[OneWingedShark]

Police dogs are Officers with four legs, and are protected by the same laws as their human counterparts.

I would debate the legitimacy of such a stance.

I think this is a training issue with regards to law enforcement. Cops enter homes and immediately neutralize anything moving towards them, including animals large and small.

It's still no excuse:
RULE #4 -- ALWAYS BE SURE OF YOUR TARGET AND ITS SURROUNDINGS.

Just wait until the SWAT teams start shooting toddlers who "aggressively come running" at them.
I want to see the defense put forth for them then.

[packrat35]

There were people on FR defending a cop who shot off the head of a sleeping child during a warrant search of a house recently.

[historyrepeatz]

Of course toddlers are off limits as they should be. Regarding dogs, perhaps it’s more a matter of “if a dog comes at you” rather than “if this SIZE OR BREED of dog comes at you”. There are many breeds of dogs that simply don’t pose a threat no matter how protective they become.