Posted on 10/25/2013 5:06:22 PM PDT by nickcarraway
A Boise family is outraged over the death of their 5-year-old dog. Sunday afternoon, a Boise Police officer fired his weapon at the dog, killing it.
For years, Gabrielle Stropkai found companionship in her dog, Kita, calling her a lover and a friend for her son Hayden to grow up with.
“We have kids who run up and pull her tail and grab her by the back of the neck and get in her face and she does nothing but love on them,” said Stropkai.
However, as two Boise patrol officers were investigating a theft that was reported in the area of Woodlawn and 28th Sunday afternoon they felt threatened by Kita.
According to Boise Police spokesman Charles McClure, Kita began running toward them and the officers felt forced to protect themselves.
Neighbors like Bryan Adams were outside at that time and saw it happen.
“She was walking by and went 'ruff ruff' just a couple of little ruffs and that's when she was walking by she didn't jump at him or anything,” explained Adams.
Other witnesses to the incident described the dog as barking and snarling at officers as it approached them.
Stropkai tells KTVB she let Kita outside to use the bathroom and she was in her sight when the officer made an instant decision.
“In about five seconds he pulled his weapon, asked whose dog it was, and shot her in the back of the head,” said Stropkai.
Stropkai explains her two-year-old son Hayden was also witness to the shooting.
“Hayden was outside, about two feet away from me,” said Stropkai's mother, Michelle Pierott. McClure said the two officers were standing in a parking lot when one decided to fire a single shot at the dog when it came within three feet of them.
Kita, a mixed breed, was hit and died at the scene.
“By the time I came out she was down, (I) ran over and looked back and said you just shot her,” said Pierott. “Kita wouldn't have attacked.”
However, the Boise Police Department disagrees. In a statement issued Sunday evening by the department Deputy Chief Pete Ritter had this to say.
"Officers never want to harm an animal. The dog came upon the officers quickly and they felt it was about to bite them. This is a very dog friendly community. Many officers have dogs. We work with dogs. Dogs running loose are a safety risk, for people and for the dogs. This was a very unfortunate situation for everyone involved."
The family believes the officer acted too fast and although an investigation was launched, the biggest worry on their minds is Kita’s six two-week old puppies.
“Now we are going to have to figure out how to keep them alive... without her,” said Pierott. The City of Boise does have a leash ordinance; dog owners are required to keep their dogs on leash, except in specified areas.
See my message #78 below. A phobia is an irrational fear.
If the dog is shot in the back of the head, how is tarnation is it possible the dog was approaching the shooter as alleged?
see #77
When attacked you don’t present an easy target by grouping together. You separate.
When the officers stepped apart from each other, the dog when it turned to one or the other officer was exposing substantially the back part of its head.
You’re going to have better luck dancing on the head of a pin, than explaining how the dog was threatening the shooter when the dog was shot in the back of the head.
Where are you getting all this?
Heck the stuff will, and has stopped POLAR bears! Few humans are 1000+ lbs of mean or that powerful... or that large. And cleanup involves, water, lots of water, but no one or nothing is dead. 40 minutes latter they are fine.
So why not use that??
And if you doubt me, let me know when you will meet with me when you have a baseball bat. I have a wallet with money in it that is your’s X 100... if you csn take it from me. If not you pay me the amount in the wallet X 100.
You must bring you own bottle of water to clean your eyes out at the end. I get to video you for You Tube.
Because the officers are separated. When threatened they’re not trained to wrap their arms around each other and hug or stay in a tight group to provide a big target. They’re trained to separate. The dog would then turn to one or the other of them and could easily be described as threatening them.
That’s IS what some of the witnesses said. They didn’t seem to like that dog. Wonder why?
So as a witness, you’re saying the shooter was protecting the other officer that the dog was approaching?
Is this what you’re saying?
I’m saying they are a team.
Me too.... on both counts.
For the 60,000 dollar question Mr. zin....
If the dog was approaching the one officer in a threatening manner, why did the officer that the dog was approaching not shoot the dog?
Take your time here.
That’s an idiotic response to the point I was making.
For the 60,000 dollar question Mr. zin....
If the dog was approaching the one officer in a threatening manner, why did the officer that the dog was approaching not shoot the dog?
Take your time here.
????
Probably too busy dodging his partner's gunfire. :-)
LOL...
But only one shot reported in the article right?
For the 60,000 dollar question Mr. zin....
If the dog was approaching the one officer in a threatening manner, why did the officer that the dog was approaching not shoot the dog?
Take your time here.
Hey zin....you’re up!!
Trying to make sense with an emotionally charged article with little facts in evidence is very difficult.
I have tried.
It isn’t helped that officers often do shoot dogs without sufficient reason.
Departments would rather pay for 10 dead dogs than one dog bite.
It says there were 2 officers and “the officer” fired the round.
It also says: “McClure said the two officers were standing in a parking lot when one decided to fire a single shot at the dog when it came within three feet of them. “
One officer shot the dog that the article says was “threatening them”.
So, either one of the two could have been “the officer”.
I’d like my 60,000 in my account instead of small bills.
That’s why I think the owner is the one at fault for letting a dog run loose.
Something is wrong, though, that some of the neighbors felt led to report it as a snarling dog. If that’s true, what message are they sending?. If they’re lying, what message are they sending?
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.