Fla. Man Gets 8 Years For Kicking Police Dog

mycfnow ^

[chance33_98]

Fla. Man Gets 8 Years For Kicking Police Dog

Posted: 8:35 a.m. EDT May 11, 2003

BRADENTON, Fla. -- A man with a 20-year criminal history will spend another eight years in prison for kicking a police dog. A jury convicted Henry Sailes, 35, of Bradenton of the felony crime of injuring a police dog in February along with a charge of obstructing an officer.

Sailes was wanted on a series of warrants in May 2002 when he ran from police and a Belgian Malinnois named Jake, who caught him. The dog, a breed of shepherd, was not seriously injured.

Judge Rick DeFuria agreed Friday with prosecutors who argued Sailes should be considered a habitual offender because of his criminal past, which includes a 1995 conviction for burglary and trafficking in stolen property. Sailes served five years in prison for that crime.

Sailes testified he kicked the dog because he was scared.

"I'm really sorry for what happened with the dog, really," Sailes said. "The dog wasn't going for my arm or my leg. He was going for my face. I didn't want to do it. I had to do it."

[SouthernFreebird]

8 years for kicking a dog.........JEEZ.......people beat their kids and get less....this is ridiculous.

[circles]

Okay, so this guy was scum and pretty much gets what he deserves.

Heres the problem. A police dog attacks you, the police do nothing to stop it, you defend yourself, and get charged with a FELONY for defending yourself.

Your dog attacks a policeman, The policeman will kill the dog, the policeman is not charged with a crime, and YOU may be charged with a crime for the dog's attack.

[4mycountry]

At first I thought it said "8 year for Killing a police dog", and it kind of made sense...

Then I find out it's only for kicking a dog?
Yeesh...
Our government is so screwed up at times...

[Orange1998]

http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/news/51003_local_k9.html

Chase suspect facing charges of assaulting K-9 officer

ABC13 Eyewitness News

(5/10/03 - HOUSTON) — A man who ran from police Saturday morning faces charges of assaulting a K-9 officer in the Heights area.
Police tried to pull the man over for running a stop sign, but they say he wouldn't stop. The driver eventually hit a parked car and then ran away on foot. A K-9 unit found the suspect hiding underneath a house, but the man grabbed a brick and hit the K-9 in the head.

Police eventually arrested the man. They say drugs were found in the suspect's car.

[verity]

The consequences would have been more severe had he kicked my dog.

[Jagdgewehr]

lol.

I was thinking the same thing.

[banjo joe]

This guy started his criminal career at 15, and should have been removed from society earlier.

But...

1. Felons are probhibited from owning or possesing firearms.

2. The more felons we have, the fewer legal for owning or possesing firearms.

[blackdog]

You are assuming that your dog attacks a policeman. Actually they usually shoot them while chained or in their cages.

A flash bang grenade = 2 dead family pets.

Ski masks = Lung Shot Grandpa.

Battering Ram = Handcuffed children with guns to their heads while Ninja Leo's shout four letter worded death threats at them.

Machine guns = Death to mom when she reaches for her glasses on the nightstand.

Urban assault vehicle = $40,000 worth of custom landscaping torn to shreds and a $10 mailbox with the address not indicated on the warrant.

A brief summary of the exchange rates in LEO Land.

[coloradan]

Caste system alert: The Lord's dogs have more rights than the peasant's dogs ... and in many cases the peasant's children.

[blackdog]

I know we love dogs, but giving them legal "officer" status is nuts. If someone trains squirels to search for drugs will they be Narco-Squirels? Badgers with a nose for meth labs? Bees that seek out and discover explosives?

I would defend my dogs as vigorously as my own children, but constitutional and legal protections are not assigned to the quad-pod world. I don't care how "special" Hans the donut snatcher is, he is not a police officer!

[Cap'n Crunch]

Let me see, the article says that the guy was WANTED ON A SERIES OF WARRANTS, RAN FROM THE POLICE and has a 20 YEAR CRIMINAL HISTORY.

Wake up people. He didn't get 8 years for just kicking the dog, he got 8 years for ALL OF THE ABOVE.

Nothwithstanding stupid things cops have done everywhere, this thread doesn't hold water.

Sorry for ranting, I've only had one cup of coffee and no doughnut today.

[Darnright]

"he ran from police and a Belgian Malinnois named Jake, who caught him. The dog, a breed of shepherd, was not seriously injured."

The dog must have been hurt, because if you kick a Malinois (and I spelled it correctly) he's gonna take your leg off. They are tough dogs, and they don't back down.

[chance33_98]

Perhaps, but according to the wording of the first line "A man with a 20-year criminal history will spend another eight years in prison for kicking a police dog." it would appear he got 8 years for the kicking.

[lavaroise]

Sorry for ranting, I've only had one cup of coffee and no doughnut today.

And your name is Cap'n Crunch? (Sorry I could not resist)

[faithincowboys]

I disagree-- that is equivalent to assault on a cop.

The guy deserves the 8 years!

[iconoclast]

Let me see, the article says that the guy was WANTED ON A SERIES OF WARRANTS, RAN FROM THE POLICE and has a 20 YEAR CRIMINAL HISTORY.

IMO, you've nailed it. The prosecutors thinking; "What can we charge this dude with to keep him away from the public for the max length of time?"

[palmer]

"I'm really sorry for what happened with the dog, really," Sailes said.

He should tell that to the dog. Something tells me if he was able to kick it, it wasn't going for his face like he claims.

[Amore]

No, the Captain is right. In Florida under the sentencing guidelines and the applicable scoresheet, your entire criminal history is factored in, considerably, in determining what your sentence is. He never would have gotten 8 years with a clean sheet.

[HiTech RedNeck]

The dog does not understand accountability. If it severed the man's jugular vein, would it understand that it would get euthanized a medal?