a theft that was reported in the area of Woodlawn and 28th
Sunday afternoon they felt threatened by Kita.
Posted on 10/25/2013 5:06:22 PM PDT by nickcarraway
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.
“She was walking by and went 'ruff ruff' just a couple of little ruffs and that's when she was walking by she didn't jump at him or anything,” explained Adams.
Other witnesses to the incident described the dog as barking and snarling at officers as it approached them.
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.”
However, the Boise Police Department disagrees. In a statement issued Sunday evening by the department Deputy Chief Pete Ritter had this to say.
"Officers never want to harm an animal. The dog came upon the officers quickly and they felt it was about to bite them. This is a very dog friendly community. Many officers have dogs. We work with dogs. Dogs running loose are a safety risk, for people and for the dogs. This was a very unfortunate situation for everyone involved."
The family believes the officer acted too fast and although an investigation was launched, the biggest worry on their minds is Kita’s six two-week old puppies.
“Now we are going to have to figure out how to keep them alive... without her,” said Pierott. The City of Boise does have a leash ordinance; dog owners are required to keep their dogs on leash, except in specified areas.
It's lucky these wimps didn't find the thief they were investigating. They would have crapped in their britches.
Shoot cops that shoot dogs.
In other words, this is the way it is. If the peasants don't like it, too bad. hell with them. What can they do about it?
Someone isn’t telling the truth. If the officer did indeed shoot the dog in the back of the head, he probably wasn’t about to get bitten.
It might have jumped up on them and licked them.
>>well as long as he went home safe
I hope his kids didn’t startle him when he got home. Those high-strung cops seem to shoot anything that moves these days (for officer safety, of course).
Maybe cops should be better trained to think a bit more first.
Don’t forget the kid the other day in California and the former Marine in Arizona, I believe it was. The old man in Texas. The difference is these were human lives that were taken.
These cops are going to run up on somebody one day that is not so understanding about killing their dog.
Cops should have to eat their kills.
“Cops are becoming fascist monsters.”
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I say jack-booted thugs. I noticed it over ten years ago, before I left the USSA.
Even in small bedroom communities and towns, thugs were being hired to be cops. I think they are watching too many movies that now show most cops with big guns and dressed in riot gear.
LOL!
Well, not really....
“Officers never want to harm an animal.”
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Right. That’s why they shoot anything that moves. Kids, elderly, baby deer in a backyard, squirrel in a retail store, whatever they can get away with. The problem is these thugs get away with it. Filth. Flame on bootlickers.
This country needs smarter, less peckerheaded cops.
That's just sad that we have become this.
They need more lawsuits or video evidence or something, I’m not holding out for clever. Hopefully this family will be outraged enough to act on it.
“US cops sometimes rob people on the street.”
I hate that sort of thing. It is devastating to a civil society.
Small consolation, but it is declining as more people wear recording devices.
One of the most important decisions of the Courts will be to confirm that it is a first amendment right to record police in the performance of their public duties.
"Shoot 'em," Bruneio yelled before a shot rang out and Lasso fell to the ground."
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