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.
Guy down the road from me has these 2 dirty mutts that he lets run loose. Was deer hunting a few months back and the dogs saw me up in the tree. Both of them stared barking up the tree. After 20 minutes they finally went away. I went back to the house and drove over to this guys house and let him have the business. I told him that if I see his dogs on my property ever again that I was going to shoot them. Those 2 dogs have been on leashes ever since.
The initial reason for the visit was a complaint of some undescribed potential crime which they had a duty and obligation to investigate. The loose dog reportedly lunged at them while investigating that complaint. But don't let facts slow you down...
At the same time, and this really warms my heart, they began pulling street/door delivery from neighborhoods (or rural routes) where an owner refused to curb his dog.
Dog bites plummeted.
Psych test? Naw ~ I've gone along on route evaluations and other pieces of postal business out on the streets and it's simply amazing how lax many dog owners are.
Personal experience? What were the people doing in order to have a bad encounter with the police?
Er... yeah. A Constitutionally protected Right. Owning Firearms. And? Is suspicion of free speech enough to call out the SWAT team?
You are correct. The officers do not need a warrant to open a fence. One would however believe they need common sense since there was a sign that said "Beware of Dog". Then again maybe they were being too macho to read it or just figured they would shoot any dog they saw.
Is there such a thing as a bad cop?
Yes or No?
I understand that not all police should be in that line of work. However, the disparagement that they are getting on this thread without knowing the entire story is outrageous.
It is truely sad about your friend's dog too.
Playing in the yard with their dog perhaps?
I don't. But guys with names like Glen Harris living with a wife and kid in a suburban neighborhood of a small town like Hartford, CT generally aren't dangerous criminals, and St. Bernards generally aren't vicious dogs.
If I had a dollar for every time a strange dog "lunged" at me on the street I'd be rich, and I've never shot one of them.
Are there arrogant posters on this thread?
Or, maybe you wouldn't wait to file suit.
Choice is yours.
I don't know the nature of the complaint, do you? Constitution or not, there are in fact some limitations on what all we can do with guns without running afoul of the law. I'd imagine the complaint included something that was against the law, or they wouldn't investigate, right?
You betcha.
I answered your question.
Answer mine.
Haven't these police ever heard of pepper spray?
Maybe they should put 3 bullets into a sibling of the first moron who suggest that would remedy the situation and have his/her parents adopt another sibling. No, not all dogs are Lassie, Beethoven, Snoopy or Marmaduke but all dogs have individual personalities and most of those personalities are better than most humans I have known.
Police don't know Glen Harris, his family, and dog. It's interesting that we all think that people can "see" that we're "really good" people. You have to get to know someone first.
"...St. Bernards generally aren't vicious dogs."
"Generally" is the key word here.
Silly!
Pepper spray is no fun! The cops would not get the thrill of taking the dogs life that way. What the heck are you thinking!
I strongly support the rule of rational law, but cops behaving like this are TFAs!!!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.