Cops Shoot Dog During Foot Chase

reason.com ^ | July 3, 2012 | Ed Krayewski

[chrisinoc]

Police officers in Lake Charles, Louisiana shot and killed a family dog named Monkey while chasing a suspect, according to an online petition calling for the police department to fully investigate the incident.

[Pearls Before Swine]

General question: Putting aside any problems of necessity here, if the police damage a bystander’s property (let’s say inanimate property for the sake of the question), does the town reimburse the bystander?

[Timber Rattler]

[OneWingedShark]

“So I was running by, saw the dog there, and knew I had to do my duty...”

[Navy Patriot]

Will somebody please breed a dog with a bullseye target on each side.

[Uncle Chip]

The shooting reportedly occurred when the dog began barking at police who were chasing some suspects.

Be careful going up to the PD to bark at them about this incident. You may just get shot too.

[chrisinoc]

In many cities, if the police (or other city employee or contractor) damage a bystander’s property the person would have to file a claim with the city. Almost always it is denied, in which the person would have to sue the city for damages or settle out of court.

[null and void]

Will somebody please breed a dog with a bullseye target on each side.

The theory being that with a bullseye the cops would never actually hit it?

[ChocChipCookie]

As my kids get older, I will teach them to avoid interaction with police if at all possible. I no longer see them as the famous, altruistic, “thin blue line” that protects me and my family. Sorry.

[Truth29]

Calling for an investigation is worthless. If you want justice, you will have to find another means.

[Joe 6-pack]

WOOOF!

The Doggie Ping list is for FReepers who would like to be notified of threads relating to all things canid. If you would like to join the Doggie Ping Pack (or be unleashed from it), FReemail me.

[OldPossum]

As my kids get older, I will teach them to avoid interaction with police if at all possible. I no longer see them as the famous, altruistic, “thin blue line” that protects me and my family. Sorry.

No need to be sorry. You have pegged them (in a reverse fashion) for what they are: thugs with a badge, a gun, and an attitude.

I have had no use for them for years.

[Altariel]

Officer of Peace ridding himself of an “unclean” dog?

[null and void]

By way of contrast, shoot a police dog, get 11 years...

[Navy Patriot]

The theory being that with a bullseye the cops would never actually hit it?

Yep.

[Uncle Chip]

Not sure how that works. But I do know that that is why they eliminated police pursuits in many communities.

The police, hyped up on too many Starsky and Hutch chase scenes, would do whatever it took to catch the fleeing suspect, destroying anything, crashing into any car, putting pedestrian lives at risk just to catch a fleeing suspect. The ends justified the means in police pursuits.

Then the insurance companies got involved and asked why the police think that it is prudent to cause $80,000 in property damage in order to capture someone who just stole $500. After some thought, all the chase nonsense stopped, and Starsky and Hutch was cancelled [except for occasional reruns]. Amen.

[null and void]

*nevermind*

[Snickering Hound]

"Give us the donuts and we'll release your dog unharmed...ish..."

[Pearls Before Swine]

Thanks for your perspectives on city liability.

It sure seems to me that part of the cost of policing should be the cleanup of inadvertent economic damages. After all, the cost of policing is presented as straight-up shared protection. If, in the course of protection, the city can trash your property with impunity, something is definitely wrong.

Police departments ought to have a “cleanup” department. Forcing bystanders to sue for any satisfaction is wrong.

[Copenhagen Smile]

A dog named monkey??