Cop took just 3 seconds to shoot dog

WorldNetDaily.com ^ | Thursday, January 9, 2003

[Ken H]

Couldn't agree more.

When I was 7 or 8, I got bit in the face by a farmers dog, which left a nice gash on my forehead. My folks washed and patched the wound, and never took me to the doctor...

...until about 3 days later to get a rabies shot. And another one a week later. These were the old-fashioned rabies shots that they gave in the lower abdomen.

The dog was fine after 2 weeks, so they stopped the series of shots.

Anyway, I was not traumatized, I did not get counseling, and I continued to be friends with this dog until he died a few years later.

[DannyTN]

"So now the shooter is the victim. These truly are strange times."

I didn't say the shooter was the victim. I do however give him the benefit of the doubt in the shooting.

I just said he looked like the model of restaint relative to the people on this board.

[Kevin Curry]

I am convinced that nationally televised video supposedly showing police engaged in brutality is always interpreted by the "huddled masses" in an emotional way, rather than a rational way.

You are right, of course.

There would be far, far less outcry if Hall had been off-duty when this happened. Even less concern if he were just an ordinary joe responding--however erroneously--to what he considered a threat to his personal safety. Most of these nuts just despise cops.

[dtel]

I can tell you it makes me leery of taking my dogs anywhere with me.
I see the Texas Revenue Enhancement Team with vehicles pulled over every time I venture onto I-20, the fact 90% are black is a whole 'nother subject, the doors and trunks wide open.
Three seconds.
One thousand one
One thousand two
One thousand three
Only option, kill dog.
This doesn't seem like a reasonable response to me.

[Kevin Curry]

Your post reminds me of the idiot liberal British newsman who got beat to a pulp in Afghanistan and hurried to assure everyone that his assailants weren't at fault, that he "deserved" his beating.

I'm not frightened of a pitbull or any other aggressive dog running loose that might menacingly approach me or a member of my family on a public street. If I don't have a gun with me, maybe I'll pick up a large rock or two and pop it on the old bean. But if I have my handgun, *bang.*

It's really pretty simple.

[dtel]

My granny's neighbor had a mean ass Dashound (weiner dog) that she let out every day when I came home for lunch as a second grader. Would chase me all the way to my door.
After a week of this foolishness I kicked old Fritz square in the head and we got along just fine after that.
Deadly force was not needed then or in this instance either. Period.

[delacoert]

I think he is taking the heat for every gripe and fear these people have had with government since they were born.

They are railroading him in a merciless frenzy of lynch mob mentality, that makes Officer Hall look like the model of restraint.

That too. I couldn't agree more.

[Kevin Curry]

This doesn't seem like a reasonable response to me.

Yeah. Everbody knows you're supposed to wait until they bite.

[FreedomCalls]

So why is he wandering around a police stop with a loaded and cocked shotgun anyway? Was he planning on blasting off the head of one of vacationers? Did he not have a pistol? Of what possible use was a shotgun in this instance? He was never more than 10 feet away from the detainees. Perhaps blasting a 8-inch hole in someone's stomach or blasting off their head is your idea of how a cop should behave in this situation, but it's not mine. I have no feeling for the dog, my concern is for what he could have done to one of the people and whether or not I have to fear for my own life the next time I travel through Tennessee.

[DannyTN]

He was a Cookeville officer who was called in to serve backup to the Tennessee State Police while they made the felony stop. He was effectively supposed to be guarding their backs. So it was the Tennessee State Troopers who left the door open, and Cookeville officer was just unfortunate enough to be the one the dog came toward.

[Mulder]

NONE of the apologists for the police have said one word about how to improve policing.

The bootlickers who are defending this thug, would be the first in line to call for the arrest and prosecution of Joe Q. Citizen, who carried a handgun and shot a REAL attacking dog with it.

They would also defend the police stealing Joe Q.'s gun.

However, when one of their 'gods' shoot an innocent puppy dog, their attitude is that the family should thank the JBT's for not shooting them as well or for not charging them with some phony felony.

