[Hatteras]

That's all well and good with your neighbor's English Bulldog. However, this is not an English Bulldog in this story. Right now, all we can tell from what has been wriiten and seen on tape is that this dog is somewhere between the Smoak's description of a "mixed breed bulldog" and the cops description of a "pitbull". To say there is any comparison between an English Bulldog and the Smoak's dog in the video is wrong. If what they did have was, in fact, a pitbull then you're comparing night and day.

[motzman]

The reason I mentioned it was an English bulldog is because the breed was referenced on the thread. The dog that was shot was small, non-threating, and playful.

The most important skills any officer has are his powers of observation and his judgement. Good judgement means good cop. This officer has betrayed the public trust and has demonstrated his extreme lack of judgement. Apparently, this wasn't the first time. It doesn't bother you that this jerk had a shotgun out? What would have happened if a passing car had a blowout, and "Officer Friendly" started doing his invasion of Normandy interpretation? It was painfully obvious that the people in the car posed no threat, and in fact, had been neutralized. The shottie should have been secured. The car door should never have been opened until the officers were able to make a plan to neutralize the dog.

I know a few very good cops, and a few "not-so-good". Don't defend bad cops. The good ones don't; I'll follow their lead.

Interesting thread....