Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Cop took just 3 seconds to shoot dog
WorldNetDaily.com ^ | Thursday, January 9, 2003

Posted on 01/08/2003 11:35:54 PM PST by JohnHuang2

The Tennessee policeman who shot and killed a family's dog during a terrorizing traffic stop took just three seconds to slay the animal after it jumped out its owners' car, reports the Cookeville Herald-Citizen.

Law-enforcement authorities released a videotape of the incident yesterday, which shows the three-second time frame on the tape's counter.

The Cookeville police officer who shot the dog, Eric Hall, has since been reassigned to administrative duties while the incident is probed.

As WorldNetDaily reported, the Smoak family was returning to their home in North Carolina on New Year's Day when three police cars swarmed their vehicle on Interstate 40 in what appeared to be a traffic stop.


The Smoaks appear on CNN

A Tennessee Highway Patrol officer broadcast orders over a bullhorn for driver James Smoak to toss the keys out of the car window, get out with his hands up and walk backwards to the rear of the car. Smoak obeyed and was subsequently ordered onto his knees and handcuffed at gunpoint. Officers similarly handcuffed his wife, Pamela, and their 17-year-old son with their guns drawn.

As the troopers were putting the family members inside the patrol car, one of the Smoak family dogs, a boxer-bulldog mix named Patton, came out of the car and headed toward one of the Cookeville officers who were assisting the THP troopers.

"That officer had a flashlight on his shotgun, and the dog was going toward that light, and the officer shot him, just blew his head off," Pamela Smoak told the Herald-Citizen. "We had begged them to shut the car doors so our dogs wouldn't get out, [but] they didn't do that."

The Smoaks had been pulled over by mistake after someone reported seeing the car getting on the highway with cash flying out from behind the vehicle. James Smoak, it turns out, had mistakenly left his wallet on the roof of the car when he stopped to get gas. Someone within the THP reportedly thought a robbery had occurred, though it turns out none had.

Hall claimed he was acting in self-defense.

"I yelled at the dog to get back, but it attempted to circle me to attack, so I felt that I had no option but to protect myself," the officer wrote in a police report.

Police Chief Bob Terry told the Herald-Citizen, "We are aware there is a lot of criticism out there over this incident, and we want to take [Hall] off the road and let him perform other duties while we get this all resolved." Terry stressed that Hall was not being punished for killing the dog.

The Herald-Citizen reports that "to an average viewer, the scene recorded on the video may not demonstrate the aggressiveness or the threat the officer said he experienced as the dog came toward him."

Terry said he will have two unrelated police agencies perform independent reviews of the incident.

"We once again extend our deepest concerns to the Smoak family for their loss," Terry said. "We know this was a terrible experience for them, and we truly wish that we could undo the events that occurred on the night of Jan. 1."

The Smoaks recently told their story on CNN's "Connie Chung Tonight."

Speaking of Patton, son Brandon Smoak told Chung, "He's the gentlest dog that I've ever been around. He's like Scooby Doo. He wasn't mean at all."


TOPICS: Front Page News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 110mphlieon911; afraidoflittledog; algoretroopers; banglist; dog; doggieping; donutwatch; gestapovolunteers; jackbootedthugs; leo; liberalslovethis; officerdepends; pigs; poorwittlepowiceman; rottennogoodsobs; screamslikeagirl; shootfirstandlast; triggerhappy; waggingtailshooter
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 321-340341-360361-380 ... 681-700 next last
To: Nuke'm Glowing
Pennsylvania - from a long line of farm boys.
341 posted on 01/09/2003 6:55:32 PM PST by optimistically_conservative
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 337 | View Replies]

To: optimistically_conservative
"Why?"

Because that's was where I was told to go. I never asked. I just did as I was told. You don't earn the bars by being nosey. You did your job, did it well and made points on your performance in the PRE-Klintoon military. Believe it or not, we were at war with radical Islam long before 2001.
342 posted on 01/09/2003 6:55:57 PM PST by Nuke'm Glowing
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 339 | View Replies]

To: optimistically_conservative
"Pennsylvania - from a long line of farm boys."

