Troopers Shoot, Kill Fenced-In Dog Serving Warrant Next Door

NBC-10 ^ | 11/13/2007

[Malacoda]

CHESTER TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- Pennsylvania State Police shot a family's fenced-in pet to death Tuesday.

Troopers later admitted they weren't supposed to be in that yard in the first place.

State troopers were in the neighborhood, trying to serve a warrant on someone. They sent a couple of extra troopers around to guard the back door. Those officers, however, cut through a neighbor's yard, and that's when they came across Sheeba, a very protective family dog, NBC 10's Tim Furlong reported.

"She was doing her job. That's what she does, she protects us," said DiQuan Dill said.

DiQuan and his five brothers and sisters got the bad news when they got home from school Tuesday that their Belgian shepard was killed in their back yard.

Their mom was there when it happened.

"I was in there laying down and, all of a sudden, I heard gunfire -- about five or six rounds," Denise Dill said.

But what disturbed the family most was that state police killed Sheeba.

"When I came to the door, they were actually next door, and I said, 'What's the matter? Who shot my dog?' And he was like, 'Your dog bit me.' I said, 'What are you doing in the yard?' And he said, 'We're looking for this guy over here.' I said, 'Why did you have to shoot the dog?' He said, 'She bit me.' I said, 'Why you didn't just get out of the yard?'"

Denise's fiancée was devastated, and she said the kids were even more upset.

"She was always happy. I don't know why they did that. She was always joyful, running around, everything," DiQuan said.

The bitten state trooper was recovering from puncture wounds to his hand.

A lieutenant at his barracks admitted the trooper should never have cut through the yard in the first place. He told NBC 10 the troopers never saw or heard the dog in the yard but that, either way, troopers are not supposed to cut through private property to serve out a warrant at another house.

"He obviously panicked, you know, and messed up," Dill said.

She got business cards from the troopers on scene, and she said one trooper apologized.

But an apology can't bring Sheeba back to the kids who grew up with her.

"We got dog food and everything, and we don't have anyone to give it to. We don't got nothing," Dill said.

State police said they do apologize and will compensate the family for their loss, Furlong reported. The man they came to get was taken into custody on pretty minor charges, Furlong said.

[Zack Attack]

"She was doing her job. That's what she does, she protects us," said DiQuan Dill said.

Who proofreads this stuff?

[El Gato]

Did you vote for "Ma Richards"?

You haven't met Valerie, have you? I can assure you she's not the Ma Richards type. I met her, the first time, in Crawford and the follow up in Waco. She wasn't one of The Ditch Witches, she was out there supporting the troops, and their mission. Took some nice pictures of the affair too. These are from the Second Crawford Rally Including this one of someone you'll probably recognize:

That's your's truly in the background in the green T shirt, which is pretty much all of me you can see. :)

Sir, you best apologize to the lady. That Ma Richards comment is one heck of insult to the likes of her.

[supercat]

Actually the bull is said to service, the cow, not serve her.

Picky picky. I know, to be correct the slogan should be "To protect and to service", but I'm not the one who made it up.

[MtnClimber]

“Any more questions about where I stand on the issue of Man-VS-Dog?

Maybe you would like to know how many stray dogs I put down for chasing cattle..”

Seems an invite to cow haters. Anyone who wonders through your back 40 uninvited, decides they are frightened of cattle and starts shooting them because humans are better than bovines is OK to go? Your fault for having them! Maybe you want to kill citizens just for eliminating terrifying cows? For shame!

[El Gato]

Picky picky.

These days, I get paid to be picky. It carries over to here.

[eldoradude]

The desire to kill cops runs high here on FR.

Have to disagree with you there. Freepers almost universally support good cops, like the ones you consider friends.

But clearly they have few friends here.

Not for the bozos who shot the dog on this thread.

Some of my good friends are cops, too. The previous Sheriff is a good friend, and he never considered the public, the civilians, to be outsiders. He never tolerated and did not cover for f%$kups like these guys. The current Sheriff is a lot younger though, the 'new breed' that considers every non-cop they meet who is not a victim to be a potential enemy.

Good cops need to start reversing that trend. Good citizens and law enforcement should be complementary, and LEOs should exemplify and be held accountable to a higher standard. Unfortunately, too many law enforcement leaders today stonewall anything that paints their officers in a bad light, and these same weak leaders seem to think that LEOs should have the same quasi above the law status that Democrat politicians and celebrities have.

Freepers have standards and a sense of right and wrong, unlike so many at DU. I think that may be one reason why the reaction to 'cops gone wild' stories is so strong.

BTW, I used to be a cop in LaClede Town, in St. Louis. Got stabbed, shot at, domestic disputes daily, and saved a few lives too...all for the princely sum of $1484.00 a month before taxes.

[Gilbo_3]

So shooting Police Officers is OK?

Only the ones that need shootin...

[Gilbo_3]

I think most conservatives would be in favor of those who stand up to protect and serve.

correct, most conservatives would back em up in a heartbeat.

OTOH most conservatives will shoot criminals.

My case is made by the bulk of posters here.

Mine too...

[azhenfud]

Time to pile animal rights activists on the cops.

[JLS]

You are being too kind on this one. I bet the training did not include tresspassing on private property and other crimes. These officers certainly should be prosecuted for these actions.

[JLS]

Shame on anyone trying to justify any death of an Officer of the law over a Dog.

What are your talking about? People here were talking about shooting a criminal. Now I am not sure I agree with them. BUT THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT SHOOTING AN ARMED CRIMIAL. And yes you are a CRIMINAL when you break the law. You know the law against tresspass. Or perhaps the law against tresspass and destruction of private property. It does not matter if you have cute little badge and a cute little uniform. YOU ARE STILL A CRIMINAL WHEN YOU BREAK THE LAW. But that is really the problem, police thinking they are above the law.

[Natural Law]

The family deserves compensation, but the department’s giving someone else's (taxpayer) money away won’t deter this type of big gun, little dick behavior. People need to lose their jobs and pensions.

[geopyg]

“It’s just dog. We have bigger problems.”

---

You’re right, what to do with all that dog food:

“We got dog food and everything, and we don’t have anyone to give it to.”

[Sarajevo]

Hmmmmmmmm...Criminal trespass, negligent discharge of a weapon, destruction of private property.....these aren't LEO's, they are the criminals, pure and simple.

There is no need to wonder why those in that profession are called "PIGS". They think they are above the law.

[Brilliant]

“their dog means the same to them as their children”

If you think that way, then you’re nuts. I love my dog, but she is just a dog, afterall.

[from occupied ga]

Any cop messes with my dogs, dies. I fully expect I’ll die too. But that’s the deal.

Funny everyone talks big about this, but you never see anyone shoot it out with the cops over a dog (except maybe Ruby Ridge)

[Northern Alliance]

Yeah, I realize that. I phrased that badly.

[from occupied ga]

People need to lose their jobs and pensions.

Not going to happen. Cops almost NEVER face any consequences for killing innocent humans. Not even going to rate a blip on the radar for just killing a dog. You will find that if any inquery into this incident is made that they will "have followed departmental procedures" (funny isn't it that the rest of us have to follow laws, but all cops have to follow are "departmetnal procedures.")

[Wolfie]

Nonsense. The taxpayers gets hit hard enough in the wallet, they’ll make sure the assholes get booted off the force. Not the greatest system, but its the one we’ve got.