Posted on 11/21/2007 12:36:37 PM PST by Lurker
A Teton County, Idaho family is outraged after they say a sheriff's deputy tried to murder their dog in their own front yard.
The Barboza family has owned their dog Bobby for five years. A few days ago they say a Teton County Idaho Sheriff's Deputy knocked on their door demanding to see the dog.
Leonel Barboza, Dog Owner: "He says, 'I'm here to put him down. I'm here to kill him.'"
The officer told Leo Barboza there had been a complaint Bobby had bitten someone.
Barboza: "I said, 'Do you have any proof or anything?' He says, 'I don't need any proof.'"
So Leo got the dog while the deputy pulled out a rifle from his car. They walked a few feet from the Barboza's home where Leo's wife and his three year old son were inside.
Leo and the officer tied the dog to a pole when the deputy fired three shots. The dog then collapsed. Leo's son heard the gunshots and opened the front door. Meanwhile...
Barboza: "A bunch of kids just got off the bus and they were all on the street. All the kids were watching the officer shooting the dog. My heart was broken seeing an officer killing my dog."
The deputy then got in his vehicle and drove away leaving the dog bleeding profusely from his head almost dead.
Barboza: "I came back inside with my wife and hid. We were hugging each other crying about our dog because we were gonna miss him. He's been with us for five years."
That night Leo's father-in-law, who witnessed the whole thing, had a nervous breakdown and had to be hospitalized. When the family returned home from the hospital a few days later, they were shocked to see their dog alive.
Barboza: "My wife called me up and she's like, 'Hey, the dog's alive!' I was like, 'What are you serious?' I was happy my dog was alive."
The Teton County Idaho Sheriff wouldn't say much about this case except that it's still under investigation. He also said there's been numerous complaints about the Barboza's dog. But when I checked court records, I could only find one complaint filed last year and that was dismissed.
Nate Eaton, Channel 3 Eyewitness News: "Did your dog ever bite anybody?"
Barboza: "Not to my knowledge. No."
Eaton: "And this was the first time you'd ever heard of any complaint?"
Barboza: "Yes, this is the first time. I still think about it. You know my kid thinks all the cops are bad because an officer came and shot his dog. Honestly when I think about it I get mad too and I don't trust that officer any more."
The Barboza's took Bobby to the vet. He's now on medication to get the wounds taken care of. The holes in his head will be sewn up after Thanksgiving.
The family has hired attorney Josh Garner. I spoke with him this evening and he says, "If the facts are as they appear, the deputies behavior is disgusting, troublesome, and appalling. The officer needs to be held responsible."
Several sources say the officer is still on duty and still working in the county.
If you have a comment on this story, email us yourturn@kidk.com or natee@kidk.com.
The owner already followed your advice. I hope the "deputy" is immediately dismissed and prosecuted to the maximum extent permitted. The lawyer has been hired and the whole community is watching this asshole. If the sheriff fails to act, he may be looking for a new job too.
good point.
There is no way I would let anyone, cop or not, shoot my dog. Crazy.
you got a point there. I’ve got a hunch the lot of the folks in this town aren’t very smart or well educated or sophisticated or well-mannered.
If it were my wonderful fantastic dog of earlier days, no way. Maybe a so-so dog, but not the great dog.
It’s not as if every dog is the same (”buy dozens more”). They’re very different. Boy, do I know.
And even if it was suspected the dog had rabies- shooting him in the head meant they could not reliably test for rabies. The head has to be sent to the lab.
So this is true then? The deputy really did this?
You’re right about that.
My main real grammar cringe:
“there’s been numerous complaints” - not a quote, but a narrative.
Never mind the continuity is not very good. I was confused very much in the middle. I stuck it out and read through!
I doubt if Bobby is too fond of him either.
Wasn’t there a case like this with a slightly different fact set in PA just last week and the cops are always right gang telling us that such events were really really rare?
I agree. But the alternative (dog lives, owner dies or goes to prison) isn’t much of an alternative.
With wounds like that, it’s usually essential to let them stay open and drain. Closing them up too early is just asking for nasty abscesses. I suspect these are just deep flesh wounds, and that the dog was cared for by a neighbor who had experience treating injuries to farm animals.
Somebody has to start fighting for what is right and good, and not just back down anymore.
As the cops teach us - “don’t fight back, it’s ONLY a wallet!”
And more of us get robbed - and more of us get killed just because it’s that easy, and fun. The “common criminals” despise us wimps.
I know. It just hit me funny. After 3 days he’s alive and gonna get sewed up after Thanksgiving.
Maybe Michael Vick escaped from jail dressed as a deputy...
On a serious note, this is why the SCOTUS ruling on the DC 2d Amendment case is so important.
I certainly agree if this story is accurate he is outrageously wrong. On the other hand, all of the info in the story came from one side, so it behooves us to wait for more info.
susie
The cop wasn’t much of a shot was he?
Short list of charges:
Unlawful Use of a Weapon.
Felony Criminal Animal Cruelty.
Discharging a Firearm within City Limits.
Disorderly Conduct.
Conspiracy to Commit (if he discussed this with anyone beforehand)
And the big one: Deprivation of Civil Rights under False Color of Authority.
Then there are the multiple Civil suits against the officer and the municipality.
L
This sounds like a rural area where the guy with the gun and badge is the law, and few people understand the sort of law that the rest of us take for granted.
This particular guy with a gun and badge is in deep legal trouble, because with wide publicity, the incident has certainly come to attention of those segments of Idaho society where more advanced concepts of law prevail. He is also amazingly incompetent with a gun. Three rifle shots to a tied-up dog, with intent to kill, and the dog lives to tell the tale ??? If the guy has a family, I sure hope they don’t expect HIM to protect them from home invaders!
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