“It’s becoming a disturbingly familiar scene in America - mentally unstable cops”
Family outraged after Boise police officer shoots and kills dog
For years, Gabrielle Stropkai found companionship in her dog, Kita, calling her a lover and a friend for her son Hayden to grow up with.
“We have kids who run up and pull her tail and grab her by the back of the neck and get in her face and she does nothing but love on them,” said Stropkai.
However, as two Boise patrol officers were investigating a theft that was reported in the area of Woodlawn and 28th Sunday afternoon they felt threatened by Kita.
According to Boise police spokesman, Charles McClure, Kita began running toward them and the officers felt forced to protect themselves.
Neighbors, like Bryan Adams were outside at that time and saw it happen.
Stropkai tells KTVB she let Kita outside to use the bathroom and she was in her sight when the officer made an instant decision.
“In about five seconds he pulled his weapon, asked whose dog it was, and shot her in the back of the head,” said Stropkai.
Stropkai explains her two year old son Hayden was also witness to the shooting.
“Hayden was outside, about two feet away from me,” said Stropkai's mother, Michelle Pierott.
McClure said the two officers were standing in a parking lot when one decided to fire a single shot at the dog when it came within three feet of them.
Kita, a mixed breed, was hit and died at the scene.
“By the time I came out she was down, (I) ran over and looked back and said you just shot her,” said Pierott. “Kita wouldn't have attacked.”
Dog found shot, left for dead was euthanized
A dog found shot and left for dead in a field in East St. Louis on Wednesday
was euthanized Thursday afternoon by St. Clair County Animal Control.
According to witnesses, the
black-and-white pit bull mix named Domino was shot by an East St. Louis police
officer Tuesday while responding to a call for an eight-year-old boy that had
been bitten by the dog.
The boy reportedly had been
pelting the dog with rocks.
Domino was rushed to a St.
Louis animal hospital by Gateway Pet Guardians, who by law had to turn the dog
over to St. Clair County Animal Control, which has jurisdiction in bite cases.
300-pound officer felt threatened by 12-pound terrier, killed her
A Georgia police officer shot and killed a tiny Jack Russell Terrier that he claims threatened him during a routine probationary checkup on Monday.
The officer, Antoine Jones, is over six feet tall and weighs nearly 300 pounds. Patches, the dog he killed, weighs just 12 pounds, according to a local news channel.
Jones visited the Albany residence of Cherrie Shelton earlier this week to check on her son, who is serving probation. Upon Jones’s arrival, two-year-old Patches approached the officer and began barking. Shelton claims she told Jones that Patches was no threat, but the officer drew his weapon and shot the dog anyway.
“A little dog like that, you could stomp your feet or kick her out of the way or something, but he just shot her,” said Shelton in a statement.
After being shot, Patches fled and hid, eventually succumbing to her wounds.
According to Jones’s statement, Patches advanced toward him in a threatening manner even after receiving “multiple verbal commands to get back.”
But Shelton said this was not Jones’s first visit to the home, and the officer should have known that Patches was harmless.
Shelton buried Patches, and has plans to buy a cross to mark her grave. The dog is missed, she said.
“It’s kind of hard right now, but I guess we’ll have to adjust,” she said.
The state Department of Corrections did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Dog killing cop acquitted; community outraged
The Colorado police officer responsible for the death of a family dog named Chloe has been acquitted by a jury, the Denver Post reported October 3.
An Adams County jury deliberated for around three hours on Wednesday before handing down their verdict: Commerce City Police Officer Robert Pricewas acquitted. Examiner reporter Penny Eims covered the story here.
Price had been on paid leave since the November 24,2012 incident.
What image has this verdict projected for other cases yet to go to trial? This was a "special" case, where fortunately there was video evidence of everything that happened at Chloe's home that fateful afternoon.
The video showed how Chloe was secured on a catch pole, yet officer Price decided to end her life.
Prosecutors argued that officers who testified that Chloe was vicious and aggressive couldn't be trusted because the video showed Chloe as frightened and submissive.
Defense attorneys had another story to tell. They said a video showing five minutes of a half hour confrontation with Chloe wasn't enough to show she wasn't aggressive. They reportedly showed still images from the video showing Chloe moving toward the officers.
Chloe was on the end of a catch pole. How close could she have gotten at the end of a long stick? Why was it necessary to shoot this dog not once, but five times, resulting in her death?
Arica Bores, the female officer shown with only one hand on the catch pole to control Chloe, later testified she had no control over the dog.
This is a case where video should have brought justice for Chloe. Instead, it has shown how unfair our justice system can be. Unfortunately, the acquittal may clear officers facing the same charges in the future, since a picture (or video) obviously ISN'T worth a thousand words.
Chloe's guardian Gary Branson commented on the verdict saying
"In my opinion he was guilty, but the jury saw it different and we have to live with that."
We all have to live with that decision along with Gary. Dog lovers have to live with the fact more officers will likely be cleared of any wrongdoing, based on this verdict. And the jurors will have to live with future acquittals for the same crime, based on the outcome of the case where, thanks to them, justice for Chloe clearly was not served.
Based on the video presented here, what do the readers believe the outcome should have been? Your comments are welcome.
Dog allegedly shot by police, left for dead
EAST ST. LOUIS, MO (KTVI)– For a young, black-and-white pit bull mix, just the right person came driving by at just the right time Wednesday afternoon.
Otherwise, the dog some assumed to be dead might actually be dead.
The trouble began Tuesday afternoon when police were called to the 900 block of East Broadway in East St. Louis after the dog bit an eight-year-old boy, who witnesses claim had been throwing rocks at him.
