Cop Dog Killers

Alabama Cop Shoots Two Family Dogs, Kills One And Injures Second

By Khier Casino

An Alabama police officer shot two dogs, killing one and injuring a second, after entering a closed backyard while searching for trespassers.

Mark and Lynn Yeager, of Mobile, Ala., buried one of their dogs after seeing the officer shoot him in their yard, FOX10tv.com reports.

“I understand that they’re trying to do their job. My dog was trying to do his job and there has to be a happy medium,” said Mark Yeager. “I don’t think they used good common sense.”

According to police, officials apprehended two individuals near Murphy High School who ultimately fled. Officers say they were pursuing the suspects and eventually went into the Yeager’s yard, awakening the two pets who they say were aggressive toward the officers.

“I saw the policeman backing up with his gun pointed – heard two shots,” said Yeager. “I went ballistic. I mean I couldn’t believe it. He lay there about 15 minutes and I sat there and petted him and talked to him till he died.”

Kevin Kelly has been identified as the Mobile Police Department officer who fatally shot the homeowner’s dog, according to LagniappeMobile.com.

Mobile police and Internal Affairs both responded, and investigations are being conducted into the shooting of Yeager’s dogs.

The other dog, Bovidea, was shot in the ear. The Yeager’s are focusing on the surviving dog’s recovery.

"Common sense will tell you to knock on the door of the residence and let them know that there was some people running around that could be dangerous. If they had done that then at that point in time I would have told them never to come into my backyard or I could've got the dogs inside where they belong in their kennels, and everything would have been fine," Yeager told local CBS affiliate WKRG-TV.

The Yeagers are not happy with what police are telling them and they are left with questions they want answered. They intend to write a letter to the city councilman and the Mobile Police Chief.

According to FOX10 News, police eventually arrested the suspects.

Friend says police shooting of dogs unwarranted

By B.J. Williams Editor

Phantom is the 2-year-old male dog shot and killed Monday by Toccoa police

TOCCOA - A Lavonia woman who is a part-owner of one of the dogs shot and killed by Toccoa police on Monday said the shooting of the animals was uncalled for.

Cindy Smith said in an interview Thursday the two dogs - who were pit bulls - were gentle animals. She and her husband breed pit bulls, and have done so for about 15 years, and she said the young dogs killed Monday were two that she had raised from pups.

She believes the only reason Phantom, the male dog, and Tsunami, the female, attacked a neighbor's dog was because the smaller animal came onto an enclosed front porch where the pit bulls lived. Smith said she knows the dogs were in a secured area at the time of the incident.

"Their front porch has a railing around it as well as a gate on the front porch that has to be opened from the inside," said Smith. "The neighbor's dog, who was not contained - and he does not have a fence - his dog wandered onto their property onto the porch...and it was eating their dogs' food."

Thus, said Smith, the two pit bulls protected their property.

Smith said when her friend, whom she chose not to name, arrived home for lunch, Toccoa police had already shot and killed both dogs. Smith said she thinks the officers overreacted.

"They [the police] should have sat in their car because the dogs were on their property. They should have waited until the owners got home to take care of the matter instead of shooting the dogs."

Toccoa Police Chief Tim Jarrell said in a statement that the officers fired on the two dogs when the animals failed to respond to voice commands to stop attacking the smaller dog. He said the officers reported the two animals charged at them. (See link to earlier story below.)

The owners of Phantom and Tsunami face several charges from animal control officers, and Smith said she doesn't feel that's fair, especially since the owner of the smaller dog that wandered onto the porch faces no charges for his pet roaming free.

"I feel like they [police] shot because of what they are [pit bulls]," said Smith. "If it had been a lab or a retriever or any other kind of breed, I think they would have done anything in their power to not have to shoot the animals."

Smith said she isn't sure if her friends will try to register any kind of complaint against the Toccoa Police Department, but she said her goal in speaking out was simply to tell the other side of the story. She said if her friends do wind up going to court, she plans to organize a rally to support them.

