Cops Killing Dogs...

[lynzy420]

Originally Posted by Jeepmom

This is not ALL law enforcement officers. As a LEO, we are trained how to use or weapons both lethal and non-lethal. I personally have been to a home on several occasions and had no problems with the owners dog. Then one day I showed up and for no reason it pinned me up against the house. Shocked me and the owner!! Luckily it was a well trained dog and listen to the owners command. I have also had experiences with dogs only to have the owner assure me that the dog was friendly and NEVER acted aggressive before. I am not excusing what happened, but I will not judge since I coud find myself in a similar situation. I start everyday hoping I will not have to use my firearm on any creature.

Thank you for what you do on a daily basis. Also, everyone needs to keep in mind that the mailman comes everyday, its a routine that the homeowners/dogowners and mailmen are use to...and the dogs. Most times when a police officer shows up at someones house the situation is already tense...obviously...not many folks have the police showing up at their home on a daily basis...the dog you know and love may be different under such strenuous circumstances, LEO's respond to several calls a day and have to intervene and handle situations WITH PEOPLE and their pets everyday/all day, the mailman does not...usually....

My point is there is no comparison between what a mailman and a Police Officer face on a daily basis....

Two of my dogs were extremely protective (labs) of my kids....there was a situation at our house that the police and fire department came in to our home, (we had a fire) the situation was chaos, three of the dogs were running around like bonkers, and the two "watch dogs" were hiding in their dog house...I was surprised by the behaviors of all 5 dogs that day...the police did not shoot or kill any of them....they handled the situation beautifully.

Also, all humans make mistakes....I can't imagine facing vicious people and animals all day long and what it must be like. My husband (soon to be ex) is a wonderful LEO (despite his faults) one time he came home from work, changed his clothes, bagged up some dog food and water...I asked where he was going...he was going to feed the vicious dog of someone he had to arrest...he knew the crim would be in jail till atleast the next day....

JUST sayin...

[lynzy420]

Originally Posted by Patty

I guess I don't believe everything in the newspapers or on the television. They are good at leading the stories where they want it to go. Just saying.......

agree

[Woogie Man]

CHICAGO (CBS) – Al Phillips wants to know why a Chicago police officer shot his dog while writing a traffic ticket outside his house.

“My neighbor called and told me I was getting a ticket on my van. When I opened the fence, my puppy ran out. That’s when I heard two gunshots and the officer shot my dog,” Phillips said.

Phillips said he had parked his van in the driveway, but it was blocking part of the sidewalk.

When he came out of his house to talk to the officer writing the ticket, his 7-month-old, 30-pound miniature bull terrier, named Colonel Phillips, was right behind him.

“The little puppy dog followed me out, went a bit ahead of me, and all of a sudden, ‘boom-boom.’ They shot the dog. The officer shot the dog,” he said.

The Colonel survived, but had a bullet in his leg, and fragments in its abdomen.

“Luckily he’ll survive,” Phillips said. “We were going to show him but now we can’t. He’ll never be the same.”

His daughter, Morgan Phillips, said Colonel never acted in a threatening manner, and never attacked the officer.

“No, Colonel was running around wagging his tail. He’s a puppy. He’s 7 months old. He’s around five kids all the time,” she said.

Morgan Phillips said police returned to her parents’ home after the story of the shooting made it on the local news.

“Last night, when reporters were here, when the cops found out about it, they came here, they went to my parents’ door, knocked on the door, and said, ‘Why did you go to the press? Why did you go to the media?’” Morgan Phillips.

She said her mother wanted to know why police had showed up to the house, and then “they wrote them a ticket for the dog being off a leash.”

“I think its harassment. I think it’s crazy. I mean, an ‘I’m sorry’ would have been more sufficient than coming to write another ticket,” Morgan Phillips said. “Sometimes people just have to admit when they’re wrong, and this is wrong. This is wrong; beyond wrong.”

Al Phillips has filed a lawsuit against Chicago police for excessive force. The suit names Officer Brandon Pettigrew as the cop who shot The Colonel.