‘The dog came across the street and the next thing you heard was pop, pop, pop,’ said Cynthia Wilson, who witnessed the shooting and claims the shots were fired by an East St. Louis police officer.
The dog was apparently left for dead.
“It`s really sad because they didn`t have to shoot the dog,” said witness Paula Hamilton. “They could have just called the dog catcher.”
Luckily, the executive director of Gateway Pet Guardians, which feeds stray dogs in East St. Louis, was driving through the area Wednesday afternoon, and just happened to see the struggling dog in a field almost 24 hours after being shot.
With the help of her husband who had been in the truck with her, they patiently and gently rescued the dog and rushed him to Hillside Animal Hospital in St. Louis.
Neighbors watching the rescue became so angry, police were called to calm the crowd.
Fox 2 News overheard an officer wearing a hat reading ‘Asst. Chief’ on the phone shouting at someone about the incident.
“We should have down something proper. How do we shoot a dog and leave a damn dog in a field?” the officer asked. “And you wonder why these people say the (expletive) they say about us.”
X-rays of the dog, who the rescuers named Colt, as in the gun maker, reveal he was hit by two shots; one in the shoulder, and one in the head, though it appears the bullet did not penetrate the skull into his brain.
“He was fighting us to get in the car so he has got some oomph left in him,” said Jaime Case, Executive Director of Gateway Pet Guardians. “I am hopeful all those things mean he is on his way to recovery.”
The director of St. Clair County Animal Control, Jim Jacquot, says the grandmother of the boy who was bitten told investigators she thought the dog was dead but wasn`t sure where to find its body. That left doctors little choice but to begin rabies treatments on the child.
Now that the dog has been found alive, the dog can be quarantined for several days to determine if it is rabid. If the dog does not survive the shooting, brain tissue tests can quickly reveal the rabies status of the dog. If the dog is found not to be rabid, the boy may not have to complete the rest of the five shot treatment.
The dog had been microchipped, so investigators know the name of its owner, who is from Belleville.
If the dog survives, and is healthy, authorities will determine whether he is vicious. If so, he may be euthanized. If not, he could be returned to the owner, or put up for adoption.
Trial starts for Commerce City officer who shot, killed dog Chloe
BRIGHTON — Were it not for a cellphone video taken by a 12-year-old boy, Commerce City police Officer Robert Price "would have gotten away with" shooting a dog, prosecutors said Monday during opening arguments in his trial for felony animal cruelty.
But Price, 36, had no choice but to shoot and kill 3-year-old Chloe when he responded to a potentially uncontrolled dog, defense attorneys will argue.
If Price is convicted of felony aggravated cruelty to animals, his law enforcement career will be over because he would no longer be eligible for state police officer certification.
The shooting occurred just after noon Nov. 24, when a large, 3-year old mixed-breed dog named Chloe was reported wandering in a Commerce City neighborhood. The dog was being cared for by her owner's relatives and had escaped the garage. Neighbors called police because they didn't recognize the dog.
Price was one of two cover officers assisting animal control officer Arica Bores. The dog was sitting in the driveway where she was staying. But because police did not know where Chloe lived and were unable to locate the residents of the home, they decided to capture the dog.
After the dog was on a catchpole and had been Tased twice, police said she was still out of control. That is when Price shot the dog.
Bores, who was first to respond to the call, testified Monday that the dog was aggressive from the moment she arrived.
"The dog was barking, growling and the hair on its back was standing," Bores testified Monday.
Because she was alone at first, Bores said she didn't even get out of her truck, choosing instead to yell "bad dog" and "go home" at the dog.
That is when Bores followed the dog to the home where it had been staying and where the incident unfolded.
Bores also testified the dog lunged at Price just before he used his Taser.
The incident was captured on camera and attracted national attention from animal rights groups.
Commerce City police turned over the investigation of the case to the Adams County district attorney. The police department also asked for an independent review by the Douglas County sheriff of the incident and the department's practices and policies regarding animal incidents.
OUTRAGE AFTER POLICE SHOOT THIS ‘WELL-KNOWN NEIGHBORHOOD DOG’
Neighborhood outraged after officer shoots dog
Neighbors in Valdese are outraged after a police officer shot a well-known neighborhood dog.
Holly Woody went to the store Sunday night. When she got home, she saw cop cars surrounding her home.
"They said 'we had to shoot your dog,' and my son started crying," Woody told WBTV.
Police had received a report of a dog on the loose.
Woody was not there to witness the shooting, but several neighbors were.
Sydney Mason lives across the street from Woody. Mason tells WBTV there was no need for officers to use lethal force.
"There was no need for violence or a gun to be drawn. What was going on? What is happening? Why is there a nine millimeter or .38 being pulled in my small neighborhood of Valdese, where there are small children? What is going on because this is unnecessary force over a dog that hadn't bitten anybody," Mason said.
The dog that was shot had to be euthanized because of its injuries.
WBTV reached out to the Valdese Police Department for comment.
The Police Chief said his officers felt threatened by the dog. He declined an on-camera interview in case the Woody family decides to pursue legal action.
At this time, Woody does not think she will file a lawsuit.
The dog that was killed did not bite or injure anybody during the incident.
OUTRAGE AFTER POLICE SHOOT THIS ‘WELL-KNOWN NEIGHBORHOOD DOG’
Neighbors in Valdese, N.C., are outraged after a police officer shot a “well-known neighborhood dog,” WBTV-TV reports. The dog later had to be euthanized due to its injuries.
The dog’s owner, Holly Woody, said she arrived home on Sunday night and there were cop cars surrounding her property. What they told her next broke her heart.
