Police Shoot Dog In Front Of Family

WFSB Eyewitness3 News ^ | December 21, 2006 | WFSB

[FreedomCalls]

HARTFORD, Conn. -- Police shot a man's dog in front of his daughter on Wednesday night.

Channel 3 Eyewitness News reporter Jamie Roth reported Hartford police officers shot a St. Bernard by the front door of Glen Harris' home. ...

Harris claimed it all began when officers unexpectedly showed up in the yard. ...

"They didn't knock. They ignored the sign, the dog sees or hears (and) protects my daughter, so he ran toward him -- not growling, not foaming at the mouth, not anything," Harris said.

Police told Eyewitness News the officers were investigating a complaint about guns when the dog charged them. Two officers said they ran to the street and that the dog lunged at the second officers, who fired three shots.

Harris said his daughter saw the whole thing.

"While she's running toward the dog, they kill him. She's yelling, 'Why'd you shoot him? I was going to get him. Why'd you shoot him?'" Harris said.

Police continue to investigate the incident. The police report in the incident does not list any guns found at the Harris home and no one was arrested.

[teeman8r]

cujo didn't mean to do it... it was the rabies talking...

besides, he was shunned at the academy awards and never worked again.

teeman

[finnigan2]

I'm afraid that when you give some types of individual a gun and authority to use it, they can't wait to try it out.
I've noticed the same type of behavior on shows which depict the activities of so called SWAT teams. These guys are highly trained but, in most towns, they don't get called upon very often so they have built up this incredible level of pent up testosterone. When they do get involved, it seems they are so eager to put into practice all their gung-ho methods that they wind up turning a simple take down into complex maneuvers that resemble the D Day invasion.

[Hatteras]

"Does anyone else remember that famed St. Bernard, Cujo?"

I remember hearing that they had to use a rottweiler in some of the scenes because they couldn't get the St. Bernards (4 or 5 of them in all) to look or act vicious enough.

[gopheraj]

Actually, they all aren't. Our daughter has one (a rescue)and she is a huge nanny to their 2 kids. If someone is chasing the kids (playing) Allie will grab them by the arm or britches or leg - whatever is available - and stop them. Same with chasing her mama (Krisi) Now if a delivery guy or utility guy comes up, they better not swat at her to keep her away. One guy was lucky enough to swat and then be faster than Allie. Krisi will usually make sure she is up away from utility people etc since she is so big and mean looking with all that slobber hanging out of her mouth. She is a big slobbery baby otherwise and loves cats and not for breakfast. LOL

[A Strict Constructionist]

Never said I was a cop and I don't hate them. Just have to work in close proximity and have way too much inside info.. It ain't good folks. We have a serious problem in this country that needs to be fixed, but without hamstringing law enforcement. We must get them away from the paramilitary attitude and remind them that they are civilians entrusted with the enforcement of laws and that they are not special people that are above the law. I have had too many tell me that laws don't apply to them and that they are the law to put my trust in them. I k ow that it is dangerous out there but PO's don't even make the top 20 list of most dangerous jobs, way below truck drivers.

[Charlespg]

Garnish the officer's wages until he pays off the cost of a replacement St. Bernard puppy. Failure to heed the "Beware of Dog" sign, failure to call the residents on the phone and killing the dog on the pretense that it was "lunging" at them. In the end, it was a fishing expedition without merit. What business is it of the police to care whether the residents have guns? The right to keep and bear arms is a protected the 2nd amendment. Trampling on people's rights and destroying their private property at the same time. There was no mention that "guns" were being used by the residents to threaten or inflict harm on anyone.

If this article is true take their badges...permanently

[monday]

"Come on. Not all bernards are mild."

You miss the point. The dog was doing it's job of protecting the girl. He was in his yard, not out on the street. The dog was within his right to kill the police officer as the officer had no business entering the yard without in invitation. For all the dog knew, he could have been a murderer. As it turns out he was.

The officer should be fired and tried for felony animal cruelty and prohibited for gun ownership. The family should sue the city, and the officers involved.

[monday]

"What were they supposed to 'knock' on? The sidewalk?"

The kid and her dog were on the porch. Think it would have been too much trouble to ask permission from her? or at least ask her to put the dog inside or chain it instead of ignoring the "beware of dog" sign and just walking into the yard?

PS. the article doesn't say if the yard was fenced or not, so you can't assume it wasn't. It did say there was a sign. Any way you slice it, this looks very bad for the cops involved.

[monday]

"I love dogs, but this dog was loose. A loose big dog on the street."

Really? What makes you say that?

[Leatherneck_MT]

If it had been a Mexican Dog, the cops would already be in jail facing a hanging.

[HairOfTheDog]

I can assume there was no fence because the article says the dog pursued them to the street. The shooting happened in the street.

[Fierce Allegiance]

Scumbags.

[Fierce Allegiance]

Garnish the officer's wages until he pays off the cost of a replacement St. Bernard puppy.

I'd add a couple million in emotional distress. These cops should become the lifelong personal slaves of the girl for what they did.

[monday]

"I can assume there was no fence because the article says the dog pursued them to the street. The shooting happened in the street."

That doesn't preclude there from being a fence. The dog might have followed them through the gate, left open by the officers, or lunged at the officer from the other side of the fence. It doesn't say the shooting happened "in the street".

The article does say there was a sign the officers ignored. Presumably it warned trespassers of the dog. I have a similar sign hanging on my fence.

[traviskicks]

You won't believe this one...





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[monday]

"The cop should get a commendation"

sigh. I agree that the cop was probably a nice guy, but a Pit bull terrorizing the neighborhood is a dog that should be shot.

Shooting family pets in their own yards is bad. Shooting rampaging Pit Bulls who are terrorizing the neighborhood is good. Why is that so hard for LEOs to understand?

[monday]

"The deputy drew his revolver and shot the dog dead."

so what happened? did your friend shoot the deputy? Did they sue? what?

[The Antiyuppie]

"I hope the next time you have an emergency that warrents police, that you deal with it yourself, because obviously you don't trust them."

This is an excellent idea.

[DogByte6RER]

[monday]

"I'd imagine the complaint included something that was against the law, or they wouldn't investigate, right?"

The cop was a member of the lifestyle police. something I guess only socialist havens like Connecticut have. Probably checking to see if he had trigger locks on his guns? Do you think cops should be competent enough to investigate something like that without shooting the family dog in front of the 12 year old daughter?

Since they didn't find any guns and didn't arrest anyone, I guess they need to persecute whoever made the false charge. Jail time would seem to be in order since the consequences of the false charge are pretty serious. You agree don't you?

or do you just hate dogs and applaud whenever cops shoot one?