Let's put things in perspective........ - Page 1

Take as much time to watch this as we do to talk about how a cop shoots some dog.

http://www.news10.net/video/default.aspx

Scroll to video 31-45 and watch. At least the one of his wife.......

I have been a cop for 3 years and been to 4 funerals; one of which was my friend.

In Sacramento and Yolo counties alone there have been 8 officers killed in the line of duty since 2005.

When we are all up in arms about a dog that got shot, let's keep it in perspective. While unfortunate, it is a dog.

 LE officers have a right to go home to their families in one piece. That includes not getting dog bit.

maybe we (as law-abiding civilians) see our homes/yards/dogs as inviolate? maybe we ignore the fact that LE does not deliberately go to the wrong house and delberately set out to kill someone's pet dog. it's easier sometimes to "side" with someone who has lost their dog to a "mistake" without recognizing that it really was a mistake. i do not believe that LE has any desire to go around to the wrong house shooting peoples pets. should LE make a harder effort to be sure that they are at the correct place? absolutely. but, they don't knowingly go to the wrong house and they don't know if a dog will attack or if, while it is attacking (protecting its territory), a bad guy is pointing a gun at them from the house. they don't have the luxury of time in certain situations and, let's face it, our dogs don't know a cop from a burgler or rapist or whatever. they just see someone invading their turf. mistakes are often tragic for someone, no easy answers for that. i do think that LE departments should have a swift and decent response to innocent parties. that would help a bit. but, we, as a society do forget that our LE personnel risk their lives FOR US as a society, every single day. and we forget to grieve with them when a LEO is killed and we forget to thank them for their service to us every day. cops aren