“They said, ‘we had to shoot your dog,’ and my son started crying,” the woman said.
Police were reportedly responding to reports of a dog on the loose and say they found the animal aggressive.
More from WBTV-TV:
Woody was not there to witness the shooting, but several neighbors were.
Sydney Mason lives across the street from Woody. Mason tells WBTV there was no need for officers to use lethal force.
“There was no need for violence or a gun to be drawn. What was going on? What is happening? Why is there a nine millimeter or .38 being pulled in my small neighborhood of Valdese, where there are small children? What is going on because this is unnecessary force over a dog that hadn’t bitten anybody,” Mason said.
Valdese Police Chief Jack Moss told the news station that his officers felt threatened by the dog and decided to use lethal force. He refused to appear on camera in the event that the Woody family decides to take legal action, though Woody said she doesn’t think she’ll file a lawsuit.
The dog did not bite or injure anyone before it was shot, according to the report.
Family sues police after pitbull Kincaid killed by officer
A Northeast Baltimore family sued the city and police
department Monday after their dog was fatally shot earlier this year by a
police officer who had chased a suspect into their backyard.
Kincaid, a three-year-old pitbull mix, was shot three times
on the morning of January 1 after a suspect in a domestic dispute jumped a
fence and hid in the backyard of Stacy Fields and her stepfather, Ed Augustine.
Police have previously said the dog lunged at an officer,
who then shot the dog to protect his safety. Augustine and Fields dispute that
account, saying the dog was barking at the officers but not otherwise acting
aggressively and that Augustine was reaching over to restrain the dog at the
time.
Baltimore police officials declined to comment on the
lawsuit in Baltimore Circuit Court. The lawsuit also lists the state as a
defendant, along with two officers who are not identified by name.
An officer fired six shots, hitting the dog three times —
twice in the head and once in the body. Augustine was just two feet away and
was "fortunate" to not be struck by the gunfire as well, according to
the lawsuit.
Augustine and Fields also argue that after Kincaid was shot,
the police officers joked with each other and told them the dog had to be
buried outside of city limits. One officer congratulated the other officer on
his marksmanship after the shooting, according to the lawsuit.
The plaintiffs are asking for $450,000 and attorney fees,
though state law caps claims against municipalities at $200,000.
"The three year story of Kincaid's happy and carefree
existence was punctuated abruptly by the harsh staccato of [an officer's]
sidearm," the lawsuit states.
A Facebook page launched by the family called "Kincaid.
Killed by Baltimore City Police." had more than 10,000 likes as of Monday.
Fairfax
County cops execute another unarmed man
The Fairfax County Police shot an killed an unarmed man who
was alone in his home. The police caused the situation, they escalated the
situation and they handled it poorly and are expected to take several weeks to
develop their justification story.
Police
said they were responding….in force with a tank, a helecopter, a SWAT team, K-p
units, and no less than 23 cops to a “Domestic dispute” but
Geer was alone in the house. The victim of this police shooting this time was John
Geer, age 46, a kitchen installer with no history of violence had to end in
death. He left behind two teenage
daughters.
According to Geer’s father, Geer had been throwing his estranged wife’s
belongings, she is 24 years old, into the front yard because she was leaving
him, so she called the cops who marked the call as a domestic dispute. She was
asked if there were guns in the house and she said there was. The weapons were
under lock and key
There's a Maura Harrington listed at the same address where the
killing took place.
Neighbors recalled him as even-keeled, outgoing and helpful.
A search of police records in Fairfax County showed that Geer was found guilty
of drunken driving in 2010 but no convictions for violent crimes or more
serious offenses. A neighbor said he talked to Geer in the minutes before the
police encounter. He said that Geer didn’t say anything suicidal but he was
deeply shaken about the impending breakup.
For forty minutes the cops demanded that Geer, who stood at
his front door, for forty minutes "They just continued to tell him: come
out, come out, come out," said one witness.
Geer had not showed the cops any sort of weapon nor had he advanced
toward them. He made no mention of harming himself or others. Geer’s hands were
up in the air, seconds before he was gunned down because they were on top of
the storm door. He as shot in the chest while slowly lowering his hands. He had
no weapon in his possession and there was no weapon within his reach.
Shot in the chest, Greer pushed his way back into the house
and bled to death. The heros from the SWAT team entered the house by way of
tank one hour later and found Geer dead.
Dog Shot by Police Serving Warrant at Wrong Address, Texas City Refuses to Pay Vet Bill
The City of Leander, Texas, has announced that it will not
pay the veterinary bill for a dog who was shot by a Leander Police officer
after the police came onto the property of James and Renata Simmons on June 17.
When the officers entered, the Simmons’ German Shepherd, Vinny, came running
around the side of the house and was shot by one of the officers who felt the
dog was a threat to their safety.
It turned out that the officers were trying to execute a
warrant at the wrong address in Liberty Hill. Vinny needed extensive veterinary
care to save his life and the Simmons, through their attorney, filed a claim
with the City of Leander to cover the $1,500 in vet bills.
The City of Leander responded on August 15 that it is
denying the claim because the City is not responsible for the officer who shot
Vinny in his own yard.
Proof that we have too many cops without enough to do....again cut the budget and reduce the police force
For this needless gathering the Fairfax county police sent six cops for the dedication of a K9 statue. Why six? Why not one? In fact, why any at all. We are not paying...well...we not supposed to be paying the cops to play dress up parade.....six cops, three hours so this silliness cost the people of Fairfax County about $1,000, up and aside from the almost $200,000,000...that;s two hundred million, the cops already take out of the budget.
