Police kill dog while stopping at wrong house on alarm call

Milwaukee Sentinel Journal ^ | April 30, 2004 | REID J. EPSTEIN

[Iris7]

My last dog died a while back, and I can't face a new puppy yet. But, when I opened the front door with Jack in the house, it was always only about two inches. If I was going to open the door I would put old Jack - a very sweet dog, miss him - in the garage. No garage door openers, either, and on purpose. I almost never let Jack off of the leash, also. I did this stuff for Jack's protection.

That is the world, that is the way things are.

[Terry Mross]

These cops are stupid. All of them. They get a call that a burglary is in progress and they go up and knock on the door. Then they he shoots three times before he hits any thing. The homeowner is lucky him or his kids didn't get shot. Everyone from the chief on down should be fired and the city should be sued for hiring these keystone kops.

[Joe Hadenuf]

Our local cop maced my dog when he came to take a report on the wifes stolen bike. We all know how deadly those jack russel terriers are.

That's sad.....Hey at least they didn't shoot you're little dog to death, with bullets ricocheting all over the neighborhood.

[freeeee]

As any other group, it is comprised of individuals - some good some bad. Unfortunately, given their current behavior taken as a whole, and their ability to do any number of slimy things and get away with it (and they know it), before you have a chance to estimate the demeanor of the individual(s) you are dealing with, it is best to assume the worst.

And the mentality lately has gone from "peace officer" to "law enforcement". The two are not the same.

That said, some of them are fine human beings. And some not so fine...

[Cyclops08]

THE GOOD NEWS:
Here on FR there was a peice where the USSC allows for lawsuits against individual police officers.

[freeeee]

I'm sorry for your loss of Jack. I also lost my greatest friend a while ago. It hurts - a lot.

New dogs certainly helped me quite a bit. And rescues for some reason are the best. You save each other in a way.

[Centurion2000]

F*ck the police.

Well said.

[Joe Hadenuf]

If the postal workers and meter readers are smart enough to recognize a threatening dog vs. a friendly dog, then why can't the cops use the same sense? Macing a JRT, what an idiot. My mail carrier and meter readers always have treats and my dog loves them!

Very good point. Postal workers are exposed to many more dogs, and they just spray the aggressive ones with mace. I saw a PW do this one time, and the dog was stopped cold, and turned and ran, but was still alive.

[Dawgmeister]

Now, now...wouldn't we all feel safer if only the police had guns? Hmmmmm?

[azhenfud]

"And rescues for some reason are the best."

After the death of my dog, Cindy, I was ready to fill that void about a year later and trucked off to the local animal control shelter. There, it is said, they euthanize animals on Fridays and I went there on Wednesday. There was a litter of six puppies of about eight weeks old and I especially fell in love with one. They don't honor "holds" and rather than getting him that day, I went back home to discuss the new addition with my wife, and we decided I'd return the next day to get my pick.

When I returned, all but one was gone - and I just couldn't allow Friday to find the little fellow there. When my wife saw him, she said "that's definitely NOT the dog you'd told me about". He's one of the best dogs I've ever been fortunate to master...

[Centurion2000]

how would you feel if you opened the door to see officers standing their with their guns pulled?

Been there, done that.

Had a friend who decided that marketing recreational pharmaceuticals was a valid business model for profit. He listed my house as his home and the Fugitive Retrieval Unit paid me a visit.

[clamper1797]

My best friend is a retired US Marshall ... you should hear him talk about todays "peace officer" ... it ain't very nice. My other good friend is a retired San Jose Vice cop .... he has basically the same opinion as my other friend. My other very good friend (and drinking buddy) is an active duty Contra Costa county sheriff and training officer. You should hear his stories. According to these quite experienced and qualified sources ... Law enforcement has evolved into ...

1. Tax collection / government revenue enhancement via tickets and drug busts
2. Report writing for insurance companies
3. Drugs busts (for true purpose of these ... see #1)
4. and a few other activities that allow the cops to act like ...

a. Assault / Shock troops
b. Cowboys at the OK corral
c. Gestapo agents (show me you papers)
d. Jack Booted Thugs

As far as I'm concerned ... the recent mindset of members of law enforcement and especially their "them against us" attitude and the oft cited wholesale disregard of the Constitution displayed by an increasingly large percentage of those who are involved in law enforcement (and government in general) makes me wonder who the real enemy is.

[freeeee]

Sorry for your Cindy, and thanks for brightening my day with your story!

[Centurion2000]

because I'd be in jail for beating the living s*** out of this dumbass cop.

No, you'd be in the morgue after the rest of them shot you to death for taking one aggressive step towards the cop.

[theDentist]

A good question. Letter carriers and (some) meter readers have some sprays in case a dog charges. I don't know how effective they are.

Any lawyers out there who'd like to answer the general question: at what point is a policeman allowed to fire upon a dog?

[freeeee]

< shudder, shakes head sadly >

[Trinity_Tx]

"Postal workers are exposed to many more dogs, and they just spray the aggressive ones with mace. I saw a PW do this one time, and the dog was stopped cold, and turned and ran, but was still alive."

That is what makes me livid about all these (far too many) cop-shoots-dog stories. I don't blame a cop or anyone else for defending themselves, but these guys keep doing two things that are inexcusable:

1. They don't educate themselves to distinguish between real and slight threats
2. They use bullets when mace would do.

I'm a small lightweight, but had this happened in my home, these guys woulda had to peel me off and tend to some serious face scratches and gonadal bruising I'd have inflicted til they cuffed me.

...makes my blood boil. Big sissies.

[Don Joe]

I do not like this situation either, folks, but the reality is that the police officer is utterly in the clear on this one. If you believe your life is in danger self defense is allowed, and a dog has no civil rights whatever. Proportionality is not an issue. Nothing illegal has occurred.

Hmm... If "you" believe your life is in danger, it's OK to summarily execute the other guy's dog, eh? But only if "you" are the police.

You really should have been more specific in your statement.

[StoneColdGOP]

No, you'd be in the morgue after the rest of them shot you to death for taking one aggressive step towards the cop

Fine then the rest of them could get axed after shooting an unarmed, sober civilian in his own home. Everybody wins.

[Heyworth]

This law abiding citizen is quite disturbed by the LEO crop these days.

Hey, I've said it for years: People who want to be cops tend to be the last people I want doing the job.

Same goes for politicians, by the way.