While you defend these cops, the victims family will get no closure, and the perps will get paid leave for weeks. Their buddies will say “it was an accident”, “he’s a good guy”, “it wasn’t intentional”, “the pit bull was being aggressive”, “the kid didn’t get out of the way.” Then after all is said and done the cop and his buddies will be back on the beat ready for their next “mistake.”
If anyone but a cop did this, it would be involuntary manslaughter charge and 5 years minimum in prison.
This is just ONE of the many many many corrupt actions of the cops. You would despise them if you had any brains.
But then you go off the rocker with the whole anti-cop thing.
Rationally, the issue isn't cops, it is a unequal treatment before the law. There's the laws for you and me, and the laws for public employees; that's just plain wrong. And that is truly the issue that needs to be fixed.
I'm rather sure that should such things be fixed, you won't have cops opening fire on kids with airsoft rifles. Yes, I want every officer possible to make it home to their family tonight; I'm not interested in paving that journey with the bodies of our children and friends.
Perps? Stop using TV jargon. TV police use the word perps.
The officer will get two days off. That’s it.
This was an accident. You cannot charge a person of any walk of life with murder, manslaughter or really any other crime without mens rea, or a culpable state of mind.
However, citizens have no authority or duty to enter another persons property to investigate crime or disorder, police officers do, as long as they can articulate the needs to do so. If a citizen walked onto another’s property, armed and uninvited, and shot a dog that was responding to a threat, then they would be in the commission of a crime and would likely face charges. You do that here in Missouri, and a homeowner can shoot you under Castle Doctrine, and will most likely be free afterwards.
However, the dogs owner should be sued as well but in all likelihood has no money.
Did you miss the part about the officer already being bit? What sane person would allow a demonstratively dangerous animal bite them again if they had the means to defend themselves?
Are you as flipping outraged when a inner city ne’er do well guns down an innocent kid? Look up Jamyla Bolden. She is one of dozens of kids in just my city alone that has been shot, not by police, but by many of the same “people” that think it is cool to have pits.
And for those who would complain about the shot accuracy, remember, the silhouettes you shoot at don’t run at you from a surprise cover position at thirty miles an hour.
One officer I supervised had a similar scenario when a pit came out of cover from the front of car and moved on him aggressively. As he was backing up to retreat the pit charged him and he was forced to shoot. Three rounds, two hits, the third skipped off the driveway and embedded itself in the house. The pit expired at his feet.
The homeowner was sad about the dog but glad the officer was not injured. I was glad the officer did not get a career ending bite, not only because we would lose a good officer, but the state would be on the hook for his early retirement and medical bills for life.
I don’t blame the kid, who was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, I don’t blame the police who were only protecting themselves, and certainly did not want the kid to be shot, and I can’t blame a dog who is protecting his turf.
It’s called a tragedy and no one needs or will go to jail. The dogowner needs to be punished in civil proceedings.