SC Officer Suspended After Police Dog Dies
BENNETTSVILLE, S.C.
(AP) _ A Bennettsville police officer has been suspended without pay for two
months after his police dog died in a car of heat stroke.
Officer Robert Miller will be placed on probation for 90 days following
the suspension and can no longer be a K-9 officer…..yeah but the dog is still
dead……. the dog, named Tank, died Monday when he was left in a patrol car with
no water and the windows up as Miller went into the department to do some paperwork.
Pet dog shot by Crestview Police Officer
A pet dog shot to death by a Crestview Police Officer.A lot
of people in the community want to know why it happened. The police department
says the dog was known to be aggressive and charged one of its officers.
"Crestview Police say last Thursday they came to this
home to talk to the man inside, knocked on the door, heard a dog bark. They
asked the man to put the dog away the door opened and that's when the dog
charged at the officer."
The officer says
the pit bull was showing its teeth and ran towards him barking.
He
fired his gun four times.
The dog ran to the
back yard where it was found dead.
Virginia police officer charged with starving retired police horse to death
Officer Brian Davis and his wife Jennifer have been charged
with animal cruelty for neglecting their horse Amy. Amy was a retired police
mount. Davis, 34, was assigned to the K-9 Unit, and has been temporarily
transferred to an administrative position pending the outcome of the
investigation. Four years later Debra and David Kelly adopted Amy from the
Davis family. Debra had been the former stable manager for the Portsmouth
Police. Sadly by this time the horse was unrecognizable as the healthy and
happy horse she had once been while at the police stables.
Georgia officer suspended after police dog dies in car
WOODSTOCK, Ga. — A police dog handler was suspended and
reassigned to traffic duty after his canine partner died while left in the
officer’s patrol car.
Chad Berry, a police officer for the city of Woodstock north
of Atlanta, had been a police canine handler for seven years before he found
Spartacus, a 3-year-old Belgian Malinois, dead in the car outside his home,
Woodstock police Sgt. Randy Millgan said Friday. He said Berry contacted
Woodstock police and the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office. A necropsy concluded
heat stroke was the probable cause of death.
Officer involved in El Monte dog shooting incident promoted
EL MONTE - One of two police officers involved in the fatal
shooting of a pet German shepherd in an El Monte family's fenced-in front yard
last month has been promoted as police continue conducting an internal
investigation into the incident.
Though not officially identified by the department, Officers
Arlen Castillo and Kenneth Fraser are pictured in a surveillance video provided
by the homeowners that captured portions of the June 19 incident in the 4700
block of Maxson Road.
Through its Facebook page, the El Monte Police Department
has confirmed that Fraser was promoted July 1 to the rank of sergeant. Six
other officers were also promoted.
"One officer involved in this incident did receive a
promotion to sergeant; however the officer was selected for and notified of the
promotion on June 12, well before the incident took place," El Monte
Police Chief Steven Schuster said in a written statement.
"Since this is an ongoing investigation, we could not
rescind that promotion because it would have violated the officer's rights
under state law," the chief said.
Additionally, the chief confirmed the other officer involved
in the shooting had been reassigned to a different division within the
department but had not been promoted.
"This was a lateral move," Schuster said, adding
that the decision had also been made prior to the June 19 shooting.
Residents Cathy Luu and her husband Chi Nguyen expressed
outrage over the killing of their family pet, pointing out that the officers
seemingly ignored "beware of dog" signs posted on their gate when
they entered the yard to follow up on a report that the couple's son had run
away.
And the initial version of events provided by the Police
Department was contradicted by the surveillance video.
Shortly after the shooting, Capt. Dan Buehler said the
reports stated that the officers shook the fence and took other precautions to
check for dogs on the property before entering the yard.
But the video depicts the officers casually entering the
yard without taking such precautions, with now-sergeant Fraser opening the gate
and entering the yard, followed by Castillo. It was Castillo who ultimately
ended up shooting the dog as it charged toward her as she stood on Luu and
Nguyen's front porch.
City officials have since sat down to talk with the
distraught family and extended an offer to help them obtain a new dog.
Both police officers remain on-duty as the internal
investigation continues, according to department spokeswoman Valerie Martinez.
"I have asked that this investigation be expedited and
I anticipate a finding in one to two months, Schuster said. Normal internal
investigation take three to four months, he added.
"If the investigation reveals either officer violated
policy in handling the (June 19) incident, we, at that time, may choose to take
disciplinary action," the chief said.
Schuster said he has assigned staff members to review the
department's policy regarding officer encounters with dogs.
"We have reached out to other police departments to
find best practices and determine whether there is a need to change or augment
our policies," Schuster said. "We are also referencing a recent
report by the (U.S. Department of Justice) Community Oriented Policing Services
(COPS) that deals with this issue."
Police shoot dog: Ten days later, outrage still swamps California city
Public outrage over the fatal police shooting of a dog in
Hawthorne continued to reverberate Tuesday.
The regularly scheduled Hawthorne City Council meeting was
canceled Tuesday night because the city's website remained offline, a full week
after it initially crashed from the large volume of visitors. Thousands of
people from around the world sought to express their opinion on the officer's
decision to shoot a Rottweiler as it lunged toward him during the June 30
arrest of the dog's owner.
The shooting was caught on camera and the video went viral
as millions of people worldwide watched it online and reacted to the violence.
The council meeting was canceled because the agenda and a video of the
proceedings could not be posted online.
