Posted on 06/18/2015 5:30:39 PM PDT by Altariel
A Cleveland family has been left devastated after an officer shot and killed their beloved one-year-old golden retriever as he was on a leash in the family’s backyard.
Cleveland police told the family the officer felt threatened by the dog after the dog barked, even though the officer was aware it was leashed.
The incident took place Friday when dog owner Tyler Muzzi saw a stranger walking around his neighbor’s home. Muzzi contacted his neighbor and then called police to check on the situation.
Minutes later, police arrived and arrested the man who had by that time broken into the house. The situation seemed under control and without incident until Muzzi heard gunshots.
“At first, I thought I had heard only two shots, but there were actually three that had been fired,” Muzzi told the Jackson Clarion-Ledger. “I thought they had shot the man in custody or something.”
Muzzi opened his front door to see what was going on, which was when an officer told him that his dog had been shot and that he needed to go check on it.
He found his pet, Miller, with his spine severed in two places after being shot three times, despite having put him on a leash prior to the officers arriving.
Officers stood around silently as Muzzi wrapped his daughter’s beloved pet in a towel and called a vet, but eventually called animal control to help get Miller to the emergency clinic. Miller died shortly after.
The officers involved have apologized to Muzzi, and initially claimed that they did not see the leash.
The story has since changed however and Police Chief Charles Bingham told the man that the officers did see the leash, but were within their rights to shoot him as they “felt threatened.”
A Home / Bad Cop, No Donut / Feeling “Threatened,” Cleveland Police Officer Shoots and Kills Family Dog While it was Leashed in Backyard Miller, a golden retriever seen here with 5-year-old Emma, was shot and killed by a Cleveland cop while leashed in the back yard because the cop "felt threatened." Miller, a golden retriever seen here with 5-year-old Emma, was shot and killed by a Cleveland cop while leashed in the back yard because the cop "felt threatened." Feeling “Threatened,” Cleveland Police Officer Shoots and Kills Family Dog While it was Leashed in Backyard
Posted by: Cassandra Fairbanks in Bad Cop, No Donut, Cop kills dog, PINAC News, PINAC News Top 3, Police Abuse, The Blue Line June 17, 2015 87 Comments 4,956 Views 1.5k SHARES Facebook Twitter
A Cleveland family has been left devastated after an officer shot and killed their beloved one-year-old golden retriever as he was on a leash in the family’s backyard.
Cleveland police told the family the officer felt threatened by the dog after the dog barked, even though the officer was aware it was leashed.
The incident took place Friday when dog owner Tyler Muzzi saw a stranger walking around his neighbor’s home. Muzzi contacted his neighbor and then called police to check on the situation.
Minutes later, police arrived and arrested the man who had by that time broken into the house. The situation seemed under control and without incident until Muzzi heard gunshots.
“At first, I thought I had heard only two shots, but there were actually three that had been fired,” Muzzi told the Jackson Clarion-Ledger. “I thought they had shot the man in custody or something.”
Muzzi opened his front door to see what was going on, which was when an officer told him that his dog had been shot and that he needed to go check on it.
He found his pet, Miller, with his spine severed in two places after being shot three times, despite having put him on a leash prior to the officers arriving.
Officers stood around silently as Muzzi wrapped his daughter’s beloved pet in a towel and called a vet, but eventually called animal control to help get Miller to the emergency clinic. Miller died shortly after.
The officers involved have apologized to Muzzi, and initially claimed that they did not see the leash.
The story has since changed however and Police Chief Charles Bingham told the man that the officers did see the leash, but were within their rights to shoot him as they “felt threatened.”
A video recording of the incident, which has not been released to the public, but was shown to Muzzi, reportedly did not capture the shooting. You can only hear the dog barking and four seconds later, shots fired.
The department has offered to pay the veterinarian bills and buy a new dog for the family, which Muzzi told the Clarion-Ledger felt like “a slap in the face.”
Muzzi’s five-year-old daughter Emma has reportedly been sleeping with a clay statue of a dog resembling Miller, and bringing it food and water.
“My wife and I have been really upset about it. Just heartbroken. But Emma’s been really strong.” Muzzi stated.
The cop who killed Miller is currently on administrative leave.
According to an unofficial count done by an independent research group, Ozymandias Media, law enforcement in the United States shoots a dog every 98 minutes. Postal workers who encounter dogs all day long, don’t seem to have any issues.
Most cops are good people. Some are either stupid or evil and are willing to shoot a Golden Retriever that has reached adult height but is still clearly a puppy. Only a small proportion of cops are bad, but that’s enough to tarnish the reputation of the entire profession with many people. A Golden? Really? This shooting was inexcusable.
Good idea, because I’ve heard of a case where a dog or dogs were shot while they were secured in crates, simply because they were barking, and the cop felt “threatened”.
Now Donna. Did you go and complain about being misquoted? You are the master of such tactics.
If he shoots a dog, he can shoot you.
Or you are welcome to wait and see if he doesn’t shoot you.
If only a small proportion is corrupt, then why then has the officer not been treated as an non-police officer committing the same crime would be?
Would the police permit *your* employer to hold an internal investigation about whether you had committed a crime?
Would the police decide not to arrest you after you had shot another citizen’s golden retriever?
The definition of “scumbag” has evolved, but it used to mean a used condom.
If possible, I’d suggest having at least one adult in the car with them to speedily correct the matter should the dogs manage to dislodge the brake, or to move the truck to a safer location, if need be.
But what if you don't actually understand criminal law, as it stands in all 57 states?
Whatever right you have to self defense, it is HIGHLY curtailed when the target of your deadly force is a LEO. The state does not care about your dog, or, if you get down to it, you either. It does care about and is highly protective of LEOs.
No, I have some words that wouldn’t fail. Had a man, ANY man, done that to any of my beloved “girls” , I would be on death row, dead or prisoned for life as I would have very swiftly taken theirs. Be reeeeeal careful before messin’ with a southern man’s friend. It’d be the same as shootin’ my wife.
Regards,
Snoot ;o)
Cruel
Stupid
Needing to be in complete control
Not police officer material
How devastating
Well, maybe you should call them to clean up the mess. Just be sure to hide the dog .........and the doughnuts.
Yep; if I recall correctly, dobermans were used briefly as police dogs.
They were too smart for the position (”Jump through this broken window not knowing who or what is at the other end-—why?), and thus, are rarely used in that capacity.
The dog is God’s gift to mankind to teach us the meaning of love, sacrifice, devotion and honor.
The Agent of the State loves the State more than he loves The Lord, and acts accordingly.
And then lying about it.
I never saw post #21.
Of course I did.
I knew it.
No but someone ought to go to his house, shoot his dog, and let him explain to his broken heated kid/s why someone shot fido for no reason!
Cops need to see how that feels.
They were and that was one of the main reasons they stopped.
The dogs were too clever to blindly follow orders.
They were big in the military as well but they found that the Dobes grieved too deeply if their handlers were killed to be of much use, afterward.
The final straw was their coat.
They are cold intolerant, unlike the various herding breeds used now.
Now, they are used in personal/home protection capacities more than anything.
Makes sense because that is precisely why they were created, in the first place.
Whether I am awake or asleep, they stay beside and watch over me without ceasing...kinda like slobbery angels.
:)
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