tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84925844646555698352024-03-05T07:00:05.447-08:00Cop Dog KillersUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger186125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492584464655569835.post-46921216311960461722014-06-24T14:33:00.001-07:002014-06-24T14:33:15.098-07:00Dog owner upset after police shoot and kill Pit Bull<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">By Dan Lampariello<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">MILAN, Tenn. -- A pit bull shot
and killed in Milan on Monday is stirring up controversy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Police say the dog was vicious,
but the dog's owner, Andrew Newtson, says the police officer who shot his dog
could have went about the situation in a different way.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Newtson says rather than
killing the dog, the officer could have waited for animal control to respond. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">"I would understand if my
dog had someone pinned up against the house or he was mauling someone,"
Newtson said. "Yes, shoot my dog. I'd rather a human being have their life
than my dog."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Milan Police say they were
called to the home because the dog had charged someone on the street.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">"The dog displayed itself
in an aggressive manner," Milan Police Chief Bobby Sellers said. "[It
was] showing its teeth, growling, and started toward him and then he had to
shoot the dog."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Newtson says his dog has never
done anything like this before. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">"I can take him
anywhere," Newtson said. "I've taken him to my neighbors, they've pet
him. Two or three times a week I take him for walks. I let kids pet him."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Witness to the event Mary
Dennie says the dog was ready to attack when police arrived. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">"The police shot that dog
right there at the mailbox," Dennie said. "Because that dog was after
them."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Chief Sellers says he would
have shot the dog as well if he was in the same position.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">"I stand behind him 100
percent," Chief Sellers said. "I've been in that situation when a dog
was trying to attack me and I've had to use my pistol to defend myself."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Another witness at the scene
said the dog was just defending his territory and the police officer used
excessive force. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Milan police have not been
called to any incidents involving this dog before.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">They have cited the dog's owner
for owning a vicious dog and he is set to appear in court July 2. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492584464655569835.post-18005386999536869082014-06-24T14:32:00.000-07:002014-06-24T14:32:12.440-07:00Cop Shoots Dog In East Moline, Investigation Underway<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The Rock Island County
sheriff's office says it will take a look into a complaint of animal cruelty
against one of its deputies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The office confirms a deputy
shot a dog in East Moline and neighbors are upset. The aftermath was caught on
camera by a viewer who shared the video with us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Shelby Gosa says her
step-mother called 9-1-1 after two rottweilers were trying to attack their neighbor's
rabbits. She says the first dog got into the deputy's squad car without any
problems and she went inside her home, thinking the second one would do the
same.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">A few minutes later she says
she heard a gunshot.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">"The dog got about as far
as the passenger side door and collapsed and began to bleed profusely
everywhere," she said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Shelby says both dogs were very
friendly when they approached her outside. The sheriff's office says the deputy
shot the dog because it became aggressive.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Both dogs were taken to the
animal shelter. It's unclear whether the one who got shot died on the scene or
at the shelter.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492584464655569835.post-72327122336530693742014-06-14T14:04:00.004-07:002014-06-14T14:04:46.056-07:00 Ardmore officer charged with poisoning domestic animals enters plea<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">By:
Lauren Smith<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">ARDMORE,
OK -- An Ardmore police officer, accused of killing his neighbor's dogs, was in
court Wednesday.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">An
Ardmore woman who lives in the Hickory Ridge Addition claims in April, her pet
schnauzer was one of several dogs that were poisoned by neighbor and Ardmore
police officer, Barry Antwine.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">She
said, "I think there were mixed emotions, just sad to watch her suffer and
be so sick and not really know why"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">In
May, Antwine was charged with "laying out poison for domestic
animals" for allegedly putting antifreeze in a bowl on his property with
the intent of killing his neighbors' dogs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">The
woman said, "This is a safe neighborhood. It's been a great place for us
to live and so I hated to have to lose her that way" <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">She
says she never purposefully let her dog roam the neighborhood out of sight.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">She
added, "I have little kids so if they leave the door open and she might
would run out but never just out all day to wander, you know, she was inside
and we kept her inside but occasionally she'd get out, but she definitely
wasn't an outside dog."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Carter
County District Attorney Craig Ladd said, "It's a misdemeanor offense here
in Oklahoma and his case has been set for disposition docket on August the 5th
at 2 o'clock"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Ladd
says Antwine is maintaining not guilty at this time and Antwine's involvement
in the police department will not play a role in the charges filed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Ladd
said "It really didn't factor into my thinking. I mean, I just reviewed
the reports and try to make a decision based upon what we could prove and what
I feel like the evidence supports."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">The
victim we spoke with says while her family pet cannot be replaced she chooses
not harbor any resentment toward Antwine.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">She
said, "We as a family are forgiving people and we believe that grace and
giving people second chances."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Ardmore
Police Chief Ken Grace says Antwine remains on administrative leave pending the
investigat<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492584464655569835.post-88222191221463783432014-06-14T14:04:00.000-07:002014-06-14T14:04:05.412-07:00 Cops Enter Home, Shoot Dog Dead, Rule It Justified<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Adan
Salazar<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">A
family is upset the death of their long time companion at the hands of officers
from the Round Rock, Texas, police department has been ruled justified.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Last
Friday, Russell and Hope Lane didn’t close the door to their house properly,
triggering their burglar alarm and a police response.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">The
Round Rock police chief and a commander entered the Lane’s home around 9am with
weapons drawn and encountered their dog Bullet. That’s where the Lanes claim
police have changed their story.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">“When
we first talked with captain Stuart he told us that his officer’s said Bullet
stood up on the futon and lunged at them,” one of the dog’s owners wrote on a
Facebook page dedicated to seeking Justice for Bullet. “Now since they’ve had
time to get their story together it changed. Now bullet barked, growled, showed
teeth three feet behind the officer. How did he get from the futon to three
feet behind the officers?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">The
Lanes say officers also failed to heed a sign hanging in their front door that
read, “Rottweiler on duty,” along with a picture of a rottweiler.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">On
Wednesday, Round Rock Police concluded the shooting was justified. The Lanes
say otherwise, and feel the amount of force used to stop Bullet was overkill.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">“They’re
not going to tell me that the officer fired seven shots at a dog because he had