City officials said the website is expected to be back
online soon after they find a new host that can ensure large amounts of web
traffic won't cause it to shut down again. City Hall employees began answering
phone calls again this week, after the flood of vitriolic callers prompted many
employees to let calls go to voicemail.
"It was horrible," said one city employee, who
asked to remain anonymous. "They were just calling to insult us. I don't
understand why we were targeted. It's just been out of control."
Much of the public response involved angry threats against
city officials and police officers. Three officers and their families have been
temporarily moved out of their homes and given 24-hour protection because of
death threats.
An online petition seeking prosecution of the officer who
shot the 2-year-old dog named Max had more than 98,000 supporters by late
Tuesday. It claims that Max's owner, Leon Rosby, was illegally arrested and
that the officer shot the dog unjustly.
The department reported receiving 10,000 emails on the
issue.
"I just tried calling these cowardly pricks to ask what
they intend to do about the dogslayer," one person wrote on the
department's Facebook Web page. "They hung up on me. Go figure. Keep
calling until the man is fired."
Mayor Danny Juarez said his family unplugged its home phone
at night because of the incessant calls and threats.
"My phone is burning up, it's unbelievable,"
Juarez said. "My family is overwhelmed. They're tired of this. But people
keep calling. We're getting calls at 3 a.m. and they just want to vent on the
phone."
Juarez has reserved comment on the shooting until a police
investigation into the matter is completed.
Meanwhile, police officials released a second video of the
lead-up to the shooting that shows Rosby arguing with officers, and one officer
trying to take Max's leash before the dog lunges and he shoots.
Rosby is shown parking and getting out of a black car with
Max, whom he held close to him by a leash as he confronted officers in the
midst of an operation involving an armed robbery suspect who was barricaded
inside a home near 137th Street and Jefferson Avenue.
As an officer using a loudspeaker tells the robbery suspect
to come out of the house, Rosby walks up to the scene while music is playing
loudly in his parked car. An officer tells him to move his car away.
"My car is OK," Rosby responds. "And I can
stay here and watch. I'm gonna stay here and watch. You wanna take me? OK. For
what? Y'all be breaking the law."
The video cuts to officers patting down Rosby after he is
handcuffed. Rosby had put Max in his car, but the dog jumps through an open
window and approaches officers, barking.
"Get in the car," Rosby yells at Max. "Do not
shoot my dog! Somebody get my dog!"
An officer reaches out a hand to attempt to take Max's leash
before the dog lunged at the officer, who then shot him four times.
Hawthorne Police Department spokesman Scott Swain said it is
routine procedure for an officer to fire several shots when using deadly force,
rather than only one shot. In this incident, a gun was used because the officer
already had it in hand when the dog seemed to attack him, Swain said.
"Deadly force is your last resort," Swain said.
"You're trying to eliminate the threat. We're not trained to shoot to
injure. We're trained to shoot to eliminate threats. It's very infrequent, on
the shooting range, that we shoot only one time."
Swain stressed that the video shows the officer attempting
to corral the dog before Max lunges at him.
"The officer used restraint," Swain said. "He
had a gun in his hand because he identified a threat. It wasn't until the dog
lunges up at the officer that he shoots."
Swain said that Hawthorne Police Chief Robert Fager may ask
an outside agency to investigate the officer's shooting of the dog because of
the public outcry.
Investigators intend to seek charges of obstructing police
business, Swain said.
Juarez said callers told him a Monday evening traffic
collision that killed Hawthorne police Sgt. Leonard Luna was retribution for
Max's shooting.
"There's just a lot of people out there who just don't
understand," Juarez said. "It's mind-boggling. I got a call this
morning from Florida and they said (Luna's death) is 'an eye for an eye.' For
them to connect the two is outrageous.
"But the response I'm getting from people I run into at
the store or at a meeting or in the soccer field is that they support our
Police Department 100 percent."
Staff writer Kristin S. Agostoni contributed to this
article.
|
|
|
Austin Officer Shoots Dog Inside Pet Store
Another dog killed by an Austin
Police Officer. An off duty cop shot and killed a Pit Bull inside a Northwest
Austin Petco.
Austin Police tell us the
officer, Leslie Lyons, was working in Petco on an unrelated overtime assignment
when a Pit Bull slipped out of its’ collar and began attacking a small dog.
After multiple attempts to stop the animal, Lyons pulled her gun and fired.
Pet lovers at a nearby dog park
in Cedar Park were stunned to hear of the fatal shooting.
"I would hope there would
be another alternative in trying to control a dog,” says Corey Weiner, Cedar
Park resident.
Austin Police say there wasn’t.
"She got them to move out
of the way and discharged the weapon. At which time the Pit Bull dropped the
Maltese, but did not go down, so she fired a second shot,” says Assistant Chief
Steve Deaton, Austin Police Department.
Assistant Chief Deaton says the
department fully supports Lyons’ decision to shoot and kill the aggressive
animal.
"I don't even know what I
feel about that. That's a hard situation. I think I see both sides. On one hand
this dog was attacking and killing another dog, but I look at it as safety
inside the store. What if it had ricocheted and hit somebody else?” says Kelly
Bruneman, Cedar Park resident.
In April 2012, an Austin police
officer shot and killed Cisco, a Blue Heeler, after the dog ran toward the
officer. The case received international
publicity and Chief Art Acevedo apologized to Cisco's owner.
After this case, Austin
officers received training on how to handle situations with a potentially
aggressive dog. Officers are now
receiving more in depth training. The training had been planned before this
incident happened. There’s currently a discussion to provide larger cans of
pepper spray for officers to use instead of resorting to shooting.
