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Man Heads To Prison For Punching Police Dog
nbc5 ^

Posted on 08/01/2002 4:24:50 AM PDT by chance33_98



Man Heads To Prison For Punching Police Dog
Incident Stemmed From Domestic Situation

POSTED: 5:45 p.m. EDT July 31, 2002

AKRON, Ohio -- An Ohio man was sentenced Wednesday for assaulting a police dog, stemming from a domestic situation in May.

Officials said that Robert Dulabhan's daughter called police when she learned her father had a gun.

Apparently, when officers came to arrest the man, the police dog bit Dulabhan on the head. The dog was ordered to release his hold, and that's when Dulabhan punched the dog in the nose.

On Wednesday, the soft-spoken Dulabhan, 57, learned not to hurt man's best friend, especially if it's the friend of a police officer.

Assaulting a police dog is a 4th-degree felony, and it carries a sentence of up to one year in prison.

That's exactly the sentence Dulabhan received Wednesday for slugging the police dog -- one year behind bars.

"The assault was toward a canine officer," Judge Mary Spicer said. "An officer is an officer, whether they have two legs or whether they have four legs."


TOPICS: Local News
KEYWORDS: animalrightslist; catlist
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1 posted on 08/01/2002 4:24:50 AM PDT by chance33_98
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To: Dog; *cat_list; Sungirl; *AnimalRights_list; one_particular_harbour; AppyPappy
Idiot of the day (so far)
2 posted on 08/01/2002 4:25:35 AM PDT by chance33_98
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To: chance33_98
I know its coming soon, but is having a gun illegal in Ohio already? Was this guy a felon on parole or something?
3 posted on 08/01/2002 4:26:52 AM PDT by Wolfie
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To: Wolfie
No idea if it is illegal yet or not, I pay no attention to the law in that regards :)
4 posted on 08/01/2002 4:30:15 AM PDT by chance33_98
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To: chance33_98
Your typical K-9 squad.


5 posted on 08/01/2002 4:31:29 AM PDT by TightSqueeze
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To: chance33_98
"The assault was toward a canine officer," Judge Mary Spicer said. "An officer is an officer, whether they have two legs or whether they have four legs."

That is assinine. The "officer" (dog) should then be charged with excessive force for biting the man's head. A dog is a dog is a dog. Calling a dog an officer, but not holding the dog responsible for its own behavior is a double standard.

6 posted on 08/01/2002 4:46:21 AM PDT by You Gotta Be Kidding Me
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To: You Gotta Be Kidding Me
I know what you are trying to say....but that dog was being responsible. The article does not state whether the man was threatening in anyway towards the officers. If he was, then that is exactly what the dog is trained to do. The dog would doing his job. I can't believe the dog would of bit the guy for no reason. He must of been resisting or something.
7 posted on 08/01/2002 4:58:20 AM PDT by Sungirl
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To: chance33_98
"An officer is an officer, whether they have two legs or whether they have four legs."

His lawyer could have had some fun with this ! !

Make them prove that the dog met all the requirements to become and officer...

Prove the dog took a constitutional vow to serve and protect...

Prove the dog willingly filed a complaint...

Call the dog to testify...

Investigate the dogs background, has it ever bitten a litter mate is so it has a history of "domestic violence"...

File a civil rights complaint against the dog for discrimination against humans...

Claim discrimination in hiring on the police force after all were are the poodles ...
8 posted on 08/01/2002 5:02:48 AM PDT by apillar
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To: chance33_98
This is a good example of the progressive dehumanization of the populace in this country. A hundred years ago a man, even the worst killer, would have been considered justified in defending himself against a wild animal that was eating him alive. But now "An officer is an officer -- whether he has two legs or four. . . They're entitled to the same respect as other officers." Presumably this "respect" trumps any respect, fear, or pain of John Q. Public. Here is the story from the Akron newspaper:

Police dogs are still officers

Judge gives Barberton man maximum of year for punching K-9 member

Beacon Journal staff writer

Robert Dulabhan voiced his remorse in court Wednesday, seeking a break for punching a police officer last spring.

But the judge didn't bite.

The same could not be said of the officer, who, while responding to a call in May, chomped at Dulabhan's head before the Barberton man retaliated with the punch that landed him in court.

Despite the bite wound, Summit County Common Pleas Judge Mary Spicer said Dulabhan's reaction was unacceptable.

``An officer is an officer -- whether he has two legs or four,'' Spicer told Dulabhan before sentencing him to a year in prison for assaulting Charon, a K-9 police dog. ``They're entitled to the same respect as other officers.''

Dulabhan, 57, could not have picked a worse judge from whom to seek leniency for his assault on Charon, a Springfield Township K-9. Spicer is a card-carrying member of the Humane Society of the United States and frequent contributor to animal-related causes. She imposed the maximum sentence.

Neither Charon, an 8-year-old German shepherd, nor his partner of six years, Springfield Patrolman Robert Scherer, appeared in court.

Reached afterward, Scherer said he was pleased with Spicer's sentence and that prosecutors insisted on pursuing the charge of assault on a police dog.

``I think it's awesome. It's the first time that assault charges actually went forward for someone hitting him. Finally, Charon's being recognized as a police officer,'' Scherer said.

The confrontation with Dulabhan occurred after Lakemore police responded to a call from Dulabhan's daughter, who said she was afraid because her father was drunk, angry and claiming to have a gun.

