How is a dog owner responsible for the actions of a police officer? If the dog is rampaging and is the cause of the disturbance, then perhaps you may be right. But the majority - VAST majority - of these stories involves a dog who is in their own territory. That territory is invaded by the officer. The dog reacts in the way they are supposed to - by trying to protect their territory.
The officers should be subject to any and all available criminal charges whenever they shoot a pet that is not directly involved in the situation. If the officer crosses into the pet's territory, the officer should be liable unless the owner is given opportunity to handle the animal into a safer situation.
It matters not what the breed is - unless you are willing to condemn all for the actions of some. By that reasoning, there are certain ethnic groups that would be fair game amongst humans - and that is a decidedly unconservative stance that I am not willing to embrace. It is the same with canines.
I absolutely agree with you regarding property rights. However, if you choose to own a dog that will attack someone if they enter your property, you are potentially exposing yourself to a liability case. Whether you agree with the merits of that potential action is not in debate. It is a fact that if you have a dog that will bite someone, you better have a large Umbrella Insurance policy. This is why some insurance companies do not want to write a homeowners insurance policy if you own a American Staffordshire Terrier(pit bull), a Doberman Pinscher, A German Sheppard Dog, A Rottweiler, and a few others. I agree that it is not right to condemn an entire breed because of a few, but that is exactly what insurance companies are doing. In fact most a the pit bulls that have caused problems do not come from AKC registered breeders. They are taught to be mean from a young age. The fact remains that pit bulls were originally bred to fight bulls. They are a fighting dog. FYI, my daughter owns a Doberman Pinscher. It is one of the most intelligent dogs I have ever been around. It is not aggressive at all. It also comes from one of the best breeders of Dobermans in the northeastern US.