Police in California receive death threats after killing man’s dog
Police
in California receive death threats after killing man’s dog
The police officers caught on
tape last week fatally shooting a dog in front of a crowd of people are now
facing criticism and even death threats from animal lovers across the nation.
A video of last Sunday’s
incident quickly went viral, directing a wave of condemnation towards the
Hawthorne, California Police Department.
Three police officers were
involved in the arrest of 52-year-old Leon Rosby, who they say was disturbing a
crime scene by videotaping it and blasting music from his car. While
apprehending the man, Rosby’s pet Rottweiler, Max, jumped out of an open car
window and approached the officers while barking. One policeman shot the dog
four times, causing the writhing animal to slowly bleed to death on the street.
Since the cell phone video was
posted on YouTube, the officers and their families have received threatening
phone calls, emails and Facebook messages. In some cases, California residents
who share the same name as the officers have mistakenly received threats. A
shop in Glendale was flooded with angry phone calls because the storeowner’s
name is the same as Hawthorne police spokesman Lt. Scott Swain.
“These aren’t just threats of
ill-will,” Hawthorne Police Chief Robert Fager told NBC News. “These are
absolutely threats to life.”
The police department issued a
statement on Wednesday apologizing for the fatal shooting of the dog and the
pain it inflicted upon animal lovers.
The statement garnered thousands of critical comments on the
department’s website and Facebook page.
“Unfortunately, in the midst of
this social media response, fallacies are being perpetuated and outright
criminal threats are being made,” the police department wrote. “In the public
forum of various websites, department employees have been misidentified as the
officer who shot. This has led to criminal threats of harm directed not only at
city employees, but also at similarly-named public citizens who just happen to
live and work in our surrounding region.”
But the department’s apology
did little to calm the criticism, and angry pet lovers have continued to
threaten the police and condemn their actions.
“You know you’re a disgrace
when people would rather see your officers dead than an innocent dog. Find a
hole, crawl in it,” Facebook user Harmit Tamber wrote on the police
department’s website.
Police Kill Dog While Arresting Its Owner; Video Goes Viral
Police
Kill Dog While Arresting Its Owner; Video Goes Viral
A video that depicts police in
Hawthorne, Calif., shooting and killing a dog as they arrested a man Sunday for
allegedly causing a disturbance at the scene of an armed robbery has gone viral
on YouTube.
The video has received more
than 746,000 views as of Tuesday afternoon and shows four police cars parked at
the scene of an armed robbery. A man accompanied by a leashed dog that looks
like a Rottweiler is shown holding up his cell phone to record police as they
stand on a sidewalk in the residential neighborhood.
Police approach the man, who
leads his dog back into his car. The man stands a few feet away from his car on
the sidewalk, where officers place him in handcuffs.
As they start to lead him away,
the dog jumps out the car window and rushes toward police.
Police attempt to shoo the dog
away, but when the animal doesn't leave, an officer shoots it multiple times,
killing it.
According to local news website
Daily Breeze, Leon Rosby is the man who was placed in handcuffs.
Rosby was driving through the
area, then parked and got out of his car to record police at the scene of the
armed robbery, the site reported.
Hawthorne police Ltd. Scott
Swain said that he asked Rosby to turn down the music in his parked car because
it was interfering with the police work.
"It's distracting the
officers," Swain told Daily Breeze. "It's interfering with what they
are able to hear. It's not just a party call. It's an armed robbery call. The
officers need to hear what's going on with the people being called out of the
residence.”
Rosby admitted to ignoring the
police order to turn down the music but still felt the officers had no right to
shoot his dog. He told the Daily Breeze he believed his arrest was related to
both of his previous convictions for resisting arrest, battery, and driving
under the influence. He also previously filed a lawsuit against the department
related to a domestic violence dispute.
Rap video dedicated to Max, killed by Hawthorne Police
Rap
video dedicated to Max, killed by Hawthorne Police
This new video is inspired skit
by Actor/Comedian Claudie Jones and written by Claudie and Hassan Haze about
the Dog killing in Hawthorne. Jaa Berry is featured as the dog killer. The Skit
is putting a spin on the brutal dog killing by the Hawthorne police department.
It's titled "Bitch Don't Kill My Dog."
Now I'll be the first one to
admit I don't watch rap videos. But this one got my attention. Mainly because
it has a good message inside the lyrics. I would like to caution viewers
there's a lot of profanity involved.
Then again, dog lovers who are
fed up with police killing their family 4-legged members are in a cussing mood
these days, including those who create rap videos.
Some of the lyrics to this skit
are
"I was walking outside and
all my neighbors saw we know the cops is crooked so I record with my
phone."
"It's time to go on a long
long walk. It's time to put your bullet proof vest on girl. I mean, you
know,you're black I'm black, the cops are out. We might not make it back. You
ready?"
The video begins by showing the
skit actors shooting a dog walking toward them four times at close range.
Then it moves on to Aiyana
Stanley-Jones. Aiyana, age 7, who was killed by police when a Detroit police
SWAT team raided her home on May 16. Police were at the home looking for a
murder suspect who wasn't there. Aiyana died after being shot in the face by
the officers.
The video goes on to display
"Police brutality: Not just for black people anymore."
This video is spot-on with the
way police are becoming in the U.S. Just as the pit bull breed isn't the only
dog being shot, black people aren't the only race being harassed by officers.
It's open season on dogs, and
any race is now eligible to be abused by those who are supposed to protect and
serve.
People, protect yourselves,
protect your dogs. By this I mean don't think your dog is safe just because
it's in its own yard or on a leash. Don't antagonize officers. A 14-year old
was allegedly choked and his 6-week-old puppy injured by Miami-Dade officers by
looking at the officers the wrong way.
