Dog owner upset after police shoot and kill Pit Bull

By Dan Lampariello

MILAN, Tenn. -- A pit bull shot and killed in Milan on Monday is stirring up controversy.

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.

Newtson says rather than killing the dog, the officer could have waited for animal control to respond.

"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."

Milan Police say they were called to the home because the dog had charged someone on the street.

"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."

Newtson says his dog has never done anything like this before.

"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."

Witness to the event Mary Dennie says the dog was ready to attack when police arrived.

"The police shot that dog right there at the mailbox," Dennie said. "Because that dog was after them."

Chief Sellers says he would have shot the dog as well if he was in the same position.

"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."

Another witness at the scene said the dog was just defending his territory and the police officer used excessive force.

Milan police have not been called to any incidents involving this dog before.

They have cited the dog's owner for owning a vicious dog and he is set to appear in court July 2.

Cop Shoots Dog In East Moline, Investigation Underway

The Rock Island County sheriff's office says it will take a look into a complaint of animal cruelty against one of its deputies.

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.

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.

A few minutes later she says she heard a gunshot.

"The dog got about as far as the passenger side door and collapsed and began to bleed profusely everywhere," she said.

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.

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.

Ardmore officer charged with poisoning domestic animals enters plea

By: Lauren Smith

ARDMORE, OK -- An Ardmore police officer, accused of killing his neighbor's dogs, was in court Wednesday.

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.

She said, "I think there were mixed emotions, just sad to watch her suffer and be so sick and not really know why"

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.

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"

She says she never purposefully let her dog roam the neighborhood out of sight.

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."

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"

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.

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."

The victim we spoke with says while her family pet cannot be replaced she chooses not harbor any resentment toward Antwine.

She said, "We as a family are forgiving people and we believe that grace and giving people second chances."

Ardmore Police Chief Ken Grace says Antwine remains on administrative leave pending the investigat

Cops Enter Home, Shoot Dog Dead, Rule It Justified

Adan Salazar

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.

Last Friday, Russell and Hope Lane didn’t close the door to their house properly, triggering their burglar alarm and a police response.

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.

“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?”

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.

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.

“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.”

The Lanes are now prepared to take their fight to federal court, alleging violations of their Fourth Amendment.

“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.

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.”

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.

Colorado cop faces six years in prison for fatally shooting elk

by Brent McCluskey

A former Colorado police officer was found guilty Tuesday of illegally killing an elk last year that he says had become aggressive.

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.

According to Daily Mail, defense attorney Marc Colin defended his client, saying Carter was only trying to protect the public.

“Sam Carter is not guilty of anything but trying to protect the citizens of Boulder from a nuisance elk,” Colin said.

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.

Carter also swapped text messages with a fellow officer about “hunting” for elk, texting one message that said, “He’s gonna die.”

Garnett said the community took the death of Big Boy hard, but added Carter’s covering it up was equally bad.

“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.

One person who frequently saw Big Boy, including the day he died, said the elk was completely docile.

“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.”

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.

Carter is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 29 and could face as much as six years in prison.

Louisiana police officer who shot Maine man’s dog charged with aggravated animal cruelty

By Abigail Curtis,

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.

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.

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.

Alyson Antoon, the attorney for itinerant Portland musician Brandon Carpenter, said that the grand jury made a quick decision after holding a hearing.

“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.”

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

“[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.”

Dog owner upset after police shoot and kill Pit Bull

By Dan Lampariello

MILAN, Tenn. -- A pit bull shot and killed in Milan on Monday is stirring up controversy.

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.

Newtson says rather than killing the dog, the officer could have waited for animal control to respond.

"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."

Milan Police say they were called to the home because the dog had charged someone on the street.

"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."

Newtson says his dog has never done anything like this before.

"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."

Witness to the event Mary Dennie says the dog was ready to attack when police arrived.

"The police shot that dog right there at the mailbox," Dennie said. "Because that dog was after them."

Chief Sellers says he would have shot the dog as well if he was in the same position.

"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."

Another witness at the scene said the dog was just defending his territory and the police officer used excessive force.

Milan police have not been called to any incidents involving this dog before.

They have cited the dog's owner for owning a vicious dog and he is set to appear in court July 2. 

Police Officer Shoots Dog at Close Range

By Sarah Glover

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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.

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.

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.

Rich Wolbert, public safety director in Beverly, issued a statement on behalf of the Beverly Police Department, which is investigating the incident.

Officers from Beverly, Edgewater Park, and Delanco Police Departments responded to

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.

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.

Police say the dog came toward the officers in an "aggressive manner and the animal was shot multiple times."

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.

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.

Ardmore police officer charged with poisoning domestic animals

ARDMORE, OK -- A sergeant with the Ardmore Police Department has been charged with poisoning domestic animals.

According to court papers filed Wednesday, Barry Antwine faces a misdemeanor charge of laying out poison for domestic animals.

Antwine allegedly put out antifreeze in a bowl on his property. Charges state he did so with the intent of poisoning his neighbors' dogs.

He's set to appear in court on June 11th.

Cops enter home on false alarm shoot house dog SEVEN TIMES …SEVEN TIMES

ROUND ROCK -- Two officers shot and killed a dog Friday after responding to a home alarm, according to the Round Rock Police Department.

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.

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.

Police considered the dog aggressive, and the dog made threatening actions towards the officers, police say.

One officer fired once, and another office fired six times. The dog was pronounced dead at the scene.

There were no sings of a burglary or indications of a forced entry, police say.

A commander with RRPD met at the police station with the home owner later in the day to explain the officers' actions.

Police, dog's owners at odds after officer shoots dog

By Dal Kalsi -

SIMPSONVILLE, SC (FOX Carolina) -

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.

Chief Keith Grounsell said the officer was responding to a call on Hudders Creek Way around 9 a.m. Monday when the shooting occurred.

Police received a call about a large rottweiler mix that was roaming the neighborhood and intimidating residents, Grounsell said.

Grounsell said this was the second call within 24 hours that officers had received about the dog.

"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."

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.

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.

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

"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."

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.

"I think that was a little excessive," Davenport said. "Especially for (the officer) to not actually kill it."

Bella's brother belongs to one of Davenport's friends in the neighborhood, Hunter Armstrong, who said Bella was not a vicious animal.

"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.

Grounsell said he was sorry the dog was killed, but that the officer made the right choice.

"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."

Grounsell said no charges would be filed against the owners since the dog died during the response.