Florida here. A real native. From a long line of boys who served from Sherman (ughh when my family was in Ohio), then MacArthur through the current generation. I'll back my family history up any day. Especially my older family's Ohio heritage and my Dad's in Lebanon, Dominican Republic, and Latin America.
343 posted on 01/09/2003 6:58:16 PM PST by Nuke'm Glowing
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 341 | View Replies]

To: JohnHuang2
��5{�������� at the dog to get back, but it attempted to circle me to attack, so I felt that I had no option but to protect myself," the officer wrote in a police report.

Wow... I didn't know dogs are supposed to understand the command 'Get back'.

344 posted on 01/09/2003 7:06:05 PM PST by Frohickey
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: optimistically_conservative
Panama, Israel, Saudi, Kuwait, Iraq, Thailand, Indonesia, Burma (I hate the new name), South Korea, Israel, Turkey, Egypt

We've been to many of the same places - Germany, Saudi, Kuwait, Iraq, Cuba, Haiti, Panama, Ecuador, Peru, Thailand, South Korea ...

No purple hearts.

345 posted on 01/09/2003 7:10:28 PM PST by optimistically_conservative
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 339 | View Replies]

To: Monitor
If it were up to me, the cop would be given three choices.
(snip)
3) Allow himself to be decapitated, via 12 gauge.

Cmon. Isn't that a bit harsh? This is only a dog, and the police officer is a human. Night and day difference.

Cop should apologize to the family. Offer to pay for another dog, and burial of the dead dog.

Cop also needs remedial training as well.

346 posted on 01/09/2003 7:16:12 PM PST by Frohickey
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 31 | View Replies]

To: Nuke'm Glowing
. . . as to beleive a 14 pound Boxer Bulldog is a threat to you

It sure wouldn't be a threat to me. Not for long, anyway. I'd just blow its head off too.

It has its teeth. I have a gun. It loses.

I have no patience for aggressive dogs that act like they want even a little piece of me.

347 posted on 01/09/2003 7:18:33 PM PST by Kevin Curry
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 336 | View Replies]

To: Frohickey
Cop should apologize to the family. Offer to pay for another dog, and burial of the dead dog.

It would be a decent gesture.

But if it were to happen again: *Bang*

348 posted on 01/09/2003 7:20:07 PM PST by Kevin Curry
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 346 | View Replies]

To: Kevin Curry
You'd wet your pants if a dog came after you.
349 posted on 01/09/2003 7:25:41 PM PST by Stew Padasso
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 347 | View Replies]

To: tio_lot
I have had very little interaction with cops outside of the occassional traffic ticket, but when I approach to tell them of an incident (a lady was beaten on a bus; someone was entering an apartment after a burglary suspect was arrested there), they seem like condescending jerks.

Agreed.

When I get stopped by traffic cops, I turn on my overhead dome lights, I turn off the ignition, put the car keys on the dash, make very slow movements, follow the cop's instructions, and put my hands on the steering wheel when they approach.

The last time I had to talk to a cop was to sign off on a fix-it ticket. There were THREE cops manning the front desk over at San Jose PD headquarters, and not one wanted to go sign-off on the ticket. Doesn't matter that it was Santa Clara Sheriff that wrote it. These cops were just plain lazy.

Administrative duty, is a cush job. Sure, its boring and not 'prestigious' as patrol, but its a cush job.

350 posted on 01/09/2003 7:25:45 PM PST by Frohickey
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 54 | View Replies]

To: JohnHuang2
If dogs could shoot back, cops wouldn't be so brave to shoot dogs.
351 posted on 01/09/2003 7:28:44 PM PST by PatrioticAmerican
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Nuke'm Glowing
While you dare ask what I did, from 87-03 ...