to,” Russell Lane told Fox 7. “They aren’t going to tell me he had to fire
seven shots because you can hit a full grown man one time with a 40 caliber
weapon, which that was what he was firing, and take him down.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">The
Lanes are now prepared to take their fight to federal court, alleging
violations of their Fourth Amendment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">“We
are prepared to go to federal court 4th amendment violation. First they
shouldn’t have ever entered the house with that sign in the window,” Russell
told Fox 7.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Round
Rock police also issued a statement declaring that prior to the “unfortunate
event,” they were already looking at “additional training, purchasing equipment
and reviewing current policies in dealing with aggressive animals. We have
reviewed and selected a nationally recognized training program in dealing with
aggressive animals. The training is currently taking place for all commissioned
police officers.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Two
years ago, police in Austin, Round Rock’s neighbor to the south, also found it
necessary to implement an additional training program so officers could better
determine when it was appropriate to shoot animals. Austin police have shot
about three dogs since that new training went into effect.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492584464655569835.post-29929896028067083392014-06-14T14:03:00.001-07:002014-06-14T14:03:23.483-07:00Colorado cop faces six years in prison for fatally shooting elk<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">by
Brent McCluskey <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">A
former Colorado police officer was found guilty Tuesday of illegally killing an
elk last year that he says had become aggressive.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">On
Jan. 1, 2013, former Boulder police officer Sam Carter fatally shot “Big Boy,”
a domesticated elk that had become a beloved member of the community. He was
charged and recently found guilty on nine counts. Carter said the elk had
become dangerously domesticated and was aggressive, but prosecutors said he
killed it for the trophy aspect, NBC News reports.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhreTUDGdySKjt1rjXoMD06wMk5DXcx4may9St4_sqtyJif9aMu2wCZgEwpFpjM4Wi6GtPO47bDXKbGM9JZ8PgUGhcSRek0j1Fjs5SqhTDognAugy10m89dnltaya-fC-keYzcYqWRL7Vo/s1600/tumblr_n6ifm9NIGk1s63bb0o1_250.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhreTUDGdySKjt1rjXoMD06wMk5DXcx4may9St4_sqtyJif9aMu2wCZgEwpFpjM4Wi6GtPO47bDXKbGM9JZ8PgUGhcSRek0j1Fjs5SqhTDognAugy10m89dnltaya-fC-keYzcYqWRL7Vo/s1600/tumblr_n6ifm9NIGk1s63bb0o1_250.gif" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">According
to Daily Mail, defense attorney Marc Colin defended his client, saying Carter
was only trying to protect the public.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">“Sam
Carter is not guilty of anything but trying to protect the citizens of Boulder
from a nuisance elk,” Colin said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">But
according to Boulder County prosecutor Stanley Garnett, there was more to it
than that. Garnett said Carter had turned off the GPS in his squad car before
he shot Big Boy, then later falsified a tag that claimed the elk was road kill.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Carter
also swapped text messages with a fellow officer about “hunting” for elk,
texting one message that said, “He’s gonna die.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Garnett
said the community took the death of Big Boy hard, but added Carter’s covering
it up was equally bad.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">“The
fact that somebody would use the uniform and badge of a police department in
such a case was equally disturbing to the community,” Garnett said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">One
person who frequently saw Big Boy, including the day he died, said the elk was
completely docile.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">“The
day he was shot, I was walking at Eighth and Mapleton, and he was at a house
eating leaves,” said Mary Lee Withers. “My dog barked at him. He looked at us,
then turned back to eating leaves.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">According
to ABC News, Carter was convicted of three felonies: forgery, tampering with
evidence, and attempting to influence a public official. He was also convicted
of six misdemeanors: misconduct, illegal possession of a trophy elk, conspiracy
to commit illegal possession of wildlife, unlawfully taking a big game animal
out of season, and unlawful use of an electronic communication device to
unlawfully take wildlife.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Carter
is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 29 and could face as much as six years in
prison.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492584464655569835.post-39015038880269014592014-06-14T14:02:00.003-07:002014-06-14T14:02:35.832-07:00 Louisiana police officer who shot Maine man’s dog charged with aggravated animal cruelty<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">By
Abigail Curtis, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">The
former Louisiana officer accused of shooting and killing Arzy, a Maine man’s
leashed dog, was indicted Thursday by a Calcasieu Parish Grand Jury on a felony
charge of aggravated animal cruelty.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">A
warrant has been issued for the arrest of Brian Thierbach, who resigned in May
from his position as a police officer in the community of Sulphur, Louisiana,
according to Holly Carter of the Calcasieu Parish District Attorney’s Office.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis5U7a1SqKp4c-OAdNp57GD2QZxAJavUcyyCapId2TKAZyFKj2ABcWE6GShyuH-ljoGnB7sONWj3p8y0YA_gaAR2yDmPF3eFGy5KZcy1ugfamWxdwF28dd9X-vY62ekeaSkftvsqtnNog/s1600/tumblr_n5za0i5gLQ1s917bwo1_r1_400.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis5U7a1SqKp4c-OAdNp57GD2QZxAJavUcyyCapId2TKAZyFKj2ABcWE6GShyuH-ljoGnB7sONWj3p8y0YA_gaAR2yDmPF3eFGy5KZcy1ugfamWxdwF28dd9X-vY62ekeaSkftvsqtnNog/s1600/tumblr_n5za0i5gLQ1s917bwo1_r1_400.gif" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">A
judge has set Thierbach’s bail at $20,000, she said, adding that she did not
know if he had turned himself in to authorities yet or if he has retained an
attorney. Her office will be prosecuting the criminal case against the former
police officer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Alyson
Antoon, the attorney for itinerant Portland musician Brandon Carpenter, said
that the grand jury made a quick decision after holding a hearing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">“We’re
very pleased. I’ve seen a lot of the evidence in this case, and from what I’ve
seen, they definitely made the right decision,” she said. “The evidence was
overwhelming.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Carpenter
said that he was handcuffed on the ground when Thierbach shot Arzy, his
Labrador-Newfoundland-golden retriever mix, on the morning of April 28. The
Maine musician and his friend, Logan Laliberte of Auburn, had hopped off a
freight train in Sulphur and had climbed into an empty box truck in the local
newspaper’s parking lot to sleep out of the rain when they were found by local
police.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Thierbach
told Carpenter that Arzy had nipped his foot, but an independent witness to the
events told police that the dog had not attacked the officer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">An
internal affairs investigation into Thierbach’s actions found that he had
violated the Sulphur Police Department’s policies and procedures regarding the
use of force, personal conduct and behavior. Police Chief Louis Coats said in a
news release issued in May that he was a dog lover and was deeply saddened by
the incident, and that Thierbach’s resignation was accepted so the officers and
community can heal and move forward.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Carpenter
has told the BDN that he plans to stay in Sulphur until justice has been done
for Arzy, a dog he described as incredibly friendly and a big teddy bear. So
far, his efforts to seek justice have attracted national attention, both in the
media and on social networking sites like Facebook. Even actress and animal
rights activist Kristen Johnston, who starred on the television show 3rd Rock
From The Sun, has called for justice for Arzy on her blog.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">A
May rally at a park in Sulphur drew more than 100 people who came to support
Carpenter and honor the life of his dog.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">“[Thierbach]
thought I was just a train-hopping punk, and he could shoot my dog and get away
with it,” Carpenter said in a telephone interview in April. “You messed with
the wrong traveler.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492584464655569835.post-49197391631384105642014-06-14T14:01:00.003-07:002014-06-14T14:01:41.524-07:00Dog owner upset after police shoot and kill Pit Bull<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">By