“It’s totally absolutely irresponsible for the guy to shoot his gun,” Phillips added. “One could’ve ricocheted and hit someone. There were a lot of people walking around.”

He has also filed a complaint with the Police Department, and is seeking sanctions against the officer who wounded The Colonel.

“That this person is allowed to carry a gun, I believe is absolutely irresponsible,” he said.

Police said the shooting was being investigated by the Independent Police Review Authority.

Chicago Family Suing Police After Officer Shot Their Puppy CBS Chicago

Cop Shoots Puppy While Issuing Parking Ticket -...

[lynzy420]

Caught on camera: Dogs attack police officer in Idaho | Local & Regional | KATU.com - Portland News, Sports, Traffic Weather and Breaking News - Portland, Oregon

There are thousands everyday, who are not killed by police.... All dogs regardless of the situation need to be under the control of their owners, they have a split second to determine puppy from attacker? They are to wait and see? I'm sorry I do agree that cops need to be trained, but so do the owners of dogs, when a cop sees a gun or a dog coming at him....what is he suppose to do?

For every dog video you post there is another on the opposing view...it all comes down that owners need to be accountable for their dogs?

Its very sad and I understand your view, I really do...and I respect it; however, I can see the flip side too....

[gemy]

Originally Posted by lynzy420

Caught on camera: Dogs attack police officer in Idaho | Local & Regional | KATU.com - Portland News, Sports, Traffic Weather and Breaking News - Portland, Oregon

There are thousands everyday, who are not killed by police.... All dogs regardless of the situation need to be under the control of their owners, they have a split second to determine puppy from attacker? They are to wait and see? I'm sorry I do agree that cops need to be trained, but so do the owners of dogs, when a cop sees a gun or a dog coming at him....what is he suppose to do?

For every dog video you post there is another on the opposing view...it all comes down that owners need to be accountable for their dogs?



Its very sad and I understand your view, I really do...and I respect it; however, I can see the flip side too....

I believe that I want to keep my dogs safe! From police folks who trespass on my property with and it might be a valid justification of chasing a convict or such. And that is why I have a high fence and a gate that is locked. I believe that I should be able to in the safety that I have provided for my dogs, let them out to pee and poo. Or let them be with me in my backyard when I am BBQing without LEO's charging into my yard for what ever the reason is, and shooting my guard dogs especially if they are simply just enjoying the day with their owners.

That story if it is factual has so much wrong with it. You shoot past a human to what kill a small 40 odd pound dog? That is your first response? God help us. That officer needs a whole lot more training.

[Woogie Man]

Originally Posted by lynzy420

Caught on camera: Dogs attack police officer in Idaho | Local & Regional | KATU.com - Portland News, Sports, Traffic Weather and Breaking News - Portland, Oregon

There are thousands everyday, who are not killed by police.... All dogs regardless of the situation need to be under the control of their owners, they have a split second to determine puppy from attacker? They are to wait and see? I'm sorry I do agree that cops need to be trained, but so do the owners of dogs, when a cop sees a gun or a dog coming at him....what is he suppose to do?

For every dog video you post there is another on the opposing view...it all comes down that owners need to be accountable for their dogs?

Its very sad and I understand your view, I really do...and I respect it; however, I can see the flip side too....

I have clearly stated that this thread was about LEO's shooting innocent dogs. I have also clearly stated that there are cases where such action may be justified.

I have only posted instances where the dog was clearly innocent and was yet shot, usually killed. My last post was of a 7 month old MINATURE Bull Terrier PUPPY that was shot. Are you seriously going to argue that shooting was justified? If a cop can't distinguish between a puppy and and a real dog attack, that cop doesn't need to be carrying a gun.

There are thousands everyday, who are not killed by police....

What the heck does that mean? Should we all be grateful that our dogs weren't shot by a cop today?

The link you posted shows that both cops were carrying mace, yet the one cop shoots the dog and the other cop is seen coming around the house with his gun drawn. Here's a money-saving tip for that PD. Stop issuing mace..they ain't using it anyway.

If you want to play tit-for-tat with this thread, you're a few dogs behind, but that's not the point. This thread is about innocent dogs being killed.

[lynzy420]

I am aware of the topic of this thread, you posted your view, I respected and respectfully posted mine, this after all is what a forum is.

LEO's across the country answer calls where dogs are present thousands and thousands of times a day, because millions of people own dogs; hence the thousands that aren't killed...the dog in question may be miniature but by no means is tiny..

Obviously in every aspect of life, in every line of business errors are made, but more often than not they are just that, errors; again, I say there are far more people and LEO's bitten by dogs then cops killing them.

Gemy, I totally understend what your saying and agree, gratefully these types of incidents are far and few between....

Again, I respect your view on this topic and I respect that it is a cause you advocate for, I am glad there are people like you, and me...we can make a difference!

[Woogie Man]

Originally published December 1, 2012 at 6:51 PM | Page modified December 3, 2012 at 6:00 AM

Half of intentional shootings by police involve dogs, study says

Dog shootings by police are mostly avoidable and preventable, say groups pushing for officers to learn more about animal behavior.


By Mike Carter

Seattle Times staff reporter

There has never been a documented case of a dog killing a police officer.

The same can't be said for police killing dogs.

Every year, hundreds — if not thousands — of animals, mostly canines, are killed by police or animal-control officers. According to the National Canine Research Council, up to half of the intentional shootings by police involve dogs.

Sometimes, the animals have been injured and need to be put out of their misery. Sometimes, they are vicious and killed for reasons of public or officer safety.

But mostly, they die tragically and needlessly, victims of misunderstanding, prejudice or simple convenience, according to animal-rights and behavior experts.

Usually, police simply aren't properly trained or don't have the resources to deal with canine encounters, the experts say.

The Internet is peppered with memorials to family pets gunned down by officers.

There's Axel, the 18-month-old Labrador therapy dog-in-training shot in November by an animal-control officer in Charles City, Va., for chasing a neighbor boy. Bully, Boss and Kahlua, a trio of dogs, were killed in August by police in Palm Beach, Fla., while officers were trying to arrest a friend of the dogs' owner. On Nov. 2, police in Middleton, Ohio, shot and killed a 30-pound pet pig after it reportedly tried to bite an officer. The pig was on a leash, according to news reports.

Then there's Rosie, the 4-year-old Newfoundland who was twice shot with a Taser, chased from her yard and then repeatedly shot by Des Moines police after a neighbor had reported her loose and was worried she might get hurt. A federal lawsuit filed by her owners last month, two years after her death — death that experts say happens much too often and can easily be avoided — has reopened wounds and stoked public outrage.

The officers involved were cleared of wrongdoing by the department, and Rosie's owners, Deirdre and Charles Wright, failed in their attempts to have them charged criminally.

"This has got to be a huge embarrassment for that department. And it was very preventable," said Donald Cleary, the director of communications for the National Canine Research Council (NCRC) in Amenia, N.Y., which studies human-canine relations.

"It's like they just ran out of ideas."

Even the federal Department of Justice (DOJ) has recognized the issue.

Last year, the DOJ published a 46-page police training and information guide, "The Problem of Dog-Related Incidents and Encounters," through its Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS). The report, funded by a grant from the NCRC and developed by the University of Illinois Center for Public Safety and Justice, aims to dispel myths about dogs and dog bites and provide resources to help police develop nonlethal strategies for officer-dog encounters.

The report followed a 2010 position paper by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, which concluded that "most instances of police shooting dogs are avoidable" and urged departments to train officers to better understand dog behavior and to use the minimum force necessary to deal with it.

The COPS report provides just that sort of useful information to street officers, said Cleary, who was one of its co-authors. For example, it contains diagrams to help officers assess the threat posed by a dog based on its "posture, vocalizations and facial expressions," and provides defensive options short of deadly force to avoid encounters with agitated, frightened or aggressive animals.

