Posted on 12/21/2006 7:18:44 PM PST by 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.
Interesting. I looked up your home for sale. Pretty cool, just what I would love, except I have to work here.
No the rights of American citizens are more important
the cops in this case came out on a illegal and unconstitutional search and shot a family pet in front a 12 year kid
The city should be made to pay threw the ass for violating the family's civil rights.and the trigger happy yahoos involved should be fired and permanently disbarred from serving in law enforcement
--but please, lets stick to the actual facts presented --
Are you trying to rain on their parade?
I do try :~)
--St. Bernard's are about as mild mannered as they come.--
Hmmm. Seemed like Harris thought otherwise.
"Harris claimed it all began when officers unexpectedly showed up in the yard. He said his large dog may have been excitable and may have been protecting the 12-year-old in his care, but he was an important part of the family and the neighborhood.
....
"When we moved here, there was a problem with kids smoking and drinking, and because of the size of the dogs, there's no crime here now," Harris said.
Alot of imagining in this post. Imagining you have the facts and history of the person involved in the incident. Perps/Drug dealers often use dogs as a mechanism to delay law enforcement.
The police were simply coming in to knock on the door, the dog attacked the officer, the dog is dead. BFD.
Personally any unleashed dog I see I report to the police. As a runner/walker, dogs infringe on my right to run/walk in peace. If a dog attacks me, I will kill the dog.
Where does it say the dog attacked the officer?
Don't tell lies.
No surprise. They do that regularly to humans too.
It says that the dog lunged at the officer.
Unless the dog was just wanting to lick his face, I'd consider that an attack.
--What I want someone to tell me though is why the cops felt they had to use deadly force?--
Have you ever had a large dog chase and lung at you in the dark? I have. Fortunately, his chain brought him up short of me.
I don't know much about St. Bernards, but the family decided to put up a Beware of the Dog sign. Why, if the dog was not dangerous?
I bet this makes page ... oh ... page 2000 of the Courant!
--I have a beagle that barks at anybody that walks past the fence line. Every time it barks it "lunges" at the fence. --
Your beagle has problems.
This was made an ironclad policy at Casa de elkfersupper more than a decade ago.
Correctomundo my friend....
"Very often when dogs bark they run at whoever or whatever they are barking at. It does not precipitate an attack.
Lunging is another matter. If a strange dog lunges at me, that is an attack. You can't expect somebody to wait to see if it is a harmless lunge or one that goes for the throat. I love dogs really. But I look at any unleashed dog as a threat. I report them asap and or the owners if I can ascertain the owner name. I do this in hopes that the problem is corrected. If it isn't the dog needs to be put down. Too many kids getting killed and maimed for life by unleased dogs. I've personally been attacked and treed by both a Rottweiler and a Doberman. The Doberman I was lucky because he was attacking and I was out inthe woods. I was fortunate enough to be close to a tree to use as defense on high/steep ground with a perfect sized club nearby.
Is it illegal to own a dog?
Is it illegal to have a "beware of dog" sign?
Is it illegal to have a "beware of dog" sign regardless of the danger or lack of danger the dog might impose?
If you were a police officer and you went to a home with a beware of dog sign would you think, "Oh...the dog will recognize me as an officer of the law and stay a respectful distance."?
Perhaps what we have here are some officers with a lack of common sense. I'm sure they would fit in much better at McDonalds dishing up french fries.
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