Police seem to be in their own
little world these days. Protect and serve now means their department rather
than the people. Keep away from police, and keep your dogs away from police.
Anyone agree with me on that
one? Your comments are welcome.
Hawthorne police officer who killed dog has a past charge of police brutality
The Hawthorne police officer
responsible for killing a dog as it's owner, Leon Rosby, is placed under arrest
has been in trouble with the law in the past. In the case of Goodrow vs
Hawthorne, Officer Jeffrey Salmon was one of seven Hawthorne Police Department
officers charged with alleged deprivation of civil rights resulting from
excessive force, denial of medical treatment and malicious prosecution,
stemming from an incident that occurred at a party on July 21, 2006.
Hawthorne Police Department
settled the lawsuit for one million dollars in case CV-07-5253 (VBV) on the eve
of the trail on US District Court, Central District of California, the
Honorable Judge Valerie Baker Fairbank presiding.
The Hawthorn officers
responding were accused of beating plaintiff Anthony Goodrow when they
responded to a noise complaint at a party. Andrew and his wife Karla Hernriquez
Goodrow were both charged and falsely prosecuted to cover up police brutality.
The charges against Anthony were dismissed in criminal court.
Karla, who screamed at the
officers to quit beating her husband was arrested for public intoxication.
Karla was only trying to protect her husband, who was forced face-down on the
concrete and kicked. The abuse Anthony suffered by the police officers resulted
in a broken jaw. Karla was acquitted when the case went to trial.
Evidence the plaintiffs were
prepared to present at trial included a photograph of an officer appearing to
kick the handcuffed plaintiff in the face and a surveillance video allegedly
depicting officers high-fiving each other as the injured plaintiff suffered
from a broken jaw.
In the federal case of Goodrow
vs Hawthorne, the lawsuit charged officers with depriving the Goodrows of their
civil rights, excessive force, malicious prosecution and denial of medical
treatment.
Now we have another case
involving Hawthorne Police officer Jeffrey Salmon. Although no abuse can be
seen on the YouTube videos circulating that captured the cowardly actions of
the police officers responsible for the death of a family dog.
What crime had Leon and his dog
committed that created the need for the Hawthorne Police to kill the dog, who
had jumped out of the car where Leon had placed the dog for safety while he
spoke with officers?
Leon didn't resist arrest. He
didn't fight the officers in any way. It appears the dog owner was speaking to
his dog as the officers were firing bullets into the dog.
This dog had to have been very
well trained by Leon. Look at the leash used in the video. This is the type of
leash used on a dog weighing under 50 pounds. Only a well mannered dog could be
trusted on this type of lead, as an eager dog could easily break it.
Leon most likely trained this
dog from a young age, as you can tell by the dog on its final walk before being
brutally murdered by officer Salmon.
The Hawthorne PD has issued a
request for anyone who videotaped the shooting to turn over this evidence to be
considered in dealing with these officers. Be very careful if you who recorded
this decide to hand it over to the police. It's a felony in California to
videotape police, punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
There have been cases, however,
where the police were videotaped breaking the law where the judge has allowed
the evidence against police to stand without the person who recorded it being
considered a lawbreaker. Let's hope that will be the case in this situation.
One question comes to mind
about this case. Why was officer Salmon still with the Hawthorne Police
Department, given his tendency for brutality and lying in an effort to cover up
a charge of police brutality?
What do the readers here think
will happen? It's most like officer Salmon will be cleared of all charges. This
doesn't make him innocent. We all saw in the video what type of officer this
police department has.
Hopefully the public can demand
justice, especially since this dog shot by police incident had many horrified
witnesses.
Hawthorne Cancels Council Meeting After Website Crashes
The Tuesday meeting would have
been the first time the public could address the council about the dog shooting
The Hawthorne City Council
canceled its meeting Tuesday night after the city's website crashed because of
public outcry over a viral video of a police officer shooting a dog.
Tuesday’s meeting would have
been the first time the public could address council members directly about the
incident.
Anonymous posted a YouTube
video directed at the department last week, saying “we do not forgive…we do not
forget,” regarding the incident where an officer fatally shot a pet dog in the
street.
The department has said the dog
was a threat to officers who had done all they could to avoid killing the dog.
The incident sparked protests
outside of the Hawthorne Police Department Saturday.
The city clerk’s office told
NBC4 that the regularly scheduled meeting would be canceled because it is
required by the state open meeting law -- known as the Brown Act -- to publicly
post the agenda prior to meeting.
"As you are aware, due to
the public maelstrom of emotion caused by the police incident involving the
Rottweiler, the city website crashed. The website has been down for nearly one
week," said Mayor Daniel Juarez in an email to NBC4. "The Brown Act
requires that city council agendas shall be posted on the 'local agency’s
Internet Web site, if the local agency has one.'"
In Anonymous' video addressed
to the Hawthorne Police Department, the narrator says the officer’s actions
were “unacceptable” and the department was now Anonymous' "primary
target."
The incident that sparked the
controversy occurred on Sunday, June 30, as Leon Cordell Rosby walked his dog
and lingered near a police scene at 137th Street and Jefferson Avenue. Rosby
was shooting video at the time, and police had asked him to leave.
Rosby placed his pet
Rottweiler, Max, in a car and placed his hands behind his back so officers
could handcuff him.
The car’s windows were down and
the dog escaped, as seen at right.
NBC4’s Facebook fans debated
the dog’s intentions, saying Max was defending his owner. Others said the owner
is to blame for not locking up his pet properly.
