and start kicking the dog? If he couldn't get out of his car why didn't he radio that in? What is SOP if a dog has to trapped in car? Did he follow that? You keep using ifs and what ifs, those didn't happen so they can't be used as justification for him shooting the dog.

The dog wasn't an "imminent" threat, it was about the same as some one pulling away from an office or a person that doesn't want to come up and talk to one, so should they just shoot them? And again you start bringing up phantom people in the situation. He lived on a street and he said he has those dogs out all the time, obviously they haven't "mauled" any one yet or they wouldn't be there. They were only lunging at the aggressive cop. He was just as aggressive as those dogs which is not how you handle a dog, unless of course you want to get bit.

Also how hard would it have been to use his PA system and sirens? Give the overheads a couple cherps or a full ring and see if you can get the HO attention so he can PEACEFULLY get his dog . Those PA's are LOUD, but he didn't even try that.........But I guess that is ok cause he got a little scared so kill the dog

If the call came out that these dogs were being aggressive then usually AC gets dispatched at the same time, can recall many a night where the ex was on call and would get calls for aggressive dogs and they would beat the cops there.


ETA: The cop wasn't even in fear for his LIFE which is a req for shooting your firearm, or it used to be at least. It is on vid that he was just scared of going to the ER again, he says it about 10 times

reply to post by MrLimpet

Awwwwww, man, so he justifies shooting the dog because some dog bit him before and put him in the ER.

Cops like this should not be on the force. They need psychiatric evaluation and a desk job. Not in public where every dog that barks at them is liable to be blown to bits.

reply to post by swimmer15


Well the owner is in the blame for the dog being outside, well by the letter of the law anyway. It would be interesting if we could get a poll of the houses surrounding to get an idea of how those dogs were perceived. For all we know this is an everyday thing and all the kids and what no love those dogs and it was some one that just moved in that didn't know and they called. I just can't imagine those dogs have done anything in past, since if a dog bites someone these days they usually get put down.
The owner still has no blame for the dog being shot, unless the cop had used all non lethal and the dog still came, then it would be entirely the owners fault

reply to post by Sremmos80


A cop responding to a call only has the info given from dispatch and assesment. This cop made no assesment from what i could tell, seemed to me to have a grudge against dogs. Like i said an agressive dog would have latched on him at first chance... This guy obviosly wasnt scared or he wouldnt have got out of car, or shot them immedietly.. He wasnt scared because these dogs gave him no reason to be. For that this cop is a pos and nothing more to me.. But still its the owners responsibilty, for having this pos called to handle there dogs in first place.

Sremmos80


I wonder have you been peppered sprayed?

Yes I have. It sucks.

It would blind the dog and cause plenty of pain.

And many dogs are immune to that. Hence why electric fences don't work on certain breeds. BTW, my brother had one of those obnoxious labs that would shoot through the fence at the highest setting, if it meant just getting to run free.

You see how the dog reacted to pain. I am sure the spray would do just fine.

The only thing you are doing is making an assumption that you think it would work. YOu don't know. As someone who has worked with animal control and took the carcasses of aggressive dogs to the health department, and investigated bites, I know for certain it doesn't always work.

Last time I checked they have a little stronger stuff then the stuff you can buy in the store. You know the ones joggers carry to fend off dogs or people

I also had to carry because of idiot homeowners like these who didn't know to restrain their dogs in a crowded neighborhood. And their dogs would charge me the second I pulled up.

The other dog wasn't a threat, he only was focused on the one so the tazer would have worked just fine.

They were both acting aggressive. You are making assumptions and speculations again. If thsi was your four year old being approached by these two animals, I wonder if you would be so forgiving?

Why would the cop call him? I mean get on his PA and use his sirens to blerp and ATTEMPT to get the homeowners attention. BEFORE killing the dog. He said he couldn't even get out of his car to the owner.

We have been over this. How do you know the sirens and lights were not on when he pulled up? How did the homeowner not hear all the commotion to begin with?

He did not try and diffuse the situation at all.

.

Actually he tried to push and kick the dog away several times. Both dogs were lunging at him. He yelled and tried to shove them away with his leg.

He got scared and shot the dog. He even said that was the reason, he didn't want to go the er again.... Wasn't even in fear for his life, just being inconvenienced. All that is on audio as well, he clearly says that over and over again.