Dan Lampariello<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">MILAN,
Tenn. -- A pit bull shot and killed in Milan on Monday is stirring up
controversy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Police
say the dog was vicious, but the dog's owner, Andrew Newtson, says the police
officer who shot his dog could have went about the situation in a different
way.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Newtson
says rather than killing the dog, the officer could have waited for animal
control to respond. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">"I
would understand if my dog had someone pinned up against the house or he was
mauling someone," Newtson said. "Yes, shoot my dog. I'd rather a
human being have their life than my dog."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Milan
Police say they were called to the home because the dog had charged someone on
the street.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">"The
dog displayed itself in an aggressive manner," Milan Police Chief Bobby
Sellers said. "[It was] showing its teeth, growling, and started toward
him and then he had to shoot the dog."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEPIjJrnL_rCy6-2RlgsMRkxgzQYDFU71xJRhJYGklX6cmZZD_rYgwcaRKXdj638NJH1_cHI8dYPzPjR-Nto6ayGVS2kt0KJpOko9FQ98Ez8sjp7BWeWTcNyLtr4_Wc4VpGPuMX4f3EAA/s1600/tumblr_n4tjiuIJR61tzofuro1_400.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEPIjJrnL_rCy6-2RlgsMRkxgzQYDFU71xJRhJYGklX6cmZZD_rYgwcaRKXdj638NJH1_cHI8dYPzPjR-Nto6ayGVS2kt0KJpOko9FQ98Ez8sjp7BWeWTcNyLtr4_Wc4VpGPuMX4f3EAA/s1600/tumblr_n4tjiuIJR61tzofuro1_400.gif" height="244" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Newtson
says his dog has never done anything like this before. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">"I
can take him anywhere," Newtson said. "I've taken him to my
neighbors, they've pet him. Two or three times a week I take him for walks. I
let kids pet him."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Witness
to the event Mary Dennie says the dog was ready to attack when police arrived. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">"The
police shot that dog right there at the mailbox," Dennie said.
"Because that dog was after them."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Chief
Sellers says he would have shot the dog as well if he was in the same position.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">"I
stand behind him 100 percent," Chief Sellers said. "I've been in that
situation when a dog was trying to attack me and I've had to use my pistol to
defend myself."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Another
witness at the scene said the dog was just defending his territory and the
police officer used excessive force. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Milan
police have not been called to any incidents involving this dog before.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">They
have cited the dog's owner for owning a vicious dog and he is set to appear in
court July 2. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492584464655569835.post-68092583694118534162014-06-14T14:01:00.000-07:002014-06-14T14:01:06.082-07:00Police Officer Shoots Dog at Close Range<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">By
Sarah Glover <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">|<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">dog
survived after being shot at close range by a police officer in Beverly, N.J.
The dog was shot at more than once but did not die. It ran away despite being
injured.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">A
YouTube video shows an officer pointing a gun at the dog and shooting it
multiple times. The video is disturbing and NBC10.com has chosen not to post
it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">The
man who posted the video said to his knowledge the dog was not aggressive but
police tried to calm the dog when it became agitated. He and his friends tried
to corral it before it was shot.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAMYTh02Rb7M_J9A-CDBmZhMMndVHXjLsTNCLYgh8594_Ck3qeN-v7thBINZ2lG5Ty_PkSoWa7E9Tq5CXzxpidlyE-VyMCTFHTxl6UXXSdAcAZV6hCmPbLofg0aDYyo1N4wmv-LseoFWU/s1600/copdogshootingmeme.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAMYTh02Rb7M_J9A-CDBmZhMMndVHXjLsTNCLYgh8594_Ck3qeN-v7thBINZ2lG5Ty_PkSoWa7E9Tq5CXzxpidlyE-VyMCTFHTxl6UXXSdAcAZV6hCmPbLofg0aDYyo1N4wmv-LseoFWU/s1600/copdogshootingmeme.jpg" height="296" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Rich
Wolbert, public safety director in Beverly, issued a statement on behalf of the
Beverly Police Department, which is investigating the incident.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Officers
from Beverly, Edgewater Park, and Delanco Police Departments responded to <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">a
call of a vicious dog at 245 Warren Street at approximately 11:20 a.m. on the
morning of June 5, according to the statement.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">When
the officers arrived, they found a woman's finger had been amputated by the
dog. The canine was found behind a building on Perkins Street.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Police
say the dog came toward the officers in an "aggressive manner and the
animal was shot multiple times."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">After
chasing its tail, as seen in the video, the dog ran from the scene to the 600
block of Elizabeth Street where it was retrieved. The dog was then taken for
veterinary treatment and transported to the Burlington County Animal Shelter.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">The
injured woman was transported to Lourdes Medical Center in Willingboro. The dog
is being observed at the shelter. NBC10.com reached out to the shelter. There's
no word on the present status of the dog.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492584464655569835.post-42409024763873681072014-06-02T15:55:00.002-07:002014-06-02T15:55:06.885-07:00Ardmore police officer charged with poisoning domestic animals<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">ARDMORE, OK -- A sergeant with
the Ardmore Police Department has been charged with poisoning domestic animals.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">According to court papers filed
Wednesday, Barry Antwine faces a misdemeanor charge of laying out poison for
domestic animals.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Antwine allegedly put out
antifreeze in a bowl on his property. Charges state he did so with the intent
of poisoning his neighbors' dogs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">He's set to appear in court on
June 11th.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492584464655569835.post-49051196498616619182014-06-02T15:46:00.005-07:002014-06-02T15:46:50.690-07:00 Cops enter home on false alarm shoot house dog SEVEN TIMES …SEVEN TIMES<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">ROUND ROCK -- Two officers shot
and killed a dog Friday after responding to a home alarm, according to the
Round Rock Police Department.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Around 9 a.m. two officers went
to a home in the 1700 block of Parkside Circle in Round Rock after the home's
alarm system went off. When officers arrived they found an open door and
decided to enter the residence.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">After shouting that police were
in the home and other verbal warnings, police searched the home. While
searching the home, they came across a 120 pound Rottweiler.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Police considered the dog
aggressive, and the dog made threatening actions towards the officers, police
say.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><b>One officer fired once, and
another office fired six times. </b>The dog was pronounced dead at the scene.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><b>There were no sings of a
burglary or indications of a forced entry, police say</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">A commander with RRPD met at
the police station with the home owner later in the day to explain the
officers' actions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492584464655569835.post-20688295165392432622014-06-02T15:45:00.002-07:002014-06-02T15:45:57.621-07:00 Police, dog's owners at odds after officer shoots dog<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">By Dal Kalsi - <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">SIMPSONVILLE, SC (FOX Carolina)
-<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The Simpsonville police chief
said an officer was forced to shoot a large dog that threatened him while
responding to a complaint call about the animal, but the dog's owners claim the
shooting should not have happened.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Chief Keith Grounsell said the
officer was responding to a call on Hudders Creek Way around 9 a.m. Monday when
the shooting occurred.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Police received a call about a
large rottweiler mix that was roaming the neighborhood and intimidating
residents, Grounsell said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Grounsell said this was the
