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

[Politically Correct]

3:05 The dog appears.
3:07 The dog is shot.

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

Ya got 2 seconds.......what are you going to do?

You people all make great Monday morning quarterbacks.

[billbears]

self bump for later

[Slip18]

The dog should get a Medal of Valor in absencia for protecting his family.

[Slip18]

At 2:18 Mr. Smoak told the LEOs that there were dogs in the car. The car door was apparently opened. How difficult would it have been to shut the car door?

[Rebelbase]

How much brains does it take to shut a car door? The driver pleaded with the officers that he had a dog in the car and was worried about it getting loose. If these LEO have to rely on hindsight for their common sense, I say they need to find work that does'nt invlove firearms.

[Slip18]

If I were a guy, I would be saying "GMTA." LOL!

This is a tragedy that could have been prevented had the LEO used his head for brains instead of a hat rack.

[Rebelbase]

LOL, ignore the tagline from my post above. I carried over from another thread!

[maica]

***Meanwhile, the Cookeville Police Department has instigated a third-party examination of the situation. A police chief in Gaithersburg, Md., will conduct an independent investigation. ***

It was in Maryland that the FBI (assisting local LEOs following a bank robbery) made a felony stop of the wrong car and shot the fellow in the passenger seat in his face, when he reached for his seatbelt buckle, trying to comply with the order to get out of the car. They then took many minutes to call for an ambulance.

I do not have much hope for reasonable results of this investigation.

[Chemist_Geek]

Next they will say that anyone who would question anything any LEO would do is desecrating the graves of the FDNY and NYPD heroes who died on September 11, 2001.

Ping/bump.

[the gillman@blacklagoon.com]

I would have closed the doors of the car in the first place. Second, the dog was not agressive in my book. I've trained dogs for thirty five years.

We may have gone downhill as a nation, but a station wagon full of luggage with a family inside is pretty rarely a group of crazed felons. With the occupants out of the car and kneeling on the ground whatever potential there is for danger is pretty much over.

If the dog was viscious and the family were thugs, the dog would have been the first one out of the car or would at least have been snapping and barking at the windows.

[Wolfie]

Two words: Alberto Sepulveda. 11-years old, shot in the back as he lay on the floor during a SWAT raid. No criminal charges filed. I don't expect much of a stink over a dog, considering.

[KevinB]

Ad in Sunday's emploment section:

Not very bright?

Didn't do particularly well in school?

Career prospects limited?

Like pushing people around?

Then you should consider an exciting career in law enforcement. Please call today.

[Republic of Texas]

I wanted to watch the video, but you have to register at CNN.com, and give them money. Forget that. Any other links to it?

[KevinB]

Er, "emploment" = "employment"

[GOP_Proud]

My dog jumped out of the car when I opened the door on a parking lot one day and ran into traffic. She was hit and lost her leg. I still let her roam free in the car when driving but the leash is fastened to the emergency brake and if I stop to get out I connect her to it before opening the door. I never thought about needing to do that if I get stopped by the cops. I certainly will now.

[Rebelbase]

Wow I just read about that incident. SWAT can actually commit murder and claim it was "accidental".

"We do know that officer Hawn was shocked and stunned and his spontaneous statement (after the shotgun discharged) was that he didn't have his finger on the trigger," Sale said.

[ijcr]

3 am Your front door bursts open.

3.02 You grab your legal handgun.

3.03 You see 5 men in black carrying guns in your living room.

You have 2 secs.....What are you going to do?

Why is it that only LEO's are justified with this 2 sec rule?

[Republic of Texas]

Not too difficult AT ALL to shut the car door. However, then you don't get to hear your subjects beg, and you don't get to slaughter their pet.

[Sender]

I have worried about this same scenario. I have a shepherd-mix dog who is the friendliest dog in the world, but who distinctly doesn't like guns or other threats pointed at me. If an officer thought I was a bad guy and decided to have me kneeling and cuffed with his gun out, I have no doubt as to what my dog would do. I have no doubt about what the officer would do. And that would begin a world of hurt for me because I love that dog, and would never know peace until I had revenge, which might come in a matter of seconds.

[Wolfie]

Officer Hawn also had a previous "accidental" discharge, but luckily it was into a suspect who had only moments before committed suicide. And no, I'm not making that up.