"If and when they have a court date, if these charges do not get dropped...I'm hoping to get enough people to come to the courthouse with their pit bulls to do kind of like a peaceful protest to raise awareness that these dogs are being portrayed as something they're not."

Family says El Paso police officer shoots their three-legged dog

By: Stacey Welsh

EL PASO, Texas -- An east El Paso family said an officer from the El Paso Police Department shot their pit bull when responding to their home last week.

Owner Deborah Hawthorne said she doesn't understand why an officer would shoot at her dog, Gracie, because she was already missing a leg after being hit by a car. Gracie did survive the shooting.

"She's handicapped. She's not a threat. She can't charge really. She never has charged," Hawthorne said.

Hawthorne said this all started when her husband got into an argument with someone else earlier that night. Because she said her husband was holding a knife, that person reported it to the police.

She said she is also upset the shooting happened in front of her 11-year-old daughter.

"When [the police officer] discharged that weapon, it ricochet off the concrete and the house. It almost went through my daughter's legs. It was right there at the door so she could have been hit," Hawthorne said.

Hawthorne said two officers responded to her home, and one fired at Gracie. The shot hit her in her only back paw.

"I saw the officer in the yard. He was off in an angle to the house in the shadows. I saw a flash and the smoke come up and that's when I saw Gracie crawling toward me," Hawthorne said.

She also said the officers did not identify themselves.

"I asked them at least five times what their names were and what their badge numbers were. They did not talk to me. They refused to tell me anything about my husband," Hawthorne said.

The El Paso Police Department said it won't comment on the case now because it's still under investigation.

"As in all cases where an El Paso police officer discharges their weapon, these cases are thoroughly investigated by the Department’s Shooting Review Team. This case is assigned to the Internal Affairs Division," El Paso Police Department spokesman Detective Darrel Petry said in a statement.

Hawthorne said she also plans to file charges against the Police Department.

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Cop Dog Killers: Take away the cops guns

Take away the cops guns

Family outraged after Boise police officer shoots and kills dog

BOISE – A Boise family is outraged over the death of their 5-year-old dog. Sunday afternoon, a Boise Police officer fired his weapon at the dog, killing it.
For years, Gabrielle Stropkai found companionship in her dog, Kita, calling her a lover and a friend for her son Hayden to grow up with.
“We have kids who run up and pull her tail and grab her by the back of the neck and get in her face and she does nothing but love on them,” said Stropkai.
However, as two Boise patrol officers were investigating a theft that was reported in the area of Woodlawn and 28th Sunday afternoon they felt threatened by Kita.
According to Boise police spokesman, Charles McClure, Kita began running toward them and the officers felt forced to protect themselves.
Neighbors, like Bryan Adams were outside at that time and saw it happen.
Stropkai tells KTVB she let Kita outside to use the bathroom and she was in her sight when the officer made an instant decision.
“In about five seconds he pulled his weapon, asked whose dog it was, and shot her in the back of the head,” said Stropkai.
Stropkai explains her two year old son Hayden was also witness to the shooting.
“Hayden was outside, about two feet away from me,” said Stropkai's mother, Michelle Pierott.
McClure said the two officers were standing in a parking lot when one decided to fire a single shot at the dog when it came within three feet of them.
Kita, a mixed breed, was hit and died at the scene.
“By the time I came out she was down, (I) ran over and looked back and said you just shot her,” said Pierott. “Kita wouldn't have attacked.”

Dog found shot, left for dead was euthanized

A dog found shot and left for dead in a field in East St. Louis on Wednesday was euthanized Thursday afternoon by St. Clair County Animal Control.

According to witnesses, the black-and-white pit bull mix named Domino was shot by an East St. Louis police officer Tuesday while responding to a call for an eight-year-old boy that had been bitten by the dog.

The boy reportedly had been pelting the dog with rocks.