second call within 24 hours that officers had received about the dog.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">"On Sunday morning, we
received a call after the dog lunged at a jogger and actually knocked her down,
causing some small abrasions," Grounsell said. "Luckily, a neighbor
with a cane was able to quickly reach the woman and scare the dog away."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">When the officer arrived on
Monday morning, the dog immediately began barking and growling at him,
Grounsell said, and when the officer began walking toward the house where the
911 call had been placed, the dog began to charge at him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Grounsell said the officer was
able to get a hand on his baton and swung it at the dog, but the baton only
further infuriated the dog.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">At that point, for his own
safety, the officer managed to unholster his weapon and fired on the animal
four times, Grounsell said. The dog was later put to sleep<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">"As police officers, we
never want to shoot anything," Grounsell said. "In this case, this
was the second time the dog lunged at someone on that street within a 24-hour
period, and I'm glad that it was my officer who knew how to defend himself rather
than a child."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The dog's owner, Blake
Davenport, said the dog's name was "Bella," and Davenport thinks Bella didn't need to be shot multiple
times.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">"I think that was a little
excessive," Davenport said. "Especially for (the officer) to not
actually kill it."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Bella's brother belongs to one
of Davenport's friends in the neighborhood, Hunter Armstrong, who said Bella
was not a vicious animal.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">"There's not an aggressive
hair on the dog and it's been living here for well over two years and never
hurt a fly, never hurt anyone," Armstrong said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Grounsell said he was sorry the
dog was killed, but that the officer made the right choice.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">"It's very unfortunate
anytime you need to take the life of anything," Grounsell said. "I'm
an animal lover myself. I have three dogs, and the officer involved, he is an
animal lover. He didn't want to have to do this,but he did not have a choice at
that time."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Grounsell said no charges would
be filed against the owners since the dog died during the response.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492584464655569835.post-31776256769714552412014-05-28T09:38:00.002-07:002014-05-28T09:38:42.813-07:00Family wants Wheeling police officer fired after dog shooting<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%;">
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">WHEELING, W.Va. – More than two
weeks after a police officer shot and killed its dog, a family remains
outraged.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">While police continue to
investigate exactly what happened on a street in East Wheeling a few weeks ago,
where a German Shepherd was shot and killed by a Wheeling police officer,
protestors said they won't stop making a stand for justice until they see that
officer removed from his position.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“We have over 3,000 signatures
that have signed the petition for Officer (Kyle) Mull to be removed from the
police department,” protester Tisha Terry said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">As more people visit change.org
to sign that petition for Shadow, the family that owned the German Shepherd
protested in front of the City County Building holding up signs Monday.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The dog was allegedly deemed
vicious by the city in April 2013, but people who knew the dog say he was
harmless. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The dog was shot and killed
when police said they were flagged down by a person who reported they were
being chased in an aggressive manner by the dog. The owners claim their dog was
never aggressive.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“Part of my family is laying on
the ground with two bullets in his head for no reason,” dog owner Donna Terry
said. “That dog has never bit anybody. It was 5 years old. I've trained German
Shepherds for 30 years."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The police officer who shot the
dog also has protestors questioning his Twitter updates, pointing out to one
that said, “i really wish it wasn’t frowned upon to kill your dog.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Wheeling Police Department
officials said they are thoroughly investigating the incident in a process they
call the Officer of Professional Standards Review <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“We take it seriously,”
Wheeling Police Department Chief Shawn Schwertfeger said. “We hope to learn
from incidents like this so I'm just waiting to see what the final outcome
is."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">In the meantime, police said
their investigation is almost complete. We’ll be sure to bring you the latest
as this story continues to unfold.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492584464655569835.post-45794146929251801982014-05-28T09:37:00.004-07:002014-05-28T09:37:44.269-07:00 Woman Files Complaint After Police Shoot And Kill Dog<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%;">
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">COLUMBUS, Ohio - A 21-year-old
recent Ohio State graduate filed a complaint against Columbus Police. She says
Columbus Police wrongfully shot and killed her Labrador pit-bull mix. It's a dog she considered part of the family.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Police claim they acted in
self-defense as they were trying to execute an arrest warrant against her
boyfriend for domestic violence.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">A charge, she says she now
wishes she could wipe away because when police moved in, her dog, Nala, became
an unintended target.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">"When I came to the door,
I cracked it like this and looked out, then Nala came beside me and stuck her
nose out here," said victim, Cartier Townsend. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">"They said put your dog
away. I will shoot your dog. Those two statements. That is all that they said
to me," said Townsend.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">A spokesperson for Columbus
police tells 10TV the officers, at the time, told her to secure the dog.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">"I tried to put her away
and even when she ran out of her cage, I told them, don't shoot her. She's not
going to try to bite you guys," said Townsend.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Police say, after they
repeatedly told her to close the cage, Townsend jumped in the officer's way and
the dog ran toward them growling. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The police spokesperson says
the officers felt threatened, so they first deployed a taser and then fired
with a gun.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">"There's no reason she
should be in a body bag right now. There's no reason she shouldn't be out there
playing outside," said Townsend.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Neighbors say the commotion
woke them up.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><b><u>"One of them said that he
was going to kill that ***** dog," said neighbor, Jim McNutt. </u></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">"Didn't hear any barking
or any yelling from the inside, just the yelling of the cops. The male voices
saying, 'We're going to break down your f'n door. Control your f'n dog,'"
said neighbor, Katie Knotts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Concerning statements, to the
recent OSU grad, who so badly wishes she had her dog back.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">"None of this would have
happened if they just let me put her away," said Cartier. "There was
nothing I could do. There was nothing I could do to help her."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Police ended up arrested her
boyfriend early that morning. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">There is an internal review of
the officer, who fired the gun, as is protocol within the department anytime an
officer fires a gun. There is also a review after Townsend filed her complaint.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492584464655569835.post-15242967410965448902014-05-24T06:21:00.004-07:002014-05-24T06:21:53.338-07:00Anderson family upset after police shoot, kill pet dog<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;">
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">By Diana Watson <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">ANDERSON, SC (FOX Carolina) - <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">An Anderson family is angry after the death of their pit bull.
