Colo. dog owners: Train police to avoid shootings

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Apr 3, 3:58 PM EDT

Colo. dog owners: Train police to avoid shootings

By IVAN MORENO
Associated Press

DENVER (AP) -- Scar was an 8-year-old bulldog mix who was fatally shot by a police officer pursuing a suspect, even though witnesses said he never left his yard and was not barking or growling.

Kupa was a service dog who was shot and killed while a sheriff's deputy was responding to a welfare check on her owner.

And Ava was a German shepherd who had a rawhide treat in her mouth and was turning toward her summoning owner when she was fatally shot by an officer responding to a call.

Dog lovers concerned about recent cases where law enforcement fatally shot people's pets are lobbying Colorado lawmakers on a bill Wednesday that would require new training for law enforcement on how to handle canine encounters in the line of duty, a legislative idea that appears to be unique in the country.


Read more: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_DOG_SHOOTINGS_TRAINING?SECTION=HOME&SITE=AP&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

[Drale]

1. There is a very easy way to fix this problem

If an officer kills a dog, they need to be treated like the killed a human. It won't fix the problem and the officer still won't be punished enough but it might stop officers from shooting first and asking questions later.

[hlthe2b]

3. Agree.. Full review, suspension pending investigation, major repercussions where shooting found

non-justifiable.

[hlthe2b]

2. If my dog were shot in front of me, they'd need to kill me too...

I will definitely follow up with this bill and push.

[Kingofalldems]

4. Steroid rage could have something to do with this

and the militarization of the nation's police forces.

[truedelphi]

5. Exactly. We have militarized our nation far beyond the

State where it is needed. Our tax monies are now used in terms of letting Homeland Security, militarized local police and their swat teams harass and pester everyone, with so much money that one million dollar MRAP's are now servicing the same counties which lack needed school personnel and needed fire dept personnel.

While at the same time, the police are told their first concern must be with someone's mental status. Should a person be deemed mentally ill, or mentally unstable, he or she is now simply an object to be taken out! Shoot first, ask questions later.

And if there is a dog, that dog is treated as an enemy combatant. Again, shoot first and ask questions later.

This is a totally crazy nation. And until the police are de-militarized, I am with my RW neighbors on the gun issue.

Unlike Anne Frank's family, I don't want us American families to go gently into that dark night.

[Downtown Hound]

6. If a cop ever shot my dog, they're going to have to shoot me too

Because that's the only thing that's going to stop me from tearing their throats out.

[DollarBillHines]

7. Years ago, my dog came so close

I had a beautiful female boxer who, somehow, got out (or was let out) of our yard while we were at my son's baseball game.

There was a Sheriff's deputy who lived nearby and the two of us could not stand each other. He was driving along and saw my dog walking down the sidewalk. The asshole got out of his car and was drawing his weapon when a ten-year-old friend of my son asked him what he was doing. The deputy said he recognized my dog and she was dangerous and he was going to kill her.

The kid threw his body over my dog and started shouting until his parents came out and straightened things out.

That jerk-off was going to kill my dog because of our own personal differences.

[DRoseDARs]

8. I hope you reported the incident to his superiors since you had witnesses. nt

[magical thyme]

9. a million blessings on the boy who protected your dog

[DollarBillHines]

12. His name was Eric

And he came from a kind-of-down-on their-luck family.

We all lived in Spring, Texas.

It was a time and life of haves and have/nots.

They were the latter.

Eric's dad was named Weldon and we were at opposite ends of the spectrum.

Weldon's pride and joy was his truck.

A few months later, I was at this coin-operated carwash and I was washing some SUV that I had at the time.

Weldon pulled in in his too-cool pickup and washed it. When he pulled up to the vacuum station, I saw an old Chevy with a crew of down-and-outers circling, eyeing his truck.

I went over to Weldon and told him that they were going to steal his truck and I asked him if he was armed.

He said he was not.

I went to my Rover and pulled out a Defender, loaded and chambered it.

