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 familys 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 neighbors 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 daughters 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 familys 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 neighbors 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 daughters 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.
Muzzis 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 Emmas 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, dont seem to have any issues.
And then there was Bob T Boa, when he heard the Jehovah's Witnesses were making the rounds.
I really, really need one of those.
:D
OMG
Find out where the cop lives. I sure hope his dog isnt mean and threatening towards me.
In your experience what sort of owner is best for the breed?
He enjoyed it too.
Yep; if he hasn’t moved on to assaulting people, it won’t be long.
Those who abuse, mistreat or kill animals for their own pleasure typically move on to their fellow man when the “thrill” is gone.
Yep; if he hasn’t moved on to assaulting people, it won’t be long.
Those who abuse, mistreat or kill animals for their own pleasure typically move on to their fellow man when the “thrill” is gone.
Notice that the famous “no hesitation” targets didn’t include a dog.
Implication: Cops don’t hesitate to shoot dogs.
A “serious” owner, for the lack of a better word.
Lots of breeds are great for casual owners who don’t want to invest time in a lot of training or studying dog body language, stuff like that.
Easy going dogs like Labs or Goldens are good for people who don’t want to “work” to have a dog.
Dobes are ‘work’, if you want them to be at their absolute best, both for themselves and everyone else.
But they’re also individuals.
My first came when I was barely 14 ad he was so mellow and un-Dobe-like, that anyone could have owned him.
I got lucky because I had no idea what I was doing.
About a year later, the Wonder Dobe came into my life and he was a much more intense dog.
I took obedience classes with him because I needed to learn what he *already* knew.
He taught me much about the breed and prepared me for the challenges of my own self-run Dobe Rescue, years later.
*Good* breeders will know their litters and match pups to people, based on the dog *and* the person’s personality.
Ask Momtothree how different each pup can be.
She has my Seven’s half sister and they are night and day.
Seven is a menace to society but her dog is a gentle, funny delight.
:D
“If he shoots a dog, he can shoot you....”
*********************************************************************************
But ONLY if the officer FEELS threatened...or you bark at the officer.
That works too, but if the officers are following their training, then that is not where the problem lies. If the departments are TRAINING police to do this, then you have to go after the departments.
I wonder how many people would have legitimate claims of "feeling threatened" by such cops as those who seem to shoot dogs for the gratification of killing something.
Yup... Salamander and I are kin now through our Dobe’s. :) Raven is a half sister to Seven. She does try her big girl bark/growl if someone knocks at the door but she is very sweet. I can’t say she wouldn’t protect if she HAD to.. especially my girls. For whatever reason, she is “their” protector or has deemed it to be her primary role. A few months ago, she was in the back yard and spotted a rabbit. She stared at the rabbit.. who stared at her. (now, I’m thinking the rabbit was a goner). Nope.. finally the rabbit pounced off with Raven pouncing right behind it.. like a game. (Meanwhile, our Cairn was beyond furious that bunny wasn’t for dinner).
Her one “oddity” is the couch and when you are on it. She will lay across you and watch television with YOU. She will also “tease” our Cairn to the point the Cairn will growl at her... and I swear she gets some sort of weird satisfaction to it. He will get all bossy and growl.. Raven will look right at us.. and I swear she is laughing.
Oh, those vicious Golden’s need to be eradicated!
Anyone entering a profession that is in constant interaction with citizens in their neighborhoods should at least recognize the different breeds of dogs.
Until the “good” ones do everything in their power to get the bad ones off the force, they deserve to be painted with the same brush.
Cop, soldier, politician, lawyer, teacher, pastor, I don’t care, you deserve to be judged by the worst behavior you tolerate in a peer. Everybody on the other side of the ‘blue line’ is responsible and no better than the worst cop they don’t do everything in their power to get off the force.
Given the number of officers who are using the “I feel threatened” excuse nationwide, I think it’s safe to say that they are following their training-—at least in claiming to feel threatened whether their victim is man or beast.
Bad cops are like bad lawyers - they know exactly what they have to say so that they cannot be proven to be in the wrong. Many good cops are, no doubt, suspicious when a cop shoots a Golden Retriever puppy, but it's hard to prove a crime when the "dangerous" dog is dead, and the only statement comes from the shooter. They are limited in their ability to prosecute criminals without evidence but figure they will catch the crook (whether in gang colors or wearing blue) eventually, and they have to tolerate that situation because there is no lawful alternative.
Which is what we need to change. No cop should ever have to face a life threatening ordeal. If he seriously believes his life is threatened, then shooting may be the only alternative. But this “shoot first” attitude with many departments is getting old.
There is a little metal sign you can buy that goes on your gate that says
“If you shoot my dog, I shoot YOU”.
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