The Smoaks appear on CNN
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."
I thought the stop was handled pretty well considering it was a felony stop for suspected robbery. The time it started to go bad was when the one cop looked in the car and asked what kind of dog it was. I think he shined his light in which probably stirred up the dog. The other cops ignored him but the owner asked to have the door shut.
Once the dog was out it was toast. The officers clearly felt it was a threat and acted accordingly. Not wrong, just tragic for the watching family.
After the family was cleared there were no apologies and the family had to pick up the pieces themselves. That's just wrong.
Sarcasm
If they did that, the bootlicking contingent would still be supporting the bastards.
I'm convinced that about 1/3rd of the American people (sheeple) would tolerate full strip searches everywhere they went, accompanied by "nightstick treatment" for those that smarted off to the cops.
We now return to the regularly scheduled program of irrational, kneejerk, knuckledragger cop-hater bile and spleen venting.
And some of them would enjoy the nightstick treatment so much it'd be hard for the cops to yank it out of them...
Seriously though... Your number is probably about right.
Since the beginning of this nation we've been divided into three roughly equal camps...
The labels are subjective to a degree, but I'd call them 'Good Guys', 'Bad Guys' and 'Morons'.
The good (and bad) news is that it's only taken ONE of these groups to prevail, when push has come to shove. "51%" isn't required to alter the course of history.
The good news is that the 'good guys' posses 90% of the brains, muscle, and guns.
When the time comes, the other side will fold with astonishing speed IF the "good guys" show up at the game, in one way or another.
Whatever happened to the Circus Maximus?
Or you can look at the small dog happily trotting out of a carelessly open door, then fast forward to the grieving family being held down as they cry out in anguish. According to the reports they are then released with a cursory apology and left to pick up their dog.
The first story is least three cops concerned about their safety during a felony stop. The second is an emotional event, a tragedy, very difficult to watch. I think both stories are important and we can learn from both. We can all perhaps learn that it can be difficult to be a cop and the cops can hopefully learn that it is very easy for innocent people to be hurt and that they need to be more careful.
This officer was told to apprehend a possible drug dealer (report of money flying out of the car.) He had a job to do. He didn't chose to apprehend the car on a whim; he was ordered to the scene.
Perhaps your situation is different, but in California officers are sued for everything under the sun and expected to have the wisdom of Solomon in tricky situations where their lives are on the line if they judge wrong.
I always give policemen the benefit of the doubt in close calls, as I know that no one can perform a perfect job under all circumstances, especially when they have to make an instant decision with limited information.
I am here to say that a human being is worth more than a dog, even a beloved family pet. And if there is a doubt in a situation where a human may be injured, perhaps seriously, I will never blame someone for chosing on the side of self defense.
How much time and space do you think you have when a dog lunges at you?
Lunge? What lunge? Watch the video again.
I have dealt with dogs attacking me a number of times. Dogs bigger than Patton. Each time, except one, I had something hard in my hand that I was able to use to apply some "persuasion" to the dog's snout. Forcefully. And each time, the argument ended right there. The one time I didn't have anything handy, I used my fist like a hammer in the same manner. Same result. I am a big guy and I am well able to defend myself. I do not fear dogs. Nor do I antagonize them. I love them and have owned several. They are amazing creatures and are able to sense both these emotions. If officer Hall had been trained properly, he would have used his shotgun in a different manner and we would not be having this discussion.
I have not expressed any disrespect for any of the average joes on the job in this or any other thread...except for this one cowardly weasel with a badge that shot this dog. He messed up bad and can't admit that he panicked and fired.
You are right to defend police officers. My father-in-law is a retired cop. On the whole they are honorable people that do a great job at a number of thankless, crappy tasks. But to defend this particular piece of crap is wrong. Just my opinion. Have a nice weekend.
And if the guy had smashed the dog in the nose as you recommend, the cop-hating sensation mongers would be playing that tape, too, as evidence of police brutality.
It's like doctors and the black humor many use to help them survive the psychological impact of what they see and what they have to do.
The good news is some of the greatest significant times that have changed history have happened with a single action or observation .
I still see hope for the Republic .
Yet because I dare note that their are contributing factors beyond the cops actions that led to this tragic incident, all of a sudden I am the enemy.
There are no factors that were not the fault of the government. Leaving your wallet on your car, having a dog in the car do not give the government the right to conduct a felony stop with shotguns. All actions, all force were with the government thugs, and they are 100% responsible for the outcome.
There is no natural or physical law requiring that people who leave their wallets on the car have their dogs shot.
Nice try.
You are a total disgrace to your Freepname. If you had any honor or integrity you would find a new one. If Ayn Rand were alive today, I wouldn't be surprised if she herself requested such
Ridiculous. You think she'd like steroid jackboot traffic stops? She'd have predicted them. You're out of your mind.
And you're a sheep.
An Unconstitutional job to do, you mean.
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