The dog, named Cream, was shot and killed by Anderson police, who arrived at
their home to investigate a stolen cell phone. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Police tell FOX Carolina they were forced to shoot the dog to
protect themselves.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Adrien Best, who had two adults, three teens and three young
children at her home Monday evening on East Franklin Street, said she heard the
shots. She was inside the house when one of her sons told her police were
pulling up the driveway. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">She said by the time she reached the front door, she heard two
shots fired. She said she was immediately worried about her children playing
outside. Then she realized one of her family's dogs had been shot by officers. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"I tried to gather the kids up to put them in the house
because apparently you're not safe outside with officers where we should be
because they're protecting and serve," Best said. "If you show up
with a gun and you're irate, then you're not protecting me so I did not feel
safe."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Within moments, she found out why police were at her house. They
were investigating a cell phone stolen from T.L. Hanna High School. The report
was initiated by the school's resource officer, who is an Anderson County
deputy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The phone had been tracked by GPS to Best's house and was being
carried by a friend of her son's, who told her he had found it at school. The
school resource officer called for back-up from Anderson police because the
East Franklin Street is in the city. A spokesman for the Anderson County
Sheriff's Office said the resource officer was not on scene yet when the dog
was shot.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">FOX Carolina called the Anderson Police Department, who provided
an incident report of the dog shooting. It was written by Officer Joseph
Chapman. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Part of the report said, "A brown and white large dog
charged myself and Captain Aman. Officers did draw duty issue weapons and felt
in fear that the dog was going to attack, due to the threatening manner it was
coming at officers. Captain Aman did shoot the dog with one shot, at which time
the dog went into some bushes and was not a threat." <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But the family gave a different story, calling their dog a
gentle giant. Adrian Gaines, one of Best's sons, was in the driveway when he
saw officers arrive and witnessed the shooting. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"The dog didn't bark, show any teeth, it didn't rush them,
didn't growl or anything," Gaines said. "Once he shot him the first
time, I'm sure he was scared and that's how he got up in the bushes and he ran
up in the bushes and that's when you shoot him again. He's in the bushes
bleeding already and you shoot him again."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The shooting of the dog was witnessed by four children,
including a 13-year-old named Jeremiah. He cried for hours after the dog was
killed. He and others in the family want to know why this happened. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"He was a good dog," Jeremiah said. "He didn't
deserve to die. They shouldn't have shot him. There was no point to it."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Now, the family plans to file a formal complaint with Anderson
police. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In the meantime, the department indicates they did what they had
to do to make sure their officers were safe. They said because the dog was not
in a fence or tethered, there was no option. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For Jeremiah, that's not good enough, saying, "Something
needs to happen. You can't just do that and get away with it."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492584464655569835.post-37314629771687195412014-05-24T06:21:00.000-07:002014-05-24T06:21:09.897-07:00Woman Files Complaint After Police Shoot And Kill Dog<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;">
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;">
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">By Danielle Elias <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">COLUMBUS, Ohio - A 21-year-old recent Ohio State graduate filed
a complaint against Columbus Police. She says Columbus Police wrongfully shot
and killed her Labrador pit-bull mix.
It's a dog she considered part of the family.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Police claim they acted in self-defense as they were trying to
execute an arrest warrant against her boyfriend for domestic violence.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A charge, she says she now wishes she could wipe away because
when police moved in, her dog, Nala, became an unintended target.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"When I came to the door, I cracked it like this and looked
out, then Nala came beside me and stuck her nose out here," said victim,
Cartier Townsend. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"They said put your dog away. I will shoot your dog. Those
two statements. That is all that they said to me," said Townsend.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A spokesperson for Columbus police tells 10TV the officers, at
the time, told her to secure the dog.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"I tried to put her away and even when she ran out of her
cage, I told them, don't shoot her. She's not going to try to bite you
guys," said Townsend.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Police say, after they repeatedly told her to close the cage,
Townsend jumped in the officer's way and the dog ran toward them growling. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The police spokesperson says the officers felt threatened, so
they first deployed a taser and then fired with a gun.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"There's no reason she should be in a body bag right now.
There's no reason she shouldn't be out there playing outside," said
Townsend.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Neighbors say the commotion woke them up.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"One of them said that he was going to kill that *****
dog," said neighbor, Jim McNutt. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Didn't hear any barking or any yelling from the inside,
just the yelling of the cops. The male voices saying, 'We're going to break
down your f'n door. Control your f'n dog,'" said neighbor, Katie Knotts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Concerning statements, to the recent OSU grad, who so badly
wishes she had her dog back.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"None of this would have happened if they just let me put
her away," said Cartier. "There was nothing I could do. There was
nothing I could do to help her."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Police ended up arrested her boyfriend early that morning. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 7.5pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There is an internal review of the officer, who fired the gun,
as is protocol within the department anytime an officer fires a gun. There is
also a review after Townsend filed her complaint.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492584464655569835.post-44475294866169417662014-05-22T14:59:00.000-07:002014-05-22T14:59:55.675-07:00Woman sues for $1.35 million after off-duty cop fatally shoots her puppy<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"> by Brent McCluskey <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">A Chicago woman has filed a
lawsuit seeking $1.35 million in damages nearly a year after an off-duty police
officer fatally shot her puppy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">On March 15, 2013, Samantha
Maglaya’s 5-year-old daughter was in their front yard playing with Maximus,
their 4-month-old pitbull, when an off-duty police officer shot the dog eight
times in the chest, killing it, the NBC affiliate reports.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The officer claimed the dog was
aggressively charging towards his 5-year-old son, but Maglaya says that never
happened and believes her dog’s death was a conspiracy. She filed a 22-count lawsuit
against the city, as well as several law enforcement officers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The officer who shot Maximus
said he was just protecting his son, and if the dog had been properly leashed,
the whole situation could have been avoided.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“It’s supposed to be on a
leash. If that dog is on a leash, this never happens,” the officer said. “[My
son] wanted to ride his bike. So he’s riding down the sidewalk. As I’m walking
down the street the dog comes out of the gangway charging at him.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">But Magaya’s lawsuit paints a
darker picture and accuses the officer of lying about the incident. She claims
Maximus never chased a child on a bike, because the officer’s child wasn’t
there in the first place. She says Maximus was running around their front yard,
wagging his tail, when the officer opened fire not more than 10 feet away from
her daughter.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Magaya believes the officer
shot Maximus because of her race and because he didn’t want a pitbull in the
neighborhood, and said two other officers who live on her block lied on the
officer’s behalf.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The 22-count lawsuit against
Chicago and the officer involved in the shooting and those in the subsequent
cover up includes a slew of charges, including excessive force, aggravated
cruelty to animals, hate crimes against Maglaya and her daughter, and trespassing,
among others.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">She is seeking a total of $1.35
million in damages.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492584464655569835.post-73114853986149902552014-05-22T14:57:00.003-07:002014-05-22T14:59:20.832-07:00 Another Day, Another Cop Shoots a Dog<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">It's time to teach the police
some new tricks.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">A. Barton Hinkle | <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">A police officer chasing a
