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.

[sine_nomine]

Thanks for the vivid descriptions and insights.

[monday]

"The dog "protected" the daughter? It's not like they lived in the Swiss Alps."

they would have been safer in the Swiss Alps. There the lifestyle police don't conduct no knock raids.

[GBA]

"so what happened?"

There was no lawsuit, but the deputy was forced to find other employment.

[monday]

"It's funny that I've received more posts regarding this, than other thread."

It's because a lot of us would like to see how you would react if it were your dog or your daughter who the police wrongly shot because they wrongly thought you might have guns. We think you are full of it!

[Centurion2000]

This and the raid they pulled on me when I dialed 911.

you called for help and they raided YOU?

[Centurion2000]

It is sad. But why is it that people always assume the worst of the police?

Because cops are not your friends, they are paid to violate your rights and deprive you of your freedom. The War on Drugs and asset forfeiture laws have given most of them more than enough corruption incentives.

NEVER trust the cops since all they are good for is taking reports.

[monday]

"You don't care about the welfare of the officers. The dog is more important."

The dog is dead, the officers are fine. You don't care about the dog or it's family, you only care about the officers.

The thing is, it was the officers who were responsible for everyones safety including the dogs when they walked into that yard. if they are not competent enough to observe warning signs and do their investigations safely then they are in the wrong job.

The public, except for thug worshipers like you, have no patience for police harassment and/or brutality when they do it to innocent people.

If this family were criminals you wouldn't see the same disgust for your views you are seeing now, but law abiding people like us like to think we are safe from police brutality if we follow the law and stay out of trouble. Stories like this one remind us we are not safe, even from our own police force. So when people like you defend this type of thing, of course we are going to be reviled and disgusted with you.

[zeugma]

So you prove my point. You don't care about the welfare of the officers. The dog is more important.

It's not that folks don't necessarily care about the "welfare " of the officers, but when you and I would most likely be hauled off to jail if we'd shot a dog under the same circumstances. I think the thing that upsets people the most is that there is one set of laws for the government agents, and another set for the lowly "citizens".

[Centurion2000]

Always remember the only difference in a PO and the average Citizen is that they are sworn to enforce the law.

The other difference is that police can arrest for misdemenors and felonies while citizens are restrictied to felony arrests. Right?

[zeugma]

Thanks for the post about the 911 call. It sure illuminates things a bit.

[unixfox]

This crap will continue until armed citizens start shooting back at these jack booted thugs.

[BibChr]

One wonders if the genesis for such animus is colorful personal histories, or questionable current pursuits.

To put it delicately.

[LowOiL]

St. Bernard's are about as mild mannered as they come.

Odd, As a youth of about 11, We had a neighbor who owned a big St. Bernard that was leader of the wild pack of dogs in the town (only 500 people in the town). I still remember having to sneak over to the neighbor's yard to retrieve the garbage cans he took out of the 400 lb. steel holder we welded to hold the cans. He would lift the whole can and carry it over to his yard to enjoy at his leisure.

I would slip over to pick up the female items mom didn't want displayed in their yard.

Needless to say, when Goliath got hit by a truck and died, there were no tears shed at our house. None at all.

[pepsionice]

I would say that the daughter is now at great risk. I'd go out and acquire six of the best attack dogs possible...all trained to attack and kill anyone in a police uniform. I'd then turn around and let the cops know that should they ever come back to my neighborhood...unannounced...as fast as the cop might think he can shoot...one of those six will get to him...and will go for the throat.

Of course, I could put up posters around town of policemen and the caption of "dog killers protect your neighborhood" and accomplish alot with that as well...and avoid paying for six dogs.

[fnord]

what's not to believe. they always shoot the dog. surprised there wasn't a "small bag of marijuana" found too.

someone ought to start a "cop shoots dog" ping list, but it would probably be too active.

[HairOfTheDog]

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?

Right. I must just hate dogs. Sheesh. I run the doggie ping list, forcryingoutloud. I love dogs, I just don't hate cops.

We don't know what kind of complaint they were investigating, so speculating is not real helpful... it only tends to show bias.

[jmc813]

I hope the next time you have an emergency that warrents police

Enforcing unconstitutional gun laws is hardly an "emergency".

[Domandred]

I hope the next time you have an emergency that warrents police, that you deal with it yourself

Emergencies do not warrant police, the after effects do. The only emergencies police deal with are the ones that you should deal with yourself or you end up being a victim.

I'm not bashing police I'm just saying their job is crime prevention, then prosecuting crime afterwards. They can't be around everywhere so waiting for them in a police type emergency only gets people hurt or killed. Yea you might get hurt or killed dealing with it yourself, but better tried by 12 then carried by 6.

For other emergenies that is what Fire and EMS are for.

[gopheraj]

Yeppers. She is sweet dog and the reason she was given up for adoption was that the people were afraid she was attacking the neighbor kids chasing their own kids. She doesn't bite - just grabs their arm. Krisi has a picture of Allie "nursing" the kitten they adopted. Cat didnt give a rats behind that she was getting any milk either. LOL

[Myrddin]

The cops who screwed up need to make restitution to the family and attend training appropriate to preventing a recurrence of the problem. We only have this single story describing this event. The officer's supervisor is in a better position to discern whether this is a one time screw up or a pattern of poor judgment.

Your proposed solution shows malicious intent toward the police officers. That would set the family up for prison time. In the case discussed in this thread, the cops were on an investigation of a "non specific gun complaint". That sort of mischief happens all the time. Angy ex-spouses and girlfriends/boyfriends make false reports to cause people trouble. Aside from killing the dog, the investigation found the complaint groundless. The person filing the complaint needs to be investigated for filing a false report.