Posted on 10/27/2013 1:55:48 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Officials in a Tennessee city said a police officer was fired for shooting his gun and using pepper spray in an attempt to get a squirrel out of a dollar store. Mountain City Police Officer Jody Putnam went to a Dollar General in Johnson County on a report of a squirrel running loose in the store and police department records state the officer fired off his gun in an apparent attempt to kill or scare the animal, WJHL-TV, Johnson City, Tenn., reported Friday.
"Shooting back there, of course that should not have been, that should not have happened," property owner Carl Duffield said.
Duffield said Putnam's gunfire did not get rid of the squirrel, so the officer then used pepper spray while customers were still inside the store.
"There was a lot of people that come out and just like me they came out and they were coughing and a hacking it was comical," Duffield said, "but I'm sure they didn't feel that way, the customers that came out."
Police records said Putnam refused to fill out a report, which is required when an officer fires a service weapon.
"Through a violation of the police department policy Officer Jody Putnam's employment, as a Mountain City Police Officer, was terminated by the Board of Mayor and Alderman," Mountain City Mayor Lawrence Keeble said.
Putnam had been with the police department for five years and had previously served with the Johnson County Sheriff's Department for 14 years.
Maybe the squirrel was just in there because he clipped a bunch of coupons.
Most police departments have animal control.
Was the squirrel male or female?
This cop has to be a complete nitwit.
They should have called the “Turtle Man”.
think you are misreading it. He didn’t, “shoot a squirrel,” he discharged a firearm in a crowded store, then gassed it. He has poor judgement and risked a huge incident and many injuries, for what, a small animal?
LOL is that real?
Officer Tackleberry
At least he went home safe.
Flame thrower or hand grenades
Nice touch!
Traps, or rat traps with warfarin poison bait. Set out some water— the eat it, overdose and then get real thirsty, drink the water and their kidneys and heart burst. Works quite well, with rats too. this was one dumb guy— shooting at it with service pistol? Nutso. And the pepper spray— would fill the store, and put any asthmatics/elderly into spasms breathing.
THANK YOU. That was MY first thought. You hit the nail on the head!
That’s nuts.
Why are you trying to inflect your old, tradional views of sexuality on the poor squirrel?
But the squirrel could have had rabies or something, I guess.
You're probably right about this point.
Usually if the Cop and union rep lawyer say and do the right things after a shooting, it is impossible to fire the cop, and he gets plenty of paid vacation.
LOL, touché.
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