suspect entered Bianca Alakson's fenced-in backyard the other day. When her
10-month-old Labrador-mix puppy ran toward the Redford Township, Ohio, officer,
he shot the dog twice, killing it. Alakson's boyfriend, Ryan Showalter, ran
outside and demanded to know why. He was arrested for interfering with an
investigation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">"I asked him why,"
Showalter said. "And he said, 'Because he was in our way.' I was breaking
down hysterically in the back seat of the cop car, crying. I didn't know what
to do."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">This wasn't long after Cole
Middleton, a resident of Raines County, Texas, called the police to report that
his house had been burgled. When an officer arrived Middleton's dog started
barking. According to news reports, "the deputy claimed the dog was about
to bite him and shot the dog to defend himself. … Middleton says the dog was
shot in the head. He begged the deputy to finish off his cowdog named Candy
since the dog was suffering."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">"I was so upset,"
Middleton told KLTV-7 News. "I went over there to her and she was still
alive and I begged and pleaded with him to please shoot her again because I
don't have any firearms. They got stolen. He went and got in his vehicle and
backed out of my driveway.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">"And then I had to do the
unthinkable. … I had to kill my dog with my bare hands and put her out of her
suffering, praying for this to be over with," Middleton said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Those are just two of many
cases in which police officers have killed family pets recently and without any
apparent justification. There have been countless others. Police entered a back
yard in Mobile, Alabama, encountered a dog, and shot it. A Tehachapi,
California, officer saw a dog run toward him while he was performing routine
code enforcement checks. "He just pulled out his gun and boom, boom,
boom," reported a witness. An officer responding to a complaint about a
moving van in the street in Columbus, Ohio, shot a dog nine times after it
growled at him. And in Filer, Idaho, an officer shot a dog whose owner was
throwing his 9-year-old son a birthday party. You can watch the dash-cam video
(warning: strong content and language) by Googling "officer shoots dog at
boy’s birthday party."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">In most such cases, what
happens afterward is: nothing. The police department says it will investigate
the shooting, and then the incident disappears into a circular file or a black
hole. Not always: The Texas officer who shot Middleton's dog was fired. But the
police department in Filer decided officer Tarek Hassani was justified in using
deadly force against a family pet.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Fortunately, some police
departments have begun training officers in how to read animal behavior. Most
dogs that feel threatened don't run toward the perceived threat, for
instance—they run away. "An approaching dog is almost always
friendly," according to a Justice Department report, "The Problem of
Dog-Related Incidents and Encounters." Here in Virginia some departments
do a better job than others. But the commonwealth has not passed a law
requiring such training, as Colorado has.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Meanwhile, public pressure to
protect dogs is mounting. Filer residents were so upset by its department's
decision that some launched a recall effort to unseat the mayor and the entire
city council. A Kickstarter campaign has raised more than $45,000 for the
documentary Puppycide.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">"When we first learned
about puppycide," the filmmakers write, "we assumed that these must
be cases of police responding to threats on their lives from dogs trained to
attack by criminal owners. That couldn't be further from the truth. We found
scores of videos and news stories about dogs who were laying down, tails
wagging, even running away but still shot by officers who used lethal force as
their first and only response."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Nobody wants to see police
officers—already underpaid and underappreciated—get hurt in the line of duty.
What people object to is the gratuitous slaughter of pets that pose no threat.
Officers couldn't shoot children with such impunity, and many pet owners love
their animals almost as much as their kids.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">That shouldn't be surprising. A
special bond between people and dogs has developed over thousands of years of
domestication.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Recent work by Hungarian
researchers has shown that dogs can read emotion in human voices and, as The
Washington Post reported the other day, "other studies have revealed that
dogs yawn when they see humans yawning and that they nuzzle and lick people who
are crying; scientists consider both behaviors displays of empathy, a rarely
documented trait in the animal kingdom."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">If dogs can read other species'
behavior signals and show empathy toward them, then surely police officers
should be able to as well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEJDf6YYF-iV3auSNpwzywhP-sFlC_0c3AdsWEfs94XPnpDE-lsrNddBta78DdacsCs5XSiS23gtij14n3DCfBw02_znYBKz2Oyq_O-70qOFU52QuRIiBDxgAtqMjeLWWEx4k2Etr_Nsg/s1600/BookCoverPreviewsasdssddsa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEJDf6YYF-iV3auSNpwzywhP-sFlC_0c3AdsWEfs94XPnpDE-lsrNddBta78DdacsCs5XSiS23gtij14n3DCfBw02_znYBKz2Oyq_O-70qOFU52QuRIiBDxgAtqMjeLWWEx4k2Etr_Nsg/s1600/BookCoverPreviewsasdssddsa.jpg" height="320" width="224" /></a></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492584464655569835.post-58540916904646695542014-05-19T07:08:00.002-07:002014-05-19T07:08:30.568-07:00Esther Cepeda: Dogs and the warrior cops<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">If
Radley Balko is right, it may be the dog lovers of America who touched off a
movement to rein in the strong-arm tactics that have accompanied the
militarization of the country's police forces.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">By
Esther Cepeda <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">If
Radley Balko is right, it may be the dog lovers of America who touched off a
movement to rein in the strong-arm tactics that have accompanied the
militarization of the country’s police forces.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Balko,
who writes The Washington Post’s “The Watch” blog on criminal justice issues,
says that police these days too frequently shoot people’s pets when making a
raid, and people are becoming fed up.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">I
recently read Balko’s book, “Rise of the Warrior Cop: The Militarization of
America’s Police Forces,” after spending some time in a firearms class. In that
class was a retired policeman who firmly subscribed to the “us vs. them”
mentality Balko so vividly illustrates.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Starting
with a history of law enforcement, Balko follows its tenuous flirtation with
the norms and practices of the armed forces to today’s proliferation of
S.W.A.T.-like local police departments. He provides a painful history of the
progression from President Richard Nixon’s War on Drugs through the
decades-long erosion of private citizens’ rights to have their homes treated as
sanctuary from violence to the all-too-common “collateral damage” incidents
that dot our news feeds.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">No
one, and no political party, is spared from a scathing critique of the wisdom
of soldiering-up local police officers and making violent, highly militarized
raids everyday occurrences. Notably, Balko’s sources are less often the
innocent victims of botched raids, accidental shootings, wrong-address nighttime
blitzes and flash-bomb takedowns — or their advocates — though their stories
come through clearly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Mostly,
the voices of those speaking out about the dangers of invade-and-conquer law
enforcement are of professionals in the field who either carried out
militarization programs themselves or tried, in vain, to keep brute force — and
its accompanying mindset — from encroaching on their beloved profession.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Balko
provides seemingly endless examples of state-sanctioned violence and
paramilitary-style policing even as he fairly portrays the danger that law
enforcement officials have to deal with in their demanding jobs. It cannot be
said enough that “Rise of the Warrior Cop” is in no way a partisan, overly
emotional or pacifist anti-police screed — but learning how calloused we’ve all
become to this type of enforcement stopped me cold.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Balko
cites anecdotal evidence among his network of law enforcement researchers and
educators showing that too often people calmly accept that unwarranted
violations of privacy and violent tactics are appropriate for “bad guys,”
murderers and drug dealers, even their wives and children. But they get very
angry when they hear about pets being harmed and routinely killed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">“At
first, that may seem to indicate that people callously value the lives of pets
more than the lives of people,” Balko writes. “But the fact that killing the
dog during these raids has become nearly routine in many police agencies
demonstrates just how casually those agencies have come to accept drug war collateral
damage. When I started logging cop-shoots-dog incidents on my blog (under the
probably sensational term ‘puppycide’), people began sending me new stories as
they happened. Cops are now shooting dogs at the slightest provocation. As of
this writing, I’m sent accounts of a few incidents each week.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">The
public outcry about pets as collateral damage has actually gotten a handful of
police departments to mandate training, Balko writes. He quotes Russ Jones, a
former narcotics officer with the San Jose Police Department and the Drug
Enforcement Agency: “I don’t understand it at all. I guess somewhere along the
line a cop shot a dog under questionable circumstances and got away with it.