Domino was rushed to a St. Louis animal hospital by Gateway Pet Guardians, who by law had to turn the dog over to St. Clair County Animal Control, which has jurisdiction in bite cases.

300-pound officer felt threatened by 12-pound terrier, killed her

A Georgia police officer shot and killed a tiny Jack Russell Terrier that he claims threatened him during a routine probationary checkup on Monday.
The officer, Antoine Jones, is over six feet tall and weighs nearly 300 pounds. Patches, the dog he killed, weighs just 12 pounds, according to a local news channel.
Jones visited the Albany residence of Cherrie Shelton earlier this week to check on her son, who is serving probation. Upon Jones’s arrival, two-year-old Patches approached the officer and began barking. Shelton claims she told Jones that Patches was no threat, but the officer drew his weapon and shot the dog anyway.
“A little dog like that, you could stomp your feet or kick her out of the way or something, but he just shot her,” said Shelton in a statement.
After being shot, Patches fled and hid, eventually succumbing to her wounds.
According to Jones’s statement, Patches advanced toward him in a threatening manner even after receiving “multiple verbal commands to get back.”
But Shelton said this was not Jones’s first visit to the home, and the officer should have known that Patches was harmless.
Shelton buried Patches, and has plans to buy a cross to mark her grave. The dog is missed, she said.
“It’s kind of hard right now, but I guess we’ll have to adjust,” she said.
The state Department of Corrections did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Dog killing cop acquitted; community outraged

The Colorado police officer responsible for the death of a family dog named Chloe has been acquitted by a jury, the Denver Post reported October 3.
An Adams County jury deliberated for around three hours on Wednesday before handing down their verdict: Commerce City Police Officer Robert Pricewas acquitted. Examiner reporter Penny Eims covered the story here.
Price had been on paid leave since the November 24,2012 incident.
What image has this verdict projected for other cases yet to go to trial? This was a "special" case, where fortunately there was video evidence of everything that happened at Chloe's home that fateful afternoon.
The video showed how Chloe was secured on a catch pole, yet officer Price decided to end her life.
Prosecutors argued that officers who testified that Chloe was vicious and aggressive couldn't be trusted because the video showed Chloe as frightened and submissive.
Defense attorneys had another story to tell. They said a video showing five minutes of a half hour confrontation with Chloe wasn't enough to show she wasn't aggressive. They reportedly showed still images from the video showing Chloe moving toward the officers.
Chloe was on the end of a catch pole. How close could she have gotten at the end of a long stick? Why was it necessary to shoot this dog not once, but five times, resulting in her death?
Arica Bores, the female officer shown with only one hand on the catch pole to control Chloe, later testified she had no control over the dog.
This is a case where video should have brought justice for Chloe. Instead, it has shown how unfair our justice system can be. Unfortunately, the acquittal may clear officers facing the same charges in the future, since a picture (or video) obviously ISN'T worth a thousand words.
Chloe's guardian Gary Branson commented on the verdict saying
"In my opinion he was guilty, but the jury saw it different and we have to live with that."
We all have to live with that decision along with Gary. Dog lovers have to live with the fact more officers will likely be cleared of any wrongdoing, based on this verdict. And the jurors will have to live with future acquittals for the same crime, based on the outcome of the case where, thanks to them, justice for Chloe clearly was not served.
Based on the video presented here, what do the readers believe the outcome should have been? Your comments are welcome.

