Man Shot After Shooting Police Dog: Family Outraged

Pittsburgh Tribune Review ^ | May 7, 2008 | Michael Hasch

[PittsburghAfterDark]

A Knoxville man shot and killed a Pittsburgh police dog Tuesday before the canine's handler returned fire, killing the man in what city police Chief Nate Harper called "an unfortunate" but justifiable action. The shooting outraged and angered the family of the 19-year-old man, Justin Jackson. He was pronounced dead by a passing paramedic almost immediately after the shooting that occurred at 6:53 p.m. in front of the UPMC facility on Arlington Avenue on the border of Knoxville and Mt. Oliver.

Harper said the dog's handler ordered the canine -- a 6-year-old German shepherd named Aulf -- to attack after Jackson pulled a gun from under his shirt. Both the officer, an eight-year-veteran Harper did not identify, and Jackson fired several shots, the chief said.

"They shot my son in the head. The officer told me, 'Our dog got shot so we shot him.' They killed my son over a dog," said Donald James Jackson of the West End.

"My 19-year-old son is lying there dead, shot in the head, execution-style. My son's brains are laying on the street. This is crazy. I'm going to do whatever I have to do, file charges against the officers, for my son. It's terrible, the mentality they have," Jackson said as he tried to comfort his wife.

"We are not going to let them get away with this!" Anna Jackson screamed. "They will pay for killing my son. They are going to pay for shooting my son over a dog!"

[Valpal1]

this particular dog, was not only shot, but if memory serves, shot twice.

More support for the claim that the shooter drew the gun before the dog was release (and for the probablility that he drew it with the intent to shoot it) since he had time to shoot Aulf twice.

[HamiltonJay]

No its not. Your dillusional.

You don’t need to have a gun drawn to be able to shoot a charging animal.

The investigation will happen, and the truth will come out. Hopefully it will conclude a good kill, and not another incident where the cops did something questionable.

[Valpal1]

You don’t need to have a gun drawn to be able to shoot a charging animal.

Of course you don't, but it does make you more likely to be successful than unsuccessful, especially over short distances.

It's really a time and motion study and one of the main things investigators will look at in comparison to the various statements made by officers and alleged witnesses.

Some witnesses have put the distance well under the 1.5 second/21 foot rule. That a police dog is usually able to cover that distance faster than 1.5 seconds should surprise no one, which makes it likely that the shooter did in fact pull the gun first, that the dog was released after the gun was displayed and not the other way around.

[muawiyah]

You guys sometimes act like the old Professional Air Traffic Controllers Union members ~ you associate only with others of your kind, you pretend your behavior and attitudes are invisible to everybody outside your circle, and you get the idea that you are truly important in and of yourself and not just because you do an important job.

Old PATCO people continue to express extraordinary disgust with Ronald Reagan. No doubt you do not tolerate critics ~ thinking them all "cop haters".

[muawiyah]

BTW, I clearly established way back at the front that the only real issues left in this case are the flaws in police practice (including dog handling and training) that will be used by a clever trial attorney to demonstrate why Pittsburgh has to pay the victim's parents lots of money.

I then found the most serious flaw ~ the handler and his dog were involved in a butt biting incident of an old woman several weeks ago.

Now I think the woman should have had her butt bit ~ she was simply another leftwing moonbat out screaming in rage about my country, but the fact that incident happend definitely casts this incident in an entirely different light.

The lawyers will have fun.

Then, their next client will be a cop. They will have fun again.

[SoothingDave]

They'll try to make something racist about it, but the fact is when the police tell you to show them your hands, you show them your hands. You don't pull a gun out and expect to live.

[dragnet2]

However I can’t say that if a dog was coming after me and I had a gun that I would not do the exact same thing... to expect any human to take a dog attack so they can stay in compliance with an order is a bit unrealistic.

Are you suggesting any suspect given orders by police should ignore the order, and if the dog is released, it's reasonable to shoot the dog?

[HamiltonJay]

I’m saying survival instinct is just that survival instinct. Fight or flight, have you ever had an animal attack you? I have, you instinctively defend yourself from it. If a dog is lunging for me, or coming after me or any other animal for that matter, and I am armed, I’m going to shoot it... To expect someone to just stand there and take an animal attack just because you said so is ludicrous.

If this guy was threatening the police or the public, then fine send in the dog/shoot etc.. If however he wasn’t, and you send a dog after him, and he defends himself from the attack by the dog, but does not threaten anyone else, and you shoot him for simply defending himself.. that’s problematic.

[dragnet2]

to expect any human to take a dog attack so they can stay in compliance with an order is a bit unrealistic.

Are you suggesting any suspect given orders by police should ignore the order, and if the dog is released, it's reasonable to shoot the dog?

I’m saying survival instinct is just that survival instinct. Fight or flight, have you ever had an animal attack you? I have, you instinctively defend yourself from it. If a dog is lunging for me, or coming after me

Feel free to answer the specific BOLDED question above this time, not a bunch of hypothetical, or if this or if that crap.

Like I told you earlier...You pick up the phone and call the cops, tell them shots are being fired, you go stand out there and when they pull up, stick your hand up under your shirt. When they tell you to show your hand, refuse...See what happens slick.

[Ditto]

Man who died in shootout had violent history.

After reading this guy's rap sheet, all I can say is it's a shame the dog died.

This punk was destined to kill someone (probably already has -- there's a lot of unsolved gang bang murders.)