The shooting was posted to
Youtube (Warning: Disturbing Content), and has since garnered more than 4.7
million views.
Calls and threats have flooded
into the Hawthorne Police Department, according to earlier reports. Rosby
publicly called for the threats to stop, saying "all police officers are
not bad."
The next regularly scheduled
City Council meeting will be held on July 22, according to the city clerk’s
office.
Northport family wants answers after officer shoots, kills their pit bull
NORTHPORT, AL (WBRC) -
A family in West Alabama wants answers after a Northport
police officer shot and killed their pit bull. The owners say they getting
conflicting stories from police and neighbors who saw what happened.
Kelly and Kylie Law were at work when their 4-year-old pit
bull, Cage, was shot and killed on their property.
"There's so much confusion as to what happened,"
said Kylie Law.
Monday morning Kylie received a phone call from her neighbor
telling her that Cage was dead on their porch.
Northport Police say the officer killed cage in self
defense. They say that the officer tried to push Cage away with his baton, but
couldn't, and had no other choice but to kill the dog. However, an eyewitness
to the shooting tells FOX6 News police are lying.
"The dog didn't come after nobody," said Donald
Montgomery.
Montgomery lives across the street from the Laws. The police
officer and an officer with animal control were actually at his house on an
ordinance complaint, when he says the officers noticed Cage. Montgomery says
Cage was sitting on the porch when the officers came in his yard.
"The dog sees them coming over there, and he comes down
the steps to go back around the house, and they started shooting him,"
said Montgomery.
According to Montgomery, Cage would from time to time sit on
the porch, but he never left the yard.
Montgomery isn't the only one not believing the officers
story. He, along with eight other neighbors, told the Laws they saw the same
thing.
"We didn't ask any of our neighbors to come. They were
already here willing to tell us what had happened because they know our
dogs," said Kylie Law.
For the Laws none of this makes sense, which is why they're
planning to ask for an internal investigation into the incident.
"There are two sides to every story. We are trying to
find the medium, the truth to what happened to our baby," said Kylie Law.
And they can't help but wonder, was it Cage or his breed
that cost him his life?
"I want to make sure this doesn't happen again,"
said Kelly Law.
In a news release, Northport Police describe Cage as a
vicious dog running loose, growling and charging the officers.
Fairfax County Police. You just don't find this kind of stupid just anywhere: Cop Aims for Dog, Accidentally Shoots Woman
Fairfax County Police. You just don't find this kind of stupid just anywhere: Cop Aims for Dog, Accidentally Shoots Woman: Incoming police chief Barry Rountree was responding to an unrelated 911 call on Wednesday when he saw a boxer walking toward him. Acco...
Cop shoots dog after warrant mistake
LEANDER, Texas -- A Texas cop shot
a family dog while serving a warrant at the
wrong house. The person listed
on the warrant did not live there. The family says they were getting ready for
dinner when they heard the gun shot.
Buffalo Police raided the wrong house and shot and killed the dog inside
Buffalo Police raided the wrong
house and shot and killed the dog inside who was defending the property,
because that’s what a dog does. "I got here as fast as I could [after the
landlord called about a police raid] and I saw the carnage. I saw what
happened. My house was flipped upside down, my dog was gone," the dogs
owner said "It was the blood on the wall and the gunshots and the bullet
holes" Idiot cops on the scene say the dog was not chained at the time. “"You
can even tell by the scene where the shots were and how far the chain reaches
because if the dog was out anywhere else, as soon as someone knocks on my door
my dog is by the door. So how come there is no blood on the ground?" asked
the dogs owner. He explained he’s always chained his pit bull because she chews
up his shoes when he’s not home.
Off-Duty cop Shoots, Kills Neighbor's Dog
Chicago police on Friday night launched an
investigation into what led an off-duty cop to shoot and kill his neighbor's
dog.
The cop said he was out with
his young son on the 5800 block of North Oketo Avenue, on the city's far
northwest side, when Maximus, a four-month-old pit bull, charged at them. The
dog's owner, Samantha Maglaya, said that wasn't the case.
The off-duty cop said he was
walking from a house just down the block when the incident unfolded. But
neighbors said the boy was nearly a block away during the shooting. And they
say Maximus never even barked.
Police officers not only shoot family dogs, they also shoot each other
Not only are police guilty of shooting family dogs, this time one officer has shot another when firing at a charging dog.
According to a police statement, a Chicago police officer and his partner, along with their supervisor responded to a burglary in progress call around 9 p.m. in the 1200 block of West 72nd Place.
The three officers were on a second floor landing of the building when a vicious dog allegedly charged at the police. One of the officers fired a shot that struck the dog. Unfortunately, the bullet also hit one of the other officers in the thigh. It hasn't been determined who was struck first by the bullet.
The injured officer was taken to John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital in Cook County, where he was treated and released.
It's unclear at this time of whether the dog shot by police was injured or killed. The dogs owners haven't been identified.
This isn't the first time Chicago police have shot a dog. Back in December officers shot an innocent 7-month old miniature bull-terrier puppy owned by Al Phillips. The puppy, who goes by the name Colonel Phillips, underwent five hours of cutting edge medicine to save his life.
The family had plans to enter the Colonel in dog shows. That will never happen, thanks to the Chicago police officer who shot the dog while writing out a parking ticket. That family has now filed a lawsuit against the department.
Perhaps with this latest incident, police will think twice about shooting a dog. It will be interesting to learn more details on this officer shooting officer accident. Mainly about whether the dog was truly a danger or another case of the magic threefold pattern that allows officers to shoot family dogs.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)