Dog allegedly shot by police, left for dead

EAST ST. LOUIS, MO (KTVI)– For a young, black-and-white pit bull mix, just the right person came driving by at just the right time Wednesday afternoon.
Otherwise, the dog some assumed to be dead might actually be dead.
The trouble began Tuesday afternoon when police were called to the 900 block of East Broadway in East St. Louis after the dog bit an eight-year-old boy, who witnesses claim had been throwing rocks at him.
‘The dog came across the street and the next thing you heard was pop, pop, pop,’ said Cynthia Wilson, who witnessed the shooting and claims the shots were fired by an East St. Louis police officer.
The dog was apparently left for dead.
“It`s really sad because they didn`t have to shoot the dog,” said witness Paula Hamilton. “They could have just called the dog catcher.”
Luckily, the executive director of Gateway Pet Guardians, which feeds stray dogs in East St. Louis, was driving through the area Wednesday afternoon, and just happened to see the struggling dog in a field almost 24 hours after being shot.
With the help of her husband who had been in the truck with her, they patiently and gently rescued the dog and rushed him to Hillside Animal Hospital in St. Louis.
Neighbors watching the rescue became so angry, police were called to calm the crowd.
Fox 2 News overheard an officer wearing a hat reading ‘Asst. Chief’ on the phone shouting at someone about the incident.
“We should have down something proper. How do we shoot a dog and leave a damn dog in a field?” the officer asked. “And you wonder why these people say the (expletive) they say about us.”
X-rays of the dog, who the rescuers named Colt, as in the gun maker, reveal he was hit by two shots; one in the shoulder, and one in the head, though it appears the bullet did not penetrate the skull into his brain.
“He was fighting us to get in the car so he has got some oomph left in him,” said Jaime Case, Executive Director of Gateway Pet Guardians. “I am hopeful all those things mean he is on his way to recovery.”
The director of St. Clair County Animal Control, Jim Jacquot, says the grandmother of the boy who was bitten told investigators she thought the dog was dead but wasn`t sure where to find its body. That left doctors little choice but to begin rabies treatments on the child.
Now that the dog has been found alive, the dog can be quarantined for several days to determine if it is rabid. If the dog does not survive the shooting, brain tissue tests can quickly reveal the rabies status of the dog. If the dog is found not to be rabid, the boy may not have to complete the rest of the five shot treatment.
The dog had been microchipped, so investigators know the name of its owner, who is from Belleville.
If the dog survives, and is healthy, authorities will determine whether he is vicious. If so, he may be euthanized. If not, he could be returned to the owner, or put up for adoption.

Trial starts for Commerce City officer who shot, killed dog Chloe

BRIGHTON — Were it not for a cellphone video taken by a 12-year-old boy, Commerce City police Officer Robert Price "would have gotten away with" shooting a dog, prosecutors said Monday during opening arguments in his trial for felony animal cruelty.
But Price, 36, had no choice but to shoot and kill 3-year-old Chloe when he responded to a potentially uncontrolled dog, defense attorneys will argue.

If Price is convicted of felony aggravated cruelty to animals, his law enforcement career will be over because he would no longer be eligible for state police officer certification.
The shooting occurred just after noon Nov. 24, when a large, 3-year old mixed-breed dog named Chloe was reported wandering in a Commerce City neighborhood. The dog was being cared for by her owner's relatives and had escaped the garage. Neighbors called police because they didn't recognize the dog.
Price was one of two cover officers assisting animal control officer Arica Bores. The dog was sitting in the driveway where she was staying. But because police did not know where Chloe lived and were unable to locate the residents of the home, they decided to capture the dog.
After the dog was on a catchpole and had been Tased twice, police said she was still out of control. That is when Price shot the dog.

Bores, who was first to respond to the call, testified Monday that the dog was aggressive from the moment she arrived.
"The dog was barking, growling and the hair on its back was standing," Bores testified Monday.
Because she was alone at first, Bores said she didn't even get out of her truck, choosing instead to yell "bad dog" and "go home" at the dog.
That is when Bores followed the dog to the home where it had been staying and where the incident unfolded.
Bores also testified the dog lunged at Price just before he used his Taser.
The incident was captured on camera and attracted national attention from animal rights groups.
Commerce City police turned over the investigation of the case to the Adams County district attorney. The police department also asked for an independent review by the Douglas County sheriff of the incident and the department's practices and policies regarding animal incidents.