I wish the bootlicking brigades would get the hell out of my country, and go somewhere that their attitudes are welcome like China or Russia.

[dtel]

"Yeah. Everbody knows you're supposed to wait until they bite."

That is a pretty lame response, and entirely discounts the fact four other officers were present, the owners were handcuffed, the officers let the effing dog out anyway and the lady screamed the dog won't bite.
Other than that, I agree he did the right thing.
Give him a promotion, make him Captain.

[dtel]

At least they are not here in response to the police breaking into the wrong house at 3 am and shooting some innocent bloke in the chest.
Those are the ones that make me shudder.

[Chemnitz]

I watched the news report and the video. I find the story quite disturbing for several reasons. The anonymous caller said the vehicle was traveling 110 miles and hour. No one seemed to question that. I wonder how fast it was going. I am willing to bet it was not 110 mph. She said there was money all over the Interstate, but what robbers would scatter their loot? That is a wild assumption - not at all logical.

Arriving on the scene the police should have been cautious but not so eager to cuff people behind their backs. I am on the side of the police, but not when they are out of control. How many felons fit this profile - a mother, a father, and a teen?

Finally I see a dog running and wagging his tail. It's hard to tell much from the vido. We have a very loyal Sheltie. She always warns men with growling and barking. Her threat behavior is quite obvious. She has not bitten anyone. I do not see justification for blowing the family's dog away. If I had a family cuffed (I am not in law enforcement), the family dog could be a threat but not much of one.

I see a big lawsuit settled in favor of the family. The guilty people involved (dispatcher, officers) need some training and a refresher course in constitutional law.

The phoned report reminds me of the story about a woman who never saw an elephant before. It escaped from the circus and was eating grass on her front lawn. She reported that it had two tails. It was twitching the little one. "And what is it doing with the other one?" The lady responded, "It's stuffing grass...oh, you will never believe me!"

[FreedomCalls]

He was effectively supposed to be guarding their backs.

With a 12-gauge shotgun? What in the world was he going to do if they needed help?

[delacoert]

I can tell you it makes me leery of taking my dogs anywhere with me.

About three years ago, I was pulled over by an OHP trooper for exceeding the speed limit :/ while driving on I-35 through Oklahoma City. It was after dark and I had my wife, daughters and two dogs with me. The dogs growled and the trooper was visibly shaken and he put his hand on his side arm. He made me get out of my van and sit with him in his cruiser while he wrote me up. He was pretty surly with me the whole time. I'm sure his intitially evident fear and subsequent anger was because of the dogs.

Regardless of my thoughts regarding the trooper's demeanour, I travel with the dogs in restraint harnesses secured to seat belts, both then and now. It's much safer for me because the dogs can't roam around the vehicle and cause problems. It's much safer for the dogs because they can't be thrown around in the event of an accident. And in the light of both my experience in Oklahoma City and the experience of the Smoaks in Cookeville, TN, restraining your dogs in the car has definite advantages if you are pulled over by the police.

[mel]

You are right. Those people have got to have feared for their lives.

[mel]

I liked that story about you and the dog being friends

[palmer]

The bootlickers who are defending this thug,

It's not just "bootlickers". I agree there are posters who defend every cop action against what they view as the "cop hater" crowd. The argument between the "cop haters" and the "boot lickers" will go on until the end of time.

I simply watched the video and expected to see the cop execute a cowering dog. Instead I saw three cops concerned about the dog (one asking about the type, two pointing their weapons at it), and I saw the dog rush into camera view just before the cop shot it. It didn't seem surprising that he shot it. Other people who are not "cop haters" swear that the dog was friendly, etc. I can't judge that from the tape, but it's clear that the cops were concerned.

I also listened to the family's anguish and read about the sloppy police work before and after the incident. I sincerely hope the police sloppiness is fixed permanently.

[Ken H]

We were in the barn using a noisy, hand cranked corn shucker on a hot day.

"Snooky" picked up an ear of corn, and I said, "No Snooky. Put that down."

He did.