Posted on 08/19/2011 8:10:23 PM PDT by Artemis Webb
A federal jury says Chicago law enforcement must pay $330,000 to a family after officers shot their dog during a home raid that turned up no illegal activity.
Thomas Russell, then 18, opened the door to his home in February 2009 to find police officers with their guns drawn. He asked if he could lock up his 9-year-old black labrador, named Lady, before letting the officers inside. The Chicago Tribune describes what happened next:
Police refused the request and came into the house, the lawsuit said. When Lady came loping around the corner with her tail wagging, Officer Richard Antonsen shot the dog, according to the suit, which alleged excessive force, false arrest and illegal seizure for taking the dog's life.
The cops handcuffed Russell and his 16-year-old brother, and eventually charged Russell with obstructing their operation. He was found not guilty. According to NBC, the jury awarded $175,000 to Russell, $85,000 to his little brother, and $35,000 each to the brothers' parents. The officer who shot the dog owes $2,000 in damages, and his supervisor owes $1,000, according to NBC.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
what gives the Federal Government, even in a “Martial Law” situation the right to give any local deputy or police officer direct orders to do anything?
I know half of my department who would laugh, toss a middle finger at the Fed Bureaucrat and leave our badges spinning while we left with all our gear to go and protect our families against said federal tyranny.
Second, when states and cites go bankrupt, the fed will own the local departments. Show me a government union employee that won’t “follow orders” to ensure his paycheck or pension.
Third, I’m not worried about the “half” that would ignore the feds, I’m worried about the other half.
Also, I have a strong feeling that if the US Government tried such an unconstitutional “martial law” takeover of the citizenry I believe that they would also disarm and disband most local law enforcement agencies. I really don’t think they would even attempt to make then “gestapo-drones”.
Federal policy ends up being enforced by locals, whether absurd speed limits, gun confiscation, no-knock drug raids, gold confiscation, or whatever.
The real question is how far would the typical cop go to keep his paycheck and pension.
Protecting themselves fom a Lab?! Give me a break!!
I’ve owned several Labs. They’re big, gassy, and obnoxious friendly to all. But guard dogs they are not. You would have to be incredibly threatening to get the normal Lab to attack you, in my experience.
They might growl, but with the owner there, I doubt that they would attack. Such is my experience with the breed, anyway.
“The MAJORITY of agents of the state won’t think TWICE before carrying the State’s orders! To think anything else is to not be prepared.”
That didn’t happen in the USSR - the day it fell.
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