Hall should not, and will not, receive any punishment for shooting Patton the dog.
Hall's actions were neither criminal nor negligent. Shooting the dog was the unfortunate result of negligence by the THP.
From the dispatch call to the determination to make a felony stop. To the failure of the THP officer observing, being told about the dogs, and seeing the dogs not securing the vehicle.
Patton should not have had the opportunity to get out of the car, and there's is ample evidence on the tape that it was preventable. Hall should not have been put in the position of reading Patton's mind during an incomplete felony stop where only he and his partner were providing cover.
I suppose as a last resort, Officer Hall could have tossed his shotgun away from the vehicles and shouted, "Fetch!"
There were at least 5 officers in the video. Cokeville PD report says three of their officers were there and media reports 4 THP officers.......I wonder what the aggregate IQ was?
http://www.unknownnews.net/cache41.html
Officer who shot dog 'protecting self'
Mary Jo Denton
Herald-Citizen Staff
The police officer who shot and killed a dog during an incident on Interstate 40 here on New Year's Day says he felt he had no choice.
He was about to be attacked by the animal, he says.
And the whole episode originated with the Tennessee Highway Patrol, not the Cookeville Police Dept., city officials stress.
It was the THP officers who made the felony stop of a vehicle in which a North Carolina family was traveling, and the Cookeville Police Dept. was merely asked to come out and assist as backup officers.
State troopers involved were David Bush, David Roark, Jeff Phann, and Lt. Jerry Randolph.
Cookeville Police Officers Eric Hall and Mead McWhorter were dispatched to the I-40/S. Jefferson area at 5:14 p.m. that day to assist the THP.
(Sergeant Lamb of CPD was also there) One CPD had shotgun other had rifle.
More "details" here:
http://story.herald-citizen.com/newsstory5.htm