"They are very preventable, and most wouldn't happen if police knew just a little bit more about dogs," he said.

COPS Director Bernard Melekian, a former Pasadena, Calif., police chief and K-9 officer, wrote in a preface to the report that the number of dogs killed by law enforcement is on the increase and that "officers must advance beyond automatically using their weapons when encountered by a dog."

The report seeks to dispel myths about dogs and dog bites. For instance, despite reports of a "dog-bite epidemic," the number of dog bites has decreased over the past 30 years while canine populations have steadily grown, the report says. In New York City, for example, there were 37,000 reports of dog bites in 1971. In 2009, the number was fewer than 3,600.

At the same time, the majority of police-involved shootings involve animals, mostly dogs. While national numbers are not available, the report contends that statistics kept by cities that track such incidents bear this out.

For example, the report says that nearly three-quarters of the police shootings in Milwaukee, Wis., from 2000 to 2002 involved dogs. Information provided by a number of California law-enforcement agencies, including the Los Angeles Police Department, indicate at least half of the intentional discharges of firearms by police between 2000 and 2005 involved animals, the report says.

Some cities have seen improvements as they've moved toward integrating animal-control and law-enforcement agencies. Last year in New York City, 43 dogs were shot in 36 different incidents, according to the NYPD's 2011 Firearms Discharge Report, which contains a section titled "Animal Attack."

It noted that NYPD officers responded to 28,000 calls for service involving dogs or other animals during the year. Five officers and two civilians were bitten during the shooting incidents, the report says.

The Seattle Police Department requires a Firearms Review Board to convene and formally review any incident involving an officer shooting at a person. However, it allows for a less stringent "summary review" of incidents involving dogs, said Becky Roe, a Seattle attorney and the civilian auditor of the SPD's Firearms Review Board.

Roe said she has not seen a Firearms Review Board report involving a dog shooting in the six years she's held the job, but that she has no information about the summary reviews. Sgt. Sean Whitcomb said he had no information about dog shootings outside the shooting-review process.

King County sheriff's Sgt. Cindi West said it has been difficult for her office to track shootings involving animals, since up until just recently, deputies were not required to write a separate report about such incidents. She said all of the shootings are reviewed by command staff.

"It certainly happens," she said.

As witnessed by the outrage directed at the Des Moines Police Department over the death of Rosie, few incidents can undermine public confidence in a police department faster than the questionable shooting of someone's pet, Cleary said.

"It's not about animal rights. And nobody is questioning an officer's right to protect himself or the public," Cleary said. "But police need to know, to really understand, is that it just doesn't look good."

And it can be expensive. While dogs do not have civil rights, their owners do, and courts have delivered some significant verdicts over the death of a pet.

In perhaps the most noteworthy case, the California cities of San Jose, Gilroy and Santa Clara paid a total of $1.8 million to the families of two Hells Angels whose three pet dogs were shot by police serving a search warrant in a homicide investigation.

North Carolina last year paid a family $77,000 and then passed a law requiring state troopers to receive training in dog behavior after an officer shot Patton, a pit-bull mix that bounded out of a car with a wagging tail after a trooper had pulled the family over on a mistaken report of a robbery. The incident was captured on videotape.

[Britster]

I find it absolutely appalling. There is no need to KILL a dog unless it's attached to an officer's leg or body and injuring him. Otherwise, there is so many other options... I do not understand why guns are always used so quickly.

Here is a whole page with tons of stories: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dogs-...88434097845629

It happens a LOT. And it's absolutely ridiculous. No excuse! As said, dogs will act different in scary or tense situations. That does not mean they deserve to die. If a cop came into my house, Jackson would most likely bark like crazy and act 'aggressive'... he's the farthest thing from aggressive though, and if a cop decided to shoot him, I can't even fathom. These are FAMILY pets.

[Wylie's Mom]

Please allow me to inappropriately interrupt this good convo to say how great it is to see The Woogie here!!!! Happy Holidays, Jim .

Back to the program...