Apparently you have never been bit by a dog. I have an aunt who lost part of her hand just from a simple dog bite, because after six months of heavy antibiotics and multiple surgeries to try to save it, the infection from the dog bite went into the bone, and she lost a finger and part of her hand. It wasn't even that bad of a dog bite. Would you call that just an inconvenience?
And if the owner HAD not gotten the dog its shots, where most of owners who let dogs range like this don't, it would mean getting all sorts of shots. The dog would have to go on quarantine if not be killed for a rabies test...anyways.

Guess what, dogs mouths are filthy, even the simplest of bites can turn into a raging infection.

If that dog did not have shots and was allowed to roam the neighborhood, if it bit the officer, it was going to be put down for testing anyways.

Again, I have seen too many animals put down because of stupid, owners, who should never be allowed a pet.

In my first post i said the dog wasn't helping, doesn't justify the fact the cop killed the dog as his FIRST option to get rid of the dog.

You need to put the responsibility where it lies, with the owner who broke the law by letting dogs range the neighborhood. If the rumors are correct and the neighbors complained, the owner may have already been informed that the dogs need to be put a way, that they are being a menace. But most likely he took the stance of: I will do what I damn please.

So if he was warned several times, why were the dogs still out roaming? Why is it he gets to break the law, an old one at that, but the officer isn't allowed to defend himself?

As someone who has had to face plenty of dogs too, this gets old and tiresome. And when you are in the heat of the moment, wondering if Cujo is going to tear your face off, you act in self defence.

I sold door to door for years, was in this same situation 100 times, never been bit and never had to kill a dog. Being a cop doesn't change anything.

Weldl then you are lucky. I had this situation many times, and I have had to skip clients houses many times because they had aggressive animals that were not restrained. I have had to fight off people's dogs. I have dealt with it in my own neighborhood. And unlike you, I have worked dog bites. These animals were acting aggressive, plain and simple.

How many of you ranting against the cop, go on other threads and talk about your guns and that you would kill any intruder that came to steal your jewelry?

So burglary is a capital punishment, but a cop isn't allowed to use the same self defence against a dog that is lunging at him, that IS actually threatening his own personal well being?

So other than being a cop, what is the difference?

That is what guns are for, for self defence?

C'mon now be honest, how many of you admit to having firearms on your property so you can be judge, jury, and executioner, for anyone that breaks into your house?

reply to post by nixie_nox


A dog barking is comparable to burglary? This officer came onto another persons property and shot a dog that was barking at him. No lunging by the dog took place. No attack by the dog took place. The only aggressive behavior was from the officer. The only threat was the officer. This shares no comparison to an intruder breaking into someones home.

And for anyone still stuck on the lack of fence and/or leash lets be honest. That yard could have been fenced in and that officer would probably still have shot the dog.

I've seen two male dogs fighting (over a female) and it was a frightening and vicious, bloody sight. They were large dogs like the ones in the videos (also roaming free). One of the neighbors came out, got a large stick and began beating both the dogs to break up the fight and the dogs didn't even pay one bit of attention to a grown man beating them forcefully. Totally ignored him as though he had zero effect on him. The point of the story being that even if the cop had used a baton or a tazer, there's no guarantee that it would have had any effect on the dogs and might even have got him injured necessitating the need to shoot them anyway. Personally, I prefer to attack when I see the threat coming rather than wait til I'm attacked, injured and no longer able to defend myself.
If it's just one dog attacking then I might give them a little more leeway. Maybe. But TWO big dogs? At least one of them IS going down and possibly both of them. With an unknown animal that has frightened the neighbors enough to call for help, I wouldn't take any chances.
Yes, the animal control division is the appropriate department to deal with stray dogs (possibly feral) but we don't know if they were even open that day. We don't know if the caller reported that people were in danger (which would get a response from the cops anyway).

reply to post by nixie_nox


Your Aunt may have suffered an allergic reaction to the proteins in dog saliva, but please do not spread dis information about all dogs being full of germs.

Do some research into the healing properties of their saliva.



As far as this story, yes, the dog owner should have at least been outside with the dogs, if he lives in a populated area, but the cop obviously has a biased against dogs because of being bit. Don't they carry a variety of weapons on their person, for a reason?