300-pound officer felt threatened by 12-pound terrier, killed her

http://dailycaller.com/2013/10/10/300-pound-officer-felt-threatened-by-12-pound-terrier-killed-her/ ^ | 10/10/2013 | http://dailycaller.com/2013/10/10/300-pound-officer-felt-threatened-by-12-pound-terrier-killed-her/

[dragnet2]

A Georgia police officer shot and killed a tiny Jack Russell Terrier that he claims threatened him during a routine probationary checkup on Monday.

The officer, Antoine Jones, is over six feet tall and weighs nearly 300 pounds. Patches, the dog he killed, weighs just 12 pounds, according to a local news channel.

Jones visited the Albany residence of Cherrie Shelton earlier this week to check on her son, who is serving probation. Upon Jones’s arrival, two-year-old Patches approached the officer and began barking. Shelton claims she told Jones that Patches was no threat, but the officer drew his weapon and shot the dog anyway.

After being shot, Patches fled and hid, eventually succumbing to her wounds.

According to Jones’s statement, Patches advanced toward him in a threatening manner even after receiving “multiple verbal commands to get back.”

But Shelton said this was not Jones’s first visit to the home, and the officer should have known that Patches was harmless.

Shelton buried Patches, and has plans to buy a cross to mark her grave. The dog is missed, she said.

[DJ MacWoW]

You'd be wrong.

Post 138

(7) "Law enforcement unit" means:

(A) Any agency, organ, or department of this state, a subdivision or municipality thereof, or a railroad whose primary functions include the enforcement of criminal or traffic laws, the preservation of public order, the protection of life and property, or the prevention, detection, or investigation of crime;

(B) The Office of Permits and Enforcement of the Department of Transportation, the Department of Juvenile Justice and its institutions and facilities for the purpose of personnel who are authorized to exercise the power of arrest and who are employed or appointed by said department or institutions, and the office or section in the Department of Juvenile Justice in which persons are assigned who have been designated by the commissioner to investigate and apprehend unruly and delinquent children; and

(C) The Department of Corrections, the State Board of Pardons and Paroles, municipal correctional institutions employing 300 or more correctional officers, and county correctional institutions for the purpose of personnel who are authorized to exercise the power of arrest and who are employed or appointed by said department, board, or institutions.

http://www.gapost.org/postAct/3582.html

[Robert Teesdale]

Two personal experiences here...

About two months ago I was in North Carolina on business. My service dog, a longcoat German Shepherd, was with me as usual. My wife and son were also in the room with me.

Just before 1:00am he started barking. Aggressively. His danger danger bark, not his hey man check this out bark. There's a difference. I suspect most dog owners would tell you they recognize the difference. On goes the hearing aid, I look at my wife's half-awake and scared face and I realize there's a bangbangbangbangbang on the door and that it's not a fist. Concussive resonance indicates the butt of something hard. Flashlight, perhaps. Clearly not room service. So I restrain the dog, I check the peephole, and it's a young lady in a dark blue polo shirt with a stitched badge. Hotel security, I assume. I crack the door and ask, "What is it?"

"Do you have a dog in your room?"

First stupid question of the night, I think to myself. No, that's the cat I brought with me.

But I bite my tongue and say, "Yes, clearly. What is the issue?"

"We don't have a form on file. You need to come down now and sign the form."

I'm still half asleep here, and thus I don't happen to notice that there's a gun on her waist next to a radio and that the badge says XYZ County Sheriff. Of course shortly after I was to realize that. "He's a service dog. No form is necessary. The hotel management is well aware he's accompanying me."

Remarkably, this made no dent in her position - which was that the form could NOT be filled out tomorrow - and that I needed to come down immediately. At this point, in my just awakened state I'm still thinking she's hotel staff, not law enforcement. I was tempted to say, "No. Stop disturbing my sleep and I will discuss with hotel management in the morning" and close the door on her. Not quite sure why, but I said "I'll be downstairs in a few moments after I've dressed."

I closed the door, told my wife I apparently had to go downstairs, and put on a shirt. Leashed the dog and vested him. Headed downstairs with my wife - now very unhappy - getting dressed behind me.

Downstairs, to make a long story short - the hotel staff didn't bother to page down on the record to see that the service dog was with me. Sent the sheriff's department upstairs, because hotel security WAS the sheriff's department. (It's a very upscale hotel, which I won't name.)

After much discussion - including the joyous-to-observe input from my wife, AND suddenly bringing the dog around the counter face to face with the senior deputy on duty - several points had been made crystal clear:

1. Hotel staff really needs to scroll down and read the manager notes on guests prior to sending law enforcement to a guest's room.

2. Sheriff's department was really lucky.

As I saw it, the situation could have turned out quite differently.

"I did not realize your deputy was in fact a sworn officer. Had I shut the door in her face as was my first inclination, we all know that keyed entry by both your deputy and you would have been next. At that point, you would have been face to face with THIS animal who would quite reasonably and with unqualified aggression, have defended his family from intruders."

I walked right around the desk with my dog; she was startled and put her hand near her service weapon and stepped back. I'll give her credit for not touching the weapon and saying, "Please go back around the desk!"

I immediately said "Certainly," and and she visibly relaxed as the animal and I retreated. "I think I just made my point, didn't I?"

"You'd have opened fire immediately on seeing him lunge and we all damn well know it."

She had the grace to immediately nod, I'll give her that.

"Furthermore, the deaf handler in the room would NOT hear POLICE yelled at him, but rather react as any man would when he's trapped in a sixth floor room; his family even more trapped behind him, his dog shot dead in front of him by screaming strangers and only a split second to react while half asleep."