[Woogie Man]

Originally Posted by Wylie's Mom

Please allow me to inappropriately interrupt this good convo to say how great it is to see The Woogie here!!!! Happy Holidays, Jim .

Back to the program...

Hi, Ann!! Merry Christmas to you and to all here!

Back to the subject.

Here's the link for the report mentioned in my last post.

http://cops.usdoj.gov/Publications/e...idents-508.pdf

My opinion is that the fact that there IS a report detailing and acknowledging this issue is evidence that a problem exists.

[lynzy420]

Originally Posted by Woogie Man

Hi, Ann!! Merry Christmas to you and to all here!

Back to the subject.

Here's the link for the report mentioned in my last post.

http://cops.usdoj.gov/Publications/e...idents-508.pdf

My opinion is that the fact that there IS a report detailing and acknowledging this issue is evidence that a problem exists.

I'm in the middle of reading this report, thank you for sharing it. I see that it is from 2011, do you know if anything was "done" with the information? such as legislation, training etc? What precipitated the report being done?

[Woogie Man]

Originally Posted by lynzy420

I'm in the middle of reading this report, thank you for sharing it. I see that it is from 2011, do you know if anything was "done" with the information? such as legislation, training etc? What precipitated the report being done?

This may answer your last question.

The report followed a 2010 position paper by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, which concluded that "most instances of police shooting dogs are avoidable" and urged departments to train officers to better understand dog behavior and to use the minimum force necessary to deal with it.

I don't know if anything is being done. May be too soon to tell. There are still a lot of these instances occurring, so the problem isn't 'fixed' yet.

The answer has to be in training, not legislation. I can think of no way to construct a law specific to LEOs. It may take a few successful lawsuits to prompt change. Hopefully, we'll see less and less of this happening in the future.

[Woogie Man]

Colorado senators to introduce bill to require cops take dog training

Two Colorado senators alarmed at the number of incidents where police have shot dogs are planning to introduce a bill next week that would require officers to take annual canine classes.

Sens. Lucia Guzman, a Denver Democrat, and David Balmer, a Centennial Republican, said they hope the training will help police understand the difference between a barking dog and a dangerous dog.

"Landscaping companies, delivery companies — they deal with dogs all the time, and they don't shoot dogs," Balmer said.

Both Balmer and Guzman own dogs.

Among those expected to testify in favor of their bill is Gary Branson of Pueblo, whose 4-year-old labrador mix was shot multiple times by a Commerce City police officer after the pet escaped a relative's home.

A draft copy of Balmer and Guzman's bill mentions the death of Branson's dog, Chloe, and other dogs shot by police in the metro area.

The bill would require police departments to adopt policies and procedures for dealing with dogs, including allowing owners to first try to handle the pet. Officers must initially go through a two-hour course, then a one-hour refresher course annually, which could be Web or video training.

The bill includes exceptions for using force, such as when police are responding to a dangerous dog call or violent crime.

"We think the bill strikes the right balance," Balmer said. "It is very respectful of law enforcement, but it is intended to safeguard our beloved dogs."

The bill deals only with dogs.

"I don't know of an officer shooting a cat," Balmer said.

"We want to make sure people know we aren't talking about a fox that comes into some neighborhood," Guzman said.

Branson's attorney, Jennifer Edwards of The Animal Law Center, said the bill is needed.

"The reason I think it is important is dogs are not just property to most people, they are their short, hairy children," she said. "They are a part of the family, and it is absolutely devastating to lose an animal and to lose an animal so wrongfully when it could be solved by better training and better understanding of dog behavior."

In Branson's case, the 58-year-old left Chloe with a relative while visiting his brother in California last November. The dog got out through an open garage door and was running around the neighborhood.

Commerce City police said the dog was aggressive and continued to behave that way after being restrained with an animal-control noose. Chloe was shocked with a Taser and then shot multiple times.

Commerce City police Officer Robert Price faces a felony charge of aggravated cruelty to animals, which the state Fraternal Order of Police has called "outrageous."

Colorado senators to introduce bill to require cops take dog training - The Denver Post