Dulabhan had earlier been found by police sleeping or passed out in his car. He was driven to his daughter's house to sleep it off and grew angry, demanding his car keys.

Prosecutors say Dulabhan threatened officers, and they called for backup from Springfield police.

Police say that Dulabhan, an Army Vietnam War veteran, shouted: ``I'll take a shotgun and kill you just like I did in 'Nam.''

When Dulabhan advanced toward police and refused to show his hands, Scherer sent in Charon.

Prosecutors say Charon bit Dulabhan on the head, and Dulabhan responded by slugging the dog in the nose.

Charon charged again and bit Dulabhan while Scherer tried to handcuff the man. When Dulabhan still resisted, Charon again bit him and Scherer used pepper spray on him. Scherer was then able to handcuff Dulabhan, who was treated at Akron General Medical Center for his injuries.

Dulabhan pleaded guilty to assaulting a police dog, a fifth-degree felony, and aggravated menacing, a misdemeanor. He told court officials he remembered little of the event, except being bitten by Charon.

Prior to sentencing, Spicer recounted Dulabhan's long history of criminal conduct dating to 1963. She noted that alcohol and violence have always coincided with his legal woes.

While Dulabhan apologized, saying his attack on Charon ``should never have happened,'' his lawyer, Mark Weisman, asked that Dulabhan receive treatment for his alcoholism, which the lawyer said was the ``driving force'' behind his client's problems.

Weisman and Dulabhan's family declined to comment after the sentencing.

9 posted on 08/01/2002 5:07:02 AM PDT by jordan8
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To: Sungirl
"I can't believe the dog would of bit the guy for no reason."

Actually, police dogs go berserk quite often. They attack innocent bystanders and even human police officers. They are animals that have been trained to attack. If a police dog goes berserk and kills someone, will it be destroyed? I doubt it. He's "an officer and a gentleman", after all. If I were the defense attorney, I would have called Fido to the stand and questioned him. When he just barked instead of answering my questions, I would then ask the judge to hold Fido in contempt of court.

10 posted on 08/01/2002 5:07:15 AM PDT by You Gotta Be Kidding Me
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To: chance33_98
What is REALLY going on here is the fact that police feel that they can use a dog as a tool of excessive force. When this happens who's to blame? After all, he's just a dog, you can't charge him, criminally. Oh wait, you fought back against the dog???!!!! Now you've assaulted an "officer of the law."

The man's attorney is a fool for allowing the defendent to plead guilty to this crap.

11 posted on 08/01/2002 5:14:57 AM PDT by You Gotta Be Kidding Me
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To: chance33_98
"The assault was toward a canine officer," Judge Mary Spicer said. "An officer is an officer, whether they have two legs or whether they have four legs."

Another robed moron.
12 posted on 08/01/2002 5:17:17 AM PDT by aruanan
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To: Sungirl
If a dog can be a cop then some cops can, indeed, be pigs.
13 posted on 08/01/2002 5:18:30 AM PDT by aruanan
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To: chance33_98
"The assault was toward a canine officer," Judge Mary Spicer said. "An officer is an officer, whether they have two legs or whether they have four legs."

Caste system alert: "The assault was toward a Lord," Judge Mary Spicer said. "A Lord is a Lord, whether they have two legs or whether they have four legs."

SOP for police is to shoot the dogs of peasants if they even attempt to interfere, and sometimes even when they don't. But heaven help you if you so much as touch a Lord's dog - which itself is a Lord.

14 posted on 08/01/2002 5:20:14 AM PDT by coloradan
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To: chance33_98
Just on the surface, this elevating a dog to "officer" status is ridiculous.

If a real human type officer had bitten this man in the same manner, the officer would be in trouble. Can't you just see the video being ran on CNN.

One year in prison for punching a dog is an injustice. The punch could be just a normal reaction, sprung from fear. But, what do I know.
15 posted on 08/01/2002 5:26:50 AM PDT by Clovis_Skeptic
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To: maxwell; Phantom Lord; dubyaismypresident
I swear, this story reminds me of the movie "Half Baked".


16 posted on 08/01/2002 5:32:10 AM PDT by Constitution Day
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To: Constitution Day
I swear, this story reminds me of the movie "Half Baked".

I don't know. I get more of a "Blazing Saddles" vibe.

17 posted on 08/01/2002 5:49:26 AM PDT by Freemyland
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To: Constitution Day
BWAHAHA! That's just good ol' slapstick material right there, dude...

Officials said that Robert Dulabhan's daughter called police when she learned her father had a gun.

Hmmmmm... Sounds like more to the story than the reporter is saying. Hell, folks could call the cops on me, I got a gun. Though, if ol' boy is stoopid enough to hit a POLICE dog, I'd speculate that his daughter had good reason to call his sorry a$$ in...

18 posted on 08/01/2002 5:51:21 AM PDT by maxwell
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To: maxwell; Constitution Day
OK, dumbass me just read the extended article above referencing his drunken and threatening behavior...

Though I think the dog having bit him on the head is a bit excessive. Zounds, he really lucked out with the judge, huh. NOT. Talk about an agenda on the bench.

19 posted on 08/01/2002 5:53:47 AM PDT by maxwell
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To: Freemyland
I don't know. I get more of a "Blazing Saddles" vibe.

Now that you mention it, I guess the guy does have a -passing- resemblance to Mongo.

20 posted on 08/01/2002 5:54:31 AM PDT by Constitution Day
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