The Chevy rolled back by and I flashed my Defender.

End of story.

That kid was brave beyond comprehension.

I would like to feel that I pulled my weight, in gratitude.

Or, in Life
DBH

[tabasco]

17. Is it possible

that you had a paranoid delusion?

[DollarBillHines]

18. Not at all

I know them when I see them.

They were tweakers on the prowl.

[Comrade Grumpy]

10. This happens on a near daily basis. Here's the last week's worth:

I have a Google alert for "officer shoots" and "police shoot" and their variants for my job. In perusing those, I see cops shooting dogs all the time. Some are probably justified, some not so much:

Officer shoots dog after aggressive behavior and bite KSFY Tuesday afternoon around 4:00, a Sioux Falls Police Officer saw a dog chasing an 8-year-old boy near 11th Street and Summit Avenue. The dog - a pit bull - was on a leash, but the woman holding the leash was unable to control the dog. The officer ...

<http://www.ksfy.com/story/21802820/officer-shoots-dog-after-aggressive-behavior-and-bite>

Officer shoots pit bull during search for battery suspect The State Journal-Register An aggravated battery suspect was arrested Wednesday after he was found hiding in a crawl space at a residence in the 1700 block of East Jackson Street, police said. During the arrest of Doshawn Meyers, home address not available, a Springfield police ...

<http://www.sj-r.com/breaking/x1037529185/Officer-shoots-pit-bull-during-search-for-battery-suspect>

Auburn police officer shoots, kills family's pit bull | Local & Regional ...
An Auburn family is heartbroken after a police officer shot and killed their pit bull, and now they ...

<http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Auburn-police-officer-shoots-kills-familys-pit-bull-200668251.html>

St. Petersburg police officer shoots dog that owner said was vicious Tampabay.com ST. PETERSBURG — A police officer shot a dog that tried to bite him as he left a scene over the weekend, authorities said. Officer Daniel Boccia was sent to a home in the 200 block of 48th Street N about 5:30 a.m. Saturday for an argument between a ...

<http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/st-petersburg-police-officer-shoots-dog-that-owner-said-was-vicious/2112425>

Wed. 2:11pm: Police shoot, kill pit bull after attack
Trib- Today
2:11pm: Police shoot, kill pit bull after attack. March 27, 2013. Tribune Chronicle | TribToday.com. Save | Post a comment |. WARREN - City police shot and killed a pit bull after the animal attacked a woman and her dog on Tuesday. According to police ...

<http://tribune-chronicle.com/page/content.detail/id/585273/Wed--2-11pm---Police-shoot--kill-pit-bull-after-attack.html?nav=5192>

[Ash_F]

20. Don't these cops carry pepper spray?

It is probably a more effective weapon, because it's easier to connect with a spray. And it WILL stop a dog immediately without killing them. A dog can be shot and keep coming.

[Earth_First]

11. Rochester, NY cops have a habit of shooting at dogs...

The most recent tragedy had an attempted coverup by the Chief of Police refusing to release the remains to thier owner, going so far as to state the owner was lying that they were the owner.

Upon release of the remains, it turns out the dog was shot from behind as rhe dog was retreating.

This happens far too often.

Cops do need appropriate training.

They also need a fucking reality check.

[valerief]

13. If only the dogs had guns, there's be no problem.

Gungeoneer logic

[Nitram]

14. It makes me sick to think...

...people are more willing to take action against the police for shooting dogs than for shooting unarmed African-American suspects.

[tabasco]

16. Please explain.

Thanks.

[Comrade Grumpy]

19. It's an odd phenomenon, but pet abuse stories seem to draw much greater outrage...

...than questionable police shootings of humans. Go figger.

[Ash_F]

21. I notice this too, but not so much on DU.

More like on sites like youtube or Reddit. Although DU is gradually becoming more like them.

[tabasco]

15. Unfortunately, hiring standards for law enforcement are very low

Law officer education and intelligence standards should be much more stringent across the board.