Word got out, and now it seems like some cops are just looking for reasons to
take a shot at a dog. Maybe it just comes down to that — we can get away with
it, therefore we do it.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">If
Balko gets one point across, it’s that the days of law enforcement getting away
with strong-arm and often deadly tactics in the name of maintaining safety and
order are coming to an end.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">The
proliferation of mobile phones with cameras, video that can be remotely
streamed directly to the Internet and the instantaneous sharing of both through
social media are making it so that evidence of law enforcement overreach can be
preserved as proof.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">But
first, we have to be aware that these instances of overly harsh tactics affect
innocent, law-abiding citizens — not just the canine kind — and we can no
longer afford to accept our civil rights getting so blithely trampled.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492584464655569835.post-48741433957485971162014-05-19T07:07:00.003-07:002014-05-19T07:07:50.551-07:00 Cop camera turned off during violent arrest<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">By
Frank Fernandez<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">A
Daytona Beach police officer has resigned following an incident in which his
body camera did not record an entire confrontation, which included another
officer sticking a flashlight into a woman’s mouth, a report states.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Officer
Justin Ranum resigned July 23 while under investigation for the incomplete body
camera video. And according to a report, Officer Matthew Booth was fired Jan.
8, partly because he stuck a metal flashlight in a woman’s mouth to keep it
open. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">What
Booth described as “the flashlight technique” is not an approved tactic by the
Daytona Beach Police Department, according to a report finding that Booth
violated department directives. The report also found that Booth violated
directives when he stuck his fingers in Christine Chippewa’s mouth to try and
retrieve drugs he believed she had. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Police
Chief Mike Chitwood said Ranum’s body camera was sent to Taser to check why it
did not record the entire encounter and Ranum was given another body camera.
Then Chitwood said there was a second incident in which Ranum’s body camera was
not running.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">The
officer resigned before the camera audit was completed. But the audit came back
that the camera did not film the entire arrest because it was turned off
manually, a policy violation, Chitwood said. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">“If
you follow the policy, we have no problems whatsoever,” Chitwood said. “It’s
when officers deviate from the policy that we have a problem. And the policy is
there to protect the officer and protect the community. It’s really simple.
Nobody likes change, but change is here.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">It
was not the first time Ranum had been in trouble. In December 2010, Ranum and
another officer were fired after they were acquitted of criminal mischief
charges. The two were arrested Sept. 2, 2010, nearly a month after banging on a
woman’s trailer hoping to flush out a suspect. Records indicate the trailer
sustained $1,700 worth of damage. The judge in the case said prosecutors failed
to show the two officers damaged the trailer with intent and malice. Ranum was
rehired about a year later.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Booth
violated several policies during Chippewa’s arrest on about 3:30 a.m. on June
13, 2013, near the boat ramps on the eastern span of the Seabreeze Bridge.
Booth also violated directives by striking Chippewa in the head, either by
kicking her or with a knee strike. It was unclear which he did because at
different times Booth claimed to have done one or the other, leading to a
finding that he violated a directive having to do with making a false report. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Booth
told internal affairs investigators that he stuck his metal flashlight into
Chippewa’s mouth because Ranum said she was trying to swallow illegal
narcotics, the report states.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">After
using the flashlight, Booth “forced his fingers against the outside of
Chippewa’s cheeks” as he tried to get the alleged narcotics, the report said.
That’s another practice not approved by the department unless it is used to
save someone’s life, which Booth admitted was not the circumstance, the report
states. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Booth
said he did not see any signs that Chippewa was having medical problems from
the alleged overdose and did not call paramedics.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Booth
said he kicked Chippewa in the head because she bit him hard through her
cheeks. Booth then stuck his fingers inside her mouth, the report states.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Chippewa,
37, was charged with tampering with physical evidence and obstructing an
officer without violence. No drugs were found on Chippewa and she did not
suffer any ill effects that would have indicated she swallowed drugs. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">The
State Attorney’s Office declined to file charges.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Chippewa
has retained attorney Jonathan Rotstein, who has sent a notice of claim to the
city, the first step before any lawsuit would be filed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Chippewa
has prior convictions from 2010 cases of possession of schedule IV substance
and possession of drug paraphernalia. She also has prior convictions from 2009
cases of introduction of contraband into a correctional facility and resisting
an officer without violence.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492584464655569835.post-70408042307738154372014-05-19T07:06:00.001-07:002014-05-19T07:06:02.752-07:00Cop shoots, kills dog while chasing suspect through backyard<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: small;">A
Redford Township police officer is being accused of killing a 10-month-old
lab/pit bull mix. The officer was chasing a suspect through a backyard when the
officer claims the young puppy charged at him. He claimed he fired two shots
because he feared for his life. W</span><b><span style="font-size: large;">hen the dog's owner came out to demand answers
police arrested him and charged with interfering with a police investigation.<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492584464655569835.post-57269329433234026682014-05-19T07:04:00.002-07:002014-05-19T07:04:53.559-07:00 Police shoot Trenton family's dog 3 times, killing Poodie<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">By
David Foster, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">TRENTON
— Oweeta Derry received a call from a neighbor telling her that the family’s
Cane Corso was outside of her gate in the backyard chasing a cat. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">What
happened next shocked her. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">“When
I got there, a cop said they shot her,” Derry said Wednesday afternoon, a day
after Poodie was killed. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">“They
shot her once in the chest because a police officer said she jumped at him,”
Derry said of the 1-year-old dog. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">“But
why would you then shoot her again twice again in the back?” she questioned.
