Please, I love dogs, but I am not naive or stupid enough to think that all people are comfortable or familiar with dogs and their behaviors.
Some dog owners forget that not everyone is comfortable or familiar with dogs. Some are very ignorant and disrespectful of others.
Any animal running at a person, regardless of what animal it is, can be perceived as a threat.. fight of flight is a natural response, and just because you are familiar and comfortable with a particular animal running at you, doesn’t mean everyone else on the planet will have the same reaction.
It is clear to anyone familiar with dog behavior that this dog wasn’t charging at this man in aggression. However, to someone who is not familiar with it, claiming they should just “KNOW” the animal running at them is not being aggressive and not respond with the fight of flight reflex is a ludicrous expectation.
End of the day a dog is the owners responsibility, there are reasons there are leash laws. I sympathize with the owner, but I am not going to publicly hang a man because he responded to a fight or flight scenario with fight.
Is such a person competent to be a police officer, particularly in suburban America?
Its a natural response to a perceived threat. Sorry, but a golden retriever or smaller dog running at me is not a perceived threat. Maybe a large rottweiler, but not a retriever, lab, doodle, or any of many other breeds known for being people friendly and playful. So no, not 'any animal' can be perceived as a threat by an adult male. A person who feels his only response to a dog running towards him is to shoot the dog is not a man, not an adult, and should not have a gun.
He needs to find a line of work where scary things don’t happen.
Sad for doggie and owner, but the cop was justified--IMO.