Officer shoots dog during foot chase thru dog's backyard. Right or wrong? - Page 2

It is unfortunate for the dog and it's family.  I have chased many bad guys through yards at night going over fences in the dark.  Usually, the bad guy gets past the sleeping dog and the second one in the yard, the cop finds the now wide awake dog ready to give chase.  It is an uneasy feeling chasing a bad guy then being chased by a big dog.  I have been in the situation several times and have been lucky enough to get out of the yard with out having to get bit or shoot the dog.  

I was doing surveillance on a crack house one night at about 2 AM.  We very stealth fully entered several yards and climbed fences to get into the yard of the target house unseen.  After an hour of hiding in the bushes we decided to head back to our cars through several yards.  I could hear a large pit bull barking a yard away as we snook out of the area.  Then the barking stopped and branches started breaking.  The pit bull or pit mix had broken free and was coming through the brush straight for the three of us.  I looked at my two partners and thought about running then I realized I was the slowest guy, my buddies were young and fast.  You do not need to out run the dog just your partner.  I stopped drew my weapon and my flashlight and saw the dog break through the bushes into the neighboring yard and was coming straight for us.  There was no doubt one of us was getting bit.  The dog headed straight for my partner and I lit it up with my flashlight, shining my light right in the dogs eyes.  The dog stopped and then headed back to it's yard.  The light in the eyes deterred the dog and sent it home.  Had it kept coming I would have been forced to shoot it.  It is easy to second guess people when you have never been in their situation. 

These tragedies are always emotionally charged and not always easy to comprehend.     

Jim



 

Sad, but maybe the officer felt it was necessary.  Like during a war, civilians become inevitable casualities. 

If there was NOTHING else for the LEO to do, then he had no choice. Doesn't make it "right or wrong" it's just a fact of life.
However I'd like to see the medic report on both the LEO & the suspect, showing they were actually attacked & BITTEN by this dog.
There are way too many reports of this type of incident happening, were the LEO shoots an animal due to his/her own fear, NOT because the LEO was in any real harm.
Sad thing is that most of the time there will not be much, if any, follow up on the incident & the outcome for all involved.

that's BS. if that were my dog the police better have massive bite marks to prove a shooting...  they'd still be going to court.

Wrong, wrong, wrong...I do not care what the excuse is, it was the DOGS back yard, the DOGS home and most importantly more than anything else. What about the stun gun? or Mace? or the baton stick? Am I wrong here on this one?? Are there not non leathal options available to an officer, I would dare say these forums are a very officer friendly place but, seriously...come on. I smell a very large lawsuit my dog is my child and family, you harm it and there is serious hell to pay.

Ohh boy, I guess he should have just let the fleeing home invasion suspect go.  Perhaps, the felon could have invaded that house and killed or raped some one.  What would everyone be saying then?  It would be much safer for the Police Officers to not even chase violent felons.  I suppose his calf should have been torn off by the dog before he shot it?  Not every Police Officer visits these forums and is an expert on dog behavior like some of the PDB members.  I suppose after you see a large dog knock the suspect down then turn on the officer he should check the breed, the pedigree and ask the owner if the dog really bites?  Doesn't quite work that way. 

Since the main thing I do on a daily basis is track fleeing suspects at night; should I wait for me or my dog to get bit or in a fight before I decide what to do?  I was in 3 high speed pursuits in the last week and we got all three guys.  One guy fled kicked a door in on a house and I tracked up to the door and made entry capturing the suspect inside.  Maybe, I should have just let the guy go.  He would have been happy with that. 

It's always fun to Monday morning QB what others do, especially when many have never been in the situation. 

I suppose when you are chasing a violent felon through yards and wind up in the yard with the suspect you should holster your weapon and go to mace, a baton or call for someone with a taser to hurry up and assist with the dog that just turned on you.  Most of us aren't superman that can switch weapons to nicely stop the dog while simultaneously taking the violent suspect into custody. 

Why do I read this stuff?

Why Slamdunc, that's one hell of a week! I'd find this chatter preposterous, if I were you, too. I just hope the cops in my sleepy town are as capable as you and Boomer. We do have a K9 officer, here, too. CT seems to appreciate the K9's and their officers, IMHO  Too bad the cruiser windows are all tinted because then I never get to see them in their cars.

Some of you are hilarious. AnyTHING with means, intent and opportunity to do serious bodily harm are justified. If this was a case of a crazy homeowner running out of his house to attack the officer, you would all see it in a different light, but because it is a dog, the guy with the family, that wants to go home to them, is wrong. Most LEOs aren't very knowledgeable about dogs. I think many on here think that just because one is a cop, he knows about dogs and GSDs. Many, and I say many because there are some very knowledgeable handlers, but many are K9 handlers because they were next in line for a promotion and think it would be cool to work a dog. My point is, most cops aren't dog aficionados like the fine folk on here.

If the perp ran thru unharmed, wouldn't the leo ?

GSDSRULE,
Not necessarily.  In the pitch black the cop sees the dog knock the suspect down how does the cop know he wasn't injured when the dog turned and came after him? 

As I said in my earlier post the first guy through the yard usually makes it and the dog goes for the second guy as the easier target.  Don't people here have experience with dogs?  The dog will chase the closest person running by him if he is going to chase anyone.  I've been in that situation several times going over a fence to find a suddenly awakened, startled and agitated bull dog or rottie.  The suspect woke the dog up and then the dog comes for me or whom ever is left in the yard. 

Jim