I served as an LEO until 95 when I was hit by a doper ambush in South Florida.

Just curious, how many years active/reserve?

352 posted on 01/09/2003 7:30:52 PM PST by optimistically_conservative
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 336 | View Replies]

To: Nuke'm Glowing
... I have 8 Purple Hearts ...

If that's true, and I have no reason to doubt that it is, you need to let these folks know ...

THE RECORD HOLDERS OF THE PURPLE HEART

353 posted on 01/09/2003 7:42:47 PM PST by optimistically_conservative
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 340 | View Replies]

To: Kevin Curry; Nuke'm Glowing; Travis McGee; Squantos; blam; Terriergal; Joe Hadenuf; ...
It sure wouldn't be a threat to me. Not for long, anyway. I'd just blow its head off too.

It has its teeth. I have a gun. It loses.

I have no patience for aggressive dogs that act like they want even a little piece of me.

You're a small man Kevin, not only for having that mindset but for posting it here on freerepublic for everyone to see. I really hope and pray that someone as small minded as yourself isn't out there in public as an armed police officer.

354 posted on 01/09/2003 7:46:38 PM PST by Vigilantcitizen
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 347 | View Replies]

To: viligantcitizen
No-one touches my dogs! Period!
355 posted on 01/09/2003 7:53:29 PM PST by blam
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 354 | View Replies]

To: JohnHuang2
The knuckledragging cop-haters that swarm out whenever a thread like this gets posted drive me up a wall. I'm going to defend the cops in such a case because I cannot bear to yield an inch to asocial numbskulls who have neurotic or psychotic "issues" with law enforcement.

This was a very unfortunate incident, and it is easy to condemn the cop in hindsight. But there was simply no moral fault on the part of the police officers; they were responding as imperfect human beings might be expected to respond to a quickly-unfolding situation filled with unknowns. The death of this dog was no more the moral fault of the police officer than it would be the fault of, say, a driver who runs over a dog rather than swerving, losing of control, and placing his own physical safety at risk. If the choice is between injury to a human or the death of a dog, the human wins--except in PETA world.

Street experience teaches cops to be proactive--not to wait until they have absorbed the first surprise.

Of course the family did nothing wrong, either. And their dog was simply acting as a dog acts. No moral fault or any fault there. Dogs are protective--not particularly discerning. These characteristics make dogs valuable to armed criminals for the same reason they are valuable to a law-abiding families. That's too bad.

The family will understandably be angry and enraged but the cop has no reason to accept the rage and take it personally. He ought to express his sympathy and as a kind gesture offer to get them a new dog, but solely as a gesture of sorrow and kindness--not as an admission of fault.

This kind of incident produces gallons of anger and resentment but offers no legitimate bucket to place them in.

356 posted on 01/09/2003 7:54:57 PM PST by Kevin Curry
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Somebody get me a gun.

357 posted on 01/09/2003 7:55:29 PM PST by Stew Padasso
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 354 | View Replies]

To: viligantcitizen
There are always caberet queens who get their rocks off by licking the soles of the Gestapo's boots while they are being beaten with riding crops.

In extreme cases they are so proud of their fetish that they brag about it in public.

358 posted on 01/09/2003 7:58:26 PM PST by Travis McGee (BLOAT, cache, and take names!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 354 | View Replies]

To: JohnHuang2
Take the Cookeville Quality Survey

http://www.cookevillepolice.com/contact_us/quality_of_service.htm
359 posted on 01/09/2003 8:00:11 PM PST by lqcincinnatus
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: lqcincinnatus
Take the Cookeville Quality Survey

http://www.cookevillepolice.com/contact_us/quality_of_service.htm

Wrong agency. LEO Eric Hall works for the Tennessee Highway Patrol, no the Cookeville Police Department!

360 posted on 01/09/2003 8:05:01 PM PST by Frohickey
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 359 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 321-340341-360361-380 ... 681-700 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson