It is all over the news here in Austin. While I do not agree with the first police officers actions in any way, the part of the story that is not being reported is that when a second officer arrived as backup, they attempted to assist the couple and did try to save the dog with CPR. It was too late but if you see the dash cam video, you can tell that the second officer tries to calm the female down while trying to save the dog. The first officer was way out of line and the whole situation could have been resolved in a much better way. For example, had the female in the car been in labor, the police officer probably would have led the couple to the nearest ER, lights blazing. Had the first officer acted in that way, rushing the dog to the nearest vet hospital, lights blazing, the couple would have been much calmer. Plus, upon arrival at the vet hospital, if the cop wanted to be a hardass, he still could have issued the driver a ticket but the dog would have been getting proper care.
It is very sad that the dog died but with all the outcry, I am sure they will handle it differently next time. The news here has been extremely brutal to the officers which is well deserved, but it is important to recoognize the actions of the second officer who arrived too late but tried to save the dog, instead of getting into a yelling match with the couple.
May the dog rest in peace. |