Killing of family dog unfolds on videotape (Dog shooter gets desk duty)

tennessean.com ^ | 1/9/03 | LEON ALLIGOOD

[Rebelbase]

Three minutes and seven seconds tells the story of a dog named Patton.

The dog, which was shot at close range Jan. 1 by a Cookeville policeman during a felony traffic stop, belonged to the James Smoak family of Saluda, N.C. At the time, the Tennessee Highway Patrol suspected the Smoaks

[1Old Pro]

A sickening, sad story about another incompetent cop(s). The problem is the officer deserves punishment, not the insurnce carrier or the county taxpayers if they are self-insured.

The cop should have to personally pay pay the family $500 to buy a new dog and $10,000 for their grief so they can take a 2 week vacation in Hawaii and mourn their loss.

[smith288]

Im not defending bad ones and there is nothing a beat cop can do to fix a corrupt administration. So why dont you stop lumping all cops with bad ones.

[Windsong]

"...all the officers on the scene need to be FIRED and this family needs to sue that county and the State of Tenn. until they are bleed dry..

You sound suspiciously like...

a Lawyer.

[Dog]

Nope..

But I always wanted to play one on a computer monitor..

[HoustonCurmudgeon]

I think for a good numbers cops this philosphy of serving the Public is lost and to them they are there to play Johnny Bad @ss Law on their beat.

You should hear their talk when they think there are only cops at a party. I have heard things that make me know I'm better off with a gun than a cop, though a few of them do OUTSTANDING work.

[the gillman@blacklagoon.com]

Oh, I didn't recognize you at first, Offficer Hall.

Dumbass.

[hove]

"A dog exits the car snarling."

Right...the dog just opened the door of the car and lunged at the cops. If you read the threads and look at the video you will see that the cops were told that they had a dog in the car and the cops should have had the common sense not to let the dog loose on a busy highway. But they did...it jumped out...and they killed it. The cops used poor judgement and they performed poorly. They should be fired.

[babylonian]

To me, the cops became responsible for the dog the moment one of them was first aware there WAS a dog. Failure to secure the dog at the earliest possible moment was the fatal mistake, and the officers are responsible. When you add to this that the entire family was trying to tell the officers about the dog, it further illustrates the irresponsibility of the cops and their negligence.

[cinFLA]

Its been shown that the LEOs can't really police themselves. I think drawing and quartering an appropriate punishment for the dog shooter but then again I like dogs more than cops.

Lesson: Never leave your wallet on the roof of your car. It is probable cause for you to be pulled over, handcuffed and have your dog shot.

[cinFLA]

As the cop you have just made a felony stop. For all you know you have a car full of bank robbers.

That's the problem! There was NO felony!

[Nuke'm Glowing]

The bottom line.

If you, Mr. or Mrs. Joe Citizen, drives anywhere, absorbs air or water, then you are presumed guilty. Our nation has reverted back to the British system of 1776, the Nazi system of 1939, and/or the Cuban or Chinese system of the present day. YOUR choice is to watch and say "oh well" or to act. Good luck to the sheeple who say "oh well".

[truenospinzone]

Just a quick observation: a FReeper with a misspelled word in his/her screename and the inability to differentiate between the words "your" and "you're" probably shouldn't be so quick to throw around the word "dumbass".

[Doc Savage]

Having watched the videotape I was struck by the thought of what might have happened under slighty different circumstances.

Had either of the parents or the son suddenly bolted upright in an attempt to either stop the officer from shooting the dog, or in an attempt to shield the dog, I have no doubt that the officer would turned and fired killing them.

His reaction to the dog was totally unjustified. He appeared highly on edge for someone toting a shotgun at shoulder level ready to fire. The people in the car had already been restrained. Street smarts alone would have immediately told any responsible, experienced cop that something was wrong with this stop.

These people hardly fit the profile of someone who had just robbed a convenience store or committed a robbery.

The officer should be fired. This is the kind of guy who breaks down a door at the wrong house on a drug raid and proceeds to the backroom and blow some confused innocent person to hell. He doesn't belong on the street.

[Joe Hadenuf]

how about you just stand there and I let a pitbull charge you

Uh, maybe you should be the one to replay and look at the video. This is obviously not a pit bull. Even in this low light video, it's clear this is no Pitbull, but just a small dog....Have you ever seen a Pitbull? They are unmistakable!