“What was the purpose of that? You had already hit her in the chest.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">A
New Jersey State Police trooper and a member of the Mercer County Prosecutor’s
Office were executing an arrest warrant at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday in an alleyway on
the first block of West End Avenue near Derry’s home when Poodie appeared,
according NJSP Capt. Stephen Jones. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">“This
very large dog ran out from behind from a backyard area where there was a fence
that wasn’t secured,” Jones said Wednesday. “It ran out of the yard of an
abandoned property and charged at the trooper and officer. They both discharged
rounds striking the dog and the dog ran away.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">The
officers later found the dog dead in the rear parking lot of Cadwalader
Elementary School. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">“It’s
very sad when this type of thing has to happen,” Jones said. “It unfortunately
comes down to protecting life and limb there when you’re dealing with a large
aggressive animal.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">But
Derry said Poodie was anything but aggressive. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">“She’s
a big baby,” said Derry, who just tied the knot last Monday. “Of course she’s a
big dog, but she was a really sweet, humble-type dog. She was very friendly and
playful.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Derry’s
husband, Dwayne, said cops came onto the scene with their guns drawn. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">“Why
are they going in the back with their guns drawn from the beginning?” he
questioned. “What is your purpose of going in the back of someone’s house with
your gun drawn?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Dwayne
Derry said they could have ordered Poodie to stop. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">“She
likes to play,” he said. “When she sees people, she jumps up wanting to play
because she’s a playful dog, but shooting her three times was unnecessary.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">The
Derrys suggested cops could have pepper-strayed Poodie or shot in the air. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">“They
claimed she came at him, but even if that’s the case, he could have shot in the
air or shot her in the leg,” Oweeda Derry said. “Why shoot her in her chest and
shoot her twice times in the back?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Describing
proper procedure, Jones explained when a dog is charging, they often move fast.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">“If
a situation is occurring and shots are fired within a second, it’s not a matter
of knowing that you hit a dog and that’s the end of it,” he said. “You got to
stop the threat.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Jones
ruled out other possible uses of force against the animal. The captain said
neither officer was carrying a Taser, but it wouldn’t have mattered anyway. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">“That’s
generally not too effective on a charging animal,” Jones saidPepper spray is
clearly not effective on most dogs.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">In
the end, Jones said situations like this are a matter of officer safety. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">“If
they’re there legally serving a warrant on the premises and somebody has a dog
that is not controlled, it might be a situation where it’s just simply a matter
of officer safety,” he said. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">As
of Wednesday night, the Derrys said they were still awaiting a call back from
the state trooper on the scene to obtain a police report<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492584464655569835.post-17692260587325504302014-05-12T13:29:00.003-07:002014-05-12T13:29:22.501-07:00Police shoot dog in yard during search<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Witnesses
say 12-year-old male pitbull inside fenced yard was not lunging, growling or
barking.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Police
shot a dog Tuesday in North Toledo while executing a search warrant with the
SWAT team.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">People
at the scene said officers shot Schrecongost’s 12-year-old male pitbull that
had been inside the fenced yard when police arrived.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Police
allegedly shot the dog — which onlookers said was not lunging, growling, or
barking — from the sidewalk in front of the house before entering the gate.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Police
officials could not be reached for comment later Tuesday, but department policy
states, “Officers may use a firearm to destroy a dangerous animal that poses an
immediate threat to the officer or others.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">The
dog did not die on the scene, but people there said it was shot twice with a
shotgun and suffered significant jaw and shoulder injuries. The dog was taken
to a veterinary hospital to be euthanized and was then buried in the yard with
neighbors’ help.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492584464655569835.post-58428865310737200992014-05-12T13:28:00.002-07:002014-05-12T13:28:35.712-07:00Cop Who Killed Beloved Dog Indicted Could Face Jail Time After Grand Jury Indictment<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">By
Dominic Kelly<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Last
month, Opposing Views told you about Jerrod Dooley, the Texas cop who fatally
shot a dog while responding to a home invasion. Now, a grand jury has indicted
the former sheriff’s deputy on an animal cruelty charge that could land him in
jail.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Dooley,
a 32-year-old Rains County officer, was immediately fired from the department
following the incident. Cole Middleton, owner of the beloved dog named Candy,
took to social media to share his story after his dog was killed. Middleton
says that he called the police to report that his home had been broken into and
items had been stolen, but when Dooley arrived, the officer fired shots through
the back of Candy’s head, going through her eyes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">“I
was so upset,” said Middleton. “I went over there to her and she was still
alive and I begged and pleaded with him to please shoot her again because I
don’t have any firearms. They got stolen. He went and got in his vehicle and
backed out of my driveway. And then I had to do the unthinkable, the otherwise
unthinkable. I had to kill my dog with my bare hands and put her out of her
suffering, praying for this to be over with.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">From
the start, Dooley claimed that the dog had charged towards him and that he was
left with no choice but to shoot it, but a veterinarian confirmed that the dog
was shot behind its head, so she had to have had her back turned to him when
the shots were fired.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Dooley
was promptly fired and within just a couple of weeks, a grand jury indicted him
on animal cruelty charges that could land him in jail. His attorney Pete
Schulte says that the charges are too harsh and they are hoping to be able to
provide a clear vision of what happened on the day of the incident once they
are in court.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">"This
is clearly a political knee jerk reaction by the DA in Rains County and there’s
no chance that this case will stand up in court," said Schulte. "It’s
a legal impossibility because he was acting within the scope of his employment
as a public servant. We look forward to our day in court. They indicted him
within two weeks. That never happens.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Dooley
insists that he did what he had to do and says that the attention this story
has received has been overwhelming.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">“I
can’t go to the grocery store without being recognized, pointed at, laughed
at," said Dooley. "Can't pay my water bill without hearing my name,
saying 'There's the sorry cop that killed the dog.’”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492584464655569835.post-77042923411430401552014-04-29T11:30:00.001-07:002014-04-29T11:30:08.406-07:00Cop Dog Killers: Cop Tries to Shoot Dog, Ends Up Shooting Himself<a href="http://copdogkillers.blogspot.com/2014/04/cop-tries-to-shoot-dog-ends-up-shooting.html?spref=bl">Cop Dog Killers: Cop Tries to Shoot Dog, Ends Up Shooting Himself</a>: Adan Salazar A California sheriff’s deputy is feeling the sting of humiliation after he attempted to shoot a fenced-in dog, but failed,...Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492584464655569835.post-54386376118441499552014-04-29T11:29:00.007-07:002014-04-29T11:29:57.536-07:00Cop Dog Killers: Sicko cop shoots Texas man’s dog on sight<a href="http://copdogkillers.blogspot.com/2014/04/sicko-cop-shoots-texas-mans-dog-on-sight.html?spref=bl">Cop Dog Killers: Sicko cop shoots Texas man’s dog on sight</a>: An East Texas man is sad and furious after a sheriff’s deputy shot his dog, Candy, without provocation. The shot did not kill the dog i...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com