Posted on 10/27/2013 1:55:48 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Officials in a Tennessee city said a police officer was fired for shooting his gun and using pepper spray in an attempt to get a squirrel out of a dollar store. Mountain City Police Officer Jody Putnam went to a Dollar General in Johnson County on a report of a squirrel running loose in the store and police department records state the officer fired off his gun in an apparent attempt to kill or scare the animal, WJHL-TV, Johnson City, Tenn., reported Friday.
"Shooting back there, of course that should not have been, that should not have happened," property owner Carl Duffield said.
Duffield said Putnam's gunfire did not get rid of the squirrel, so the officer then used pepper spray while customers were still inside the store.
"There was a lot of people that come out and just like me they came out and they were coughing and a hacking it was comical," Duffield said, "but I'm sure they didn't feel that way, the customers that came out."
Police records said Putnam refused to fill out a report, which is required when an officer fires a service weapon.
"Through a violation of the police department policy Officer Jody Putnam's employment, as a Mountain City Police Officer, was terminated by the Board of Mayor and Alderman," Mountain City Mayor Lawrence Keeble said.
Putnam had been with the police department for five years and had previously served with the Johnson County Sheriff's Department for 14 years.
Wonder if he’ll file for disability...
Since no charges were filed, free to apply at other agencies.
Yes, he was so traumatized by the squirrel that he needs disability for his psychiatric care
But maybe he didn’t fill it out because he knew he’d be fired for that.
Why didn’t he try nuts? Squirrels are nuts for nuts! Crazy I tell you! LOL! Seriously, when I use to live in New York city they would climb up my fire escape and come right into my apartment for peanuts then leave.
giant squirrel
Tennessee squirrel season for 2013/2014 is August 24,2013 - February 28, 2014.
LOL! “Whoa whoa! Wait a minute, this is a multi-billion dollar installation, you just can’t nuke it because it has a few bugs!” “Well tell them they can bill me!”
Could be Nick, but shooting at a squirrel seems pretty mild compared to killing unarmed kids.Maybe they fired him for missing the squirrel.
Really?!? Inna store? .22's are tough on metal roofs and readily bounce off steel structure.
How about a nice .22 or .177 pellet rifle? Scope optional. Sheesh.. d;^)
Not a giant squirrel. That’s Tiny Elvis!
I'd never use a 22 indoors. Perhaps my 50 yr old Daisy BB pump-action.
the suggestion of a dog or two is good too.
Was this the same squirrel that was loosed in church one Sunday and went up a lady’s dress?
wasn’t that the “1st self-righteous church” of pascagoula ms?
mississippi squirrel revival
“19 years of law enforcement experience and this is what we get.”
____________________________________________________
Your post is spot on. For the last ten, or more, years, American cops have been morphing into jackbooted thugs, armed and outfitted as if they were on the front lines in war.
I do not know what started it, other then the present movies
that I see on TV. They are no longer the good old boys on the beat.
Yea, dogs don't tear stuff up.
My 80lb Boxer knocks stuff over when he just walks around.
Rambo alert....
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