Posted on 05/16/2013 6:02:08 AM PDT by Altariel
DACONO, Colo. — A Dacono family is demanding answers from police, after their support dog was shot when he got loose and ran toward a neighbor’s yard Sunday night.
Mongo, a 3-year-old pit bull puppy, is recovering from a gunshot wound to the chest, as his owner, James Vester, is hoping for an apology from Dacono Police.
“I didn’t think I would see that again. You see it in Iraq — and then you see your best friend here get shot,” said Vester, a Marine Corp. sniper, who says he got Mongo, a certified emotional support dog, to alleviate stress after returning from combat.
Vester said he was doing yard work, when Mongo got loose. Minutes later, a neighbor called police because Mongo began barking at her dogs from across a fence. Because Dacono’s animal control officer is off on Sunday’s, two police officers responded to the scene.
According to police reports, when the officers arrived, Mongo became aggressive, allegedly barking, growling and then lunging at an officer. That’s why when the officer opened fired, police said.
Despite the reports, several neighbors had a different take on what happened.
“There was no noise at first, I just heard the gunshot — then the dog started crying,” said Heather Viera, who said she opened her door, but was told to go back inside her home. “I had thought maybe it got hit by a car.”
Another neighbor, Jenny Stevens, was just a few hundred feet down the street, walking her two dogs, when she heard the shot fired.
“There was no barking. It was dead silent — There was not a bark, there wasn’t a growl,” said Stevens. “The cop did not say stop to the dog, the cop didn’t yell anything.”
We brought the neighbor’s accounts to the Dacono Police Chief Matthew B. Skaggs, who told us that an internal investigation was being conducted, but that according to the testimony of critical witnesses, the officers did folllow protocol.
“I think it is important to remember these things develop very quickly,” said Skaggs. “If you look in the report, the officer did say specifically that the dog got within six feet of him and at that point he felt like it was his only option.”
Though, Mongo’s owner finds that hard to believe.
“Now I don’t even know what to do, what to think, or how to react,” said Vester. “I just feel dead inside right now.”
The results of the internal investigation are still two weeks away. We’re told the officer who shot Mongo will not be placed on leave.
You are forgetting WHO the dog is providing emotional support for. A MARINE. Since Marines are all pit bulls named Mongo, it seems an excellent pairing.
Pits are terrific, loyal dogs for owners who can handle them.
Publik skuul of jernalizm’s awoard’s 4 the outher uv this artical.
Sorry, doggie lovers (of which I am one), but a pittie running towards me will not get the benefit of the doubt, given the breed’s history.
What has four legs and an arm? A happy pit bull...
Mexican/Paki/Obama mix?
Anyone else notice the guy is a USMC SNIPER? Not sure the cops are “doing him a solid” on this. Don’t know that I’d want to mess with a sniper.
And yeah, a pit for a therapy dog is a stretch, but then “therapy dogs” are at the discretion of the one requiring the therapy.
3 year old puppy pit bull
lmao
nice try.
If I was in the position of having to (very much in question in this case) shoot someone’s dog, one owned by a combat experienced US Marine Corps sniper with a diagnosed stress disorder would be just about last on my list.
Ummmmmm.... no.
Armed forces veterans are not wanted in cop schools. Too ethical and rational. As a matter of fact, most armed forces veterans are defacto emotionally unstable and should be banned from owning weapons if you believe Nan and Barb.
"A few hundred feed down the street," and she'd like everyone to believe that she'd heard a growl? Please.
Depends. There’s one in my neighbourhood which will, when it sees me coming, wait up (its owner lets it), present its butt to be patted, and then be all over my face sniffing and licking.
What the pit becomes is entirely what the owner makes it.
Of course, because the non-government employee is clearly lying about what she saw while walking her two dogs.
Precisely-—good owners train and raise good dogs, bad owners train and raise bad dogs.
Look at the number of ill-behaved small dogs in our society-—far too often when one of them displays aggressive or dominant behaviors, their owners will say “isn’t he cute? He’s so funny when he _____”.
Looks to me like he prefers hot dogs to tacos...
Yup. One of my neighbors had one when I was younger, and he was one of the nicest dogs I’d ever met.
You know what has the highest rate of bites/woundings that require surgery?
The chow.
I think they’re all secret democrats.
I’ve seen the video...unfortunately, it had to be done.
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