A new statement released today by the chief clarifies that the dog did not actually lunge or attack, but simply ran at the officer barking in an “aggressive manner”, but that the officer was said to still be acting within accordance of policy… of course.

http://www.wxii12.com/news/19723127/detail.html

I don’t think it’s physically possible for a 12 pound dachshund to ‘lunge’ at anything much larger than itself.

I love how the article even lists his non-lethal options, but the asshole still chose to use the most lethal force available to him.

Here is the police announcement, which… I assume is fully backed up by the officer’s official report.

As the officer returned to his car, “he was surprised by a growling dog running through the yard directly at him from the rear, leaving him with just seconds to consider his options,” according to the news release. The options for the officer in that type of situation include running to the squad car; distracting the dog; or using pepper spray, a baton or firearm. The dog lunged at the police officer and attacked him as the officer fired one shot that hit and killed the dog, Broadfoot said.

And of course… his peeps had his back! Gotta protect the blue line at all cost:

An investigation by the Danville Police Department found that the dog displayed aggressive tendencies before other people.

Now… this is what he told the pet owner:

the officer told him that he had to shoot the dog because he was barking at him.

Hmm. Hardly the homicidal terror as described in the report, huh? In the report, it was actually attacking him. And of course… he refused to identify himself or reveal his badge number.

So… the guy blows away a tiny little WIENER DOG he could have easily brushed away with his foot, then refuses to identify himself, then commits PERJURY by lying on the report… all backed and bonded by his fellow cops.

I stand by my assessment. There are no good cops.

http://www.godanriver.com/gdr/news/local/danville_news/article/danville_family_grieves_after_they_say_dog_is_shot/11650/

(It’s the same link as before… but now with an update for today.)

“Shooting a dog which is actively presenting a threat to an officer is within the department’s policy,” ac-cording to the release.

This is why there are no good cops. The cop that shot the dog is clearly lying to cover his sick ass, and the supervisor was clearly sorry… but could do nothing about the situation. Police departments are messed up to the core.

A few years later, we were cutting across a grassy lot in Memphis when visiting my mother there, and we chased by two guard dogs all the way to the street.

As an adult, I have been chased by several dogs when bike riding.

I have no great love of dogs.

But holy fucking christ, shooting a 12 lb. dog because it is growling and barking at you?

What a spineless coward.

I really don’t give a shit what some internal policy says and that’s usually what I tell people who cite it as their reason for behaving in a certain way. Same goes for the cops. Treat me honestly and fairly and we won’t have a problem – keep the bureaucratic nonsense to yourself.

Surely the officer overused force in this case, but I’m not sure this is a sign of widespread misconduct we aim to stop.

Change the fucking policies, then… before it becomes “policy” for any officer to just shoot civilians on the street because someday they might break a law.

Sorry for the cursing.

Disclaimer: I am anti-”puppycide.” I do not condone violence in any form. Explaining is not justifying.

For economic reasons, there is no support for a class action suit or any type of collective action at present as far as I can tell. As has been discussed in the comments before, the cost to an individual dog owner of legal action (even in the collective) far outweighs the perceived reward, and the risk of one’s own dog being a victim of a police shooting is still vanishingly small, as tragic and seeming numerous these incidents appear.

There are probably no “puppycide” statistics kept, but I’m willing to wager that there are fewer dog-killings by law enforcement than total homicides in the U.S. per annum. Heck, there are probably more “puppycides” committed by non-LEO citizens per annum. And “puppycides” by LEOs are dwarfed by “puppycides” in animal shelters.

You want to know the real tragedy in Dogland USA? It is the rampant overpopulation that results in so many unwanted animals having to be exterminated each year. The shift from dogs being working contributors to human society to parasitic surrogate family members now means that there’s a bubble in family pet dogs, about two in every household in ths US on average.

So, there’s this reality called the State that has agents empowered to enter any private residence in the US. And there’s this conflicting reality that these private residences are homes to what are considered to be dangerous animals by the State’s agents.

That is reality folks. There’s two solutions that present themselves: eradicate the dogs or eradicate the State. It’s your choice. If you choose not to decide, then the status quo of “puppycide” is here to stay. But as you weep for the dog victim of law enforcement, weep ten times more for the dogs who were put down in shelters that same day. Their story doesn’t get the same play in the media.

If you’re wondering why, it’s because stories that inflict collective guilt on the readership don’t sell as well as stories that can be blamed on the boogieman.

That being said… the miniature variation IS pretty much a lapdog, only dangerous to vermin and dropped food. Yeah, dachshunds (standard or mini) are mouthy. But come on; a twelve pound dog constituting a physical threat to a police officer? Warranting a /firearm response/? That’s like shooting a Cavalier King Charles spaniel, for crissake.

They can spin it all they like, the cop still looks like a swaggering moron and the department looks like it condones the behavior.

or… you’re an opportunity to serch for valuables to jack.

Anything the cop can do to get her arrested allows him to search the vehicle… even if it’s a…. ‘safety search’ prior to towing.

I’m not a paranoid person? But I’m starting to think that is some states… (like Texas) they actually have unofficial quotas for searches.

The second the Trooper told her she was under arrest and to exit the vehicle, he was unlawfully detaining her. All he had to do was give her the unsigned ticket. There is no texas law allowing him to arrest her for that.

Her mistake was thinking that police were there to ‘protect and serve’.

I was wondering if she was being lippy… being lippy to a cop is like antagonizing a strange dog… it’s a bad idea. Especially when cops are unprofessional dirt bags who do not have your best interest at heart. You’re just an arrest to them. Or… target practice if you have a dog.

Why don’t news people simply ask the obvious questions?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxhYaUjZUI0

Tasered grandmother dashboard video released…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaGpNmDEklo

Cheers.