Residents upset after Md. deputy shoots groundhog blocking traffic

Fox Baltimore ^ | 05/07/18

[ThomasThomas]

Now we will never know why the ground hog “tried” to cross the road,

[ThomasThomas]

Now we will never know why the ground hog “tried” to cross the road,

[beaversmom]

Right. Same with this pair. Very busy WM. I hope she’s not being harrassed as rotten people always have to eff with animals or other people’s property. There was a nesting pair where I have a storage unit...this was last year. I noticed her egg had been destroyed a few weeks later. Not sure if from an animal or a human did it.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Snowflakes, anyone?

Maryland “Freak State” PING!

[100American]

Guess there weren’t any dogs around they could pump bullets into as they are prone to doing at the drop of a hat

All he had to do was walk towards the darned thing, what a big sissy

[cyclotic]

In Maryland, groundhogs are rodents and may be hunted year round no license needed (I think).

Plus, if properly prepared are kind of tasty.

A groundhog running around playing on the road was probably sick and needed to be dispatched.

Safe transit is also more important than a rodent.

[PLMerite]

“In a sane world, decent men and women would humanely put down sick or injured wildlife without getting a dozen levels of “official clearance” to do so.”

Probably had to get permission to discharge his duty weapon. These days CYA is Job #1.

[Jimmy Valentine's brother]

Reminds me a scene from the movie “Patton” where the general dispatches donkey holding up a relief column.

[Blue Jays]

"...permission to discharge duty weapon..."

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Oh, I have witnessed that scenario firsthand, too.
Same situation, a young deer seriously messed-up from a vehicle crash.
Officer had to radio-in to get clearances from a sergeant and a lieutenant to shoot a deer 3-feet away twisting in the underbrush.
It was heartbreaking the officer was not given trust to make a correct decision and then notify superiors. For goodness sake, it was a humanitarian task.

[PLMerite]

It’s probably a liability thing. Someone probably did something stupid in the distant past and screwed it up for those coming after.

[Blue Jays]

Very good point and I am sure you are correct.
The pathetic part is the “layers” of approval needed for an obvious task that needed to be done.
A hunter out in the field would never let an animal needlessly suffer 3-4 minutes.
I guess “it is what it is” with bureaucracy and all.