She had the further grace to look a little ashamed, which was both unexpected and really satisfying (I'll admit it). The point really WAS clear. "I think we both know that cops shoot dogs all the time, and that it's nearly always avoidable. Handler error is one thing. Unreasonable entry into a hotel room over an unnecessary bloody piece of paperwork is another." I then turned to the night manager and said, "You realize you were this close to the sheriff's department breaking down the door and blowing a disabled person's service dog away in the middle of the night? Do you even want to think about how viral that would go, especially when they gunned down a disabled man in front of his screaming wife and child on top of it?"

I still shake my head at it. The sheriff's department apologized quite nicely. The hotel's response was... appropriate over the next days.

What's the point?

If a sheriff's deputy - even when clearly uncomfortable by proximity to a very pissed off handler with a less-than-pleased German Shepherd three feet away from her - can maintain sufficient composure to request I back away, so can other law enforcement officers.

Second... I remember seeing a lone female cop on the beach in North Carolina ordering a family to leave the area - they had two Rottweilers that were clearly terrorizing everyone. No question they should be removed, and no question that they were a threat to everyone on the beach. The owner was leaving; the cop was between the boardwalk and the owner - who had both Rottweilers leashed on one hand (idiot) - and both dogs were furiously barking and lunging at the cop. What did she do?

Simply pulled her baton, whipped it open, and ordered him back. No sudden gunfire on the beach.

The point?

A law enforcement officer that shoots a twelve-pound Jack Russell is a clear and present danger to the entire community, and should in NO way be carrying a weapon and a badge.

Disgusting. Someday there will be a Black-Clad Super-Tactical High-Power (Get Home Alive) Ninja-Masked MRAP-Riding Seen-the-Elephant Bad-Boy Trained-Professional "Operator" who is a) shot by the dog's owner; b) topples over from the weight of his own gear; or c) gets actually killed by a dog and I think what we'll hear from the citizenry, at this point, is primarily applause.

Sad. But it will, unfortunately, be unsurprising.

[DJ MacWoW]

Listen troll, the posts are removed. You cannot link to posts that have been removed.

Oh and, people saw what you posted. Pretending that you didn't post those things doesn't elevate you in the eyes of anyone here.

[Las Vegas Ron]

Bump to your post!

[Alaska Wolf]

Do you think it is ok that this person shot this dog in this situation?

From what I've read and seen? No. However, I wasn't present, don't know the history or situation or the frame of mind of the probation officer. Apparently many here were present and know all the circumstances.

I knew a guy who was attacked by a shepherd mix dog, much larger than the victim dog in this case, who actually strangled that dog to death with his bare hands.

[Darksheare]

Ah.
Thanks.

[sport]

It is a small step, My Friend, to transition from the shooting of animals at the least imagined “provocation” when the time they will be ordered to do so comes.

[DJ MacWoW]

Wow! That could have turned out so differently! God bless you for staying calm! I would have freaked.

[Alaska Wolf]

Oh and, people saw what you posted.

So post it verbatim. Your name calling is pathetic and juvenile. Who posted this??????????? I didn't! I'm still waiting for you to post the "name calling" that you accused me of.

Officer Shoots 12-Pound Dog Claiming It Threatened His Life www.freerepublic.com/focus/bloggers/3089777/posts?page=54 3 days ago - A six-foot-tall, nearly 300-pound probation officer Antoine Jones shot ... Georgia probation officers Ronnie Simmons and Antoine Jones ... If you have a dog and you see a black person approaching your door, hide the dog.

[Anton.Rutter]

IBTZ

[trisham]

ROTFLOLAY!!!!!!

***************************

Such a logical and articulate argument. Well done.

[Darksheare]

Funny, didn’t you put post 39 out there?
Didn’t you then deny stating it?
Yes, yes you did.
That’s some heavy dishonesty you have going.
Bet you posted 39 in order to incite people.
Why?

[Anton.Rutter]

Did I do it right, or am I supposed to wait? LOL

[DJ MacWoW]

Your attempts to defend yourself are pathetic. Your Post 39 was removed for a reason.

[DJ MacWoW]

LOL!!! We’re waiting with you! :-)

[Darksheare]

Lol.
I believe so.

[Alaska Wolf]

Funny, didn’t you put post 39 out there?

Out where? You and your trollish friends keep making allegations but nothing to support them. How about something concrete for a change?

[skinkinthegrass]

thanks for the post.

[Robert Teesdale]

Isn't it time to drop the facade? You don't like cops? Fine.

Although that wasn't directed at me, my $.02 may be worth considering. I suspect, rather, that a tipping-point's worth of citizens are tired of murderous thugs in stupid costumes playing Serious Tactical Operator (TM) while making embarrassing, disgusting and violently totalitarian decisions under color of authority.

I understand that the prerogative of life and death is enjoyable. I understand that untouchable license to rule is pleasurable. I understand, too, that this kind of judicial and military power is really fun and, you know, we can't really go back to how it was.

I think everyone else understands that, too.

But karma's an unforgiving bitch, and she only waits so long before she simply starts feeding at your table. Because, you see, karma's truly entitled to eat as deeply as her appetite indicates, and when she sits down to feast she doesn't get up until she's well satiated.

Tell me I'm wrong. I'll listen.

[Darksheare]

” state many things but never provide any proof to back it. Sorry, you are guilty.”

Jim, Alaska wolf here seems to be suffering memory issues.
He is denying that he posted what he said in post 39.
He further denies his post on yesterday’s pulled thread in similar vein.
Perhaps he needs a reminder.