Our Dog Shot By County Cop - Maryland - Page 2

Here's the link to the story. the addional pix are heartbreaking. The dog was on a thin nylon line, not a chain. His blood and teeth are next to a door mat that reads "Wipe Your Paws." The image of the owner crying over his dog's body in the front seat of a vehicle will remain in my heart forever.

7 shots point blank with a 357 Magnum? You gotta be kidding.  The same would be way to good for the mainic that shot the family dog over a stupid child support warrant. He shouldn't even have been in the people's back yard, let alone shot their dog.

Same story, different day. give an asshole a badge and a gun... and he thinks he is God. 

I'm too angry at the moment to do anything but commiserate with your loss and rattle off a list of monstrous obsenities (which, I'm sure would be deleted).  Probably, the least offensive words allowable here on the board would be *They Suck*.

I can't imagine how you're coping with the shock, rage, and loss.

OK, I am very disturbed over this. First, I cant even begin to imagine the pain you feel right now. You are in my prayers. What a horrible experience.

Now, if your dog was tied on a leash, all the officer had to do was step back and the situation would have been resolved. Especially since the dog did not even bite him. He had NO justification in drawing his weapon as his life, nor the life of another was in danger. I have been a police officer for several years and can tell you when we draw our duty weapon, it MUST be because our lives or the lives are others are in imminent danger., OR great harm. If this happened exactly as you say it did, he was not justified. You need to contact an attorney a.s.a.p. and bring a civil action law suit against the city and the officer individually. I would go to the town council and demand a full investigation. The police dept. itself should have done it's own internal investigation, which is S.O.P. anytime an officer discharges his weapon. I would recommend you press the town into doing its own seperate investigation on what happened. This needs to be in the media as much as possible. You must turn up the heat. You are within your rights to own and keep that dog anyplace on your property as long as it is contained in a safe manner, which again, it was if it happened as you said.

I can tell you I have come across many aggressive dogs at peoples home, just reposnding to calls, etc. My first reaction would have been to step back any possibly go to another door or get the homeowners attention some other way. If the dog was loose and would have chased the officer, he would be within his rights to defend himself with his weapon. He was serving documents, not a search warrant for entry, in which case it would work a bit differently.

Please contact your attorney immediately.

Seems if the dog was tied he could have backed away before anything happened. If he even got snapped at, thats his own stupidity. Shooting the dog 7 times, I am assuming he emptied his clip? Sounds like he has a hatred for dogs backed up by the fact this is the 3rd dog shooting? Yeah someone needs to seriously check into this guy. I would say compensation is due to the dog owner and the cop needs some therapy and reprimand. Sounds like something that would take place at a pitbull attack on a human but come on!

3 doors and he had to go to all 3? Can we say looking for trouble? If they didn't answer the front door, do you really think they will answer the side or back? Some people just have no business wearing a badge.

I'm so sorry for your loss Max's mom. I think I would be in jail too Shelly if this had happened behind my home. On my dogs preperty.

I don't know about Maryland service law, but here in Massachusetts any non-capias summons or warrant (a capias warrant is a warrant for arrest of the person) can be served either upon the person directly or by being left at the person's "last and usual abode."  As a result, the deputy sheriffs who usually serve process here basically ring the doorbell, wait ten seconds for someone to answer and then stick the document inside the door or tie it to the doorknob, and that's perfectly legal service.  So generally they don't exert themselves too much by running around to check each door.

But in the case of a warrant for arrest of the person, then I would expect a more diligent search by the officer.  That in no way excuses the officer's behavior in executing the dog without good reason, but it would justify in his going into the back yard to look for the person.  I only raise this issue because it's not entirely clear what sort of warrant was to be served. 

This is so outrageous.  Sounds to me like a gun happy, dog-hating SOB.

What the hell?  7 shots to a restrained dog who was doing nothing but protecting his property as he is bred to do? 

I'm all for standing behind law enforcement doing their jobs to keep us safe, etc.  But, MY GOD, what on earth could this poor dog have done to warrant such a firestorm of ammo to be directed at him?  I hope they fry the idiot BEFORE he has the chance to do this again.

I wouldn't trust him to carry a pen let alone a gun. 

I hope to God his department does the right thing by the dog's owners and by the community and fry him.  He should never be allowed to be on any force again.  I wouldn't trust him on the streets where children play.

I'm so very sorry for your loss. 

I hope you do take this police officer and department to task - sue them.  Don't give up until something happens to change their ways - shooting someone's pet dog, tied in the backyard - no reason at all for that.  I would be insane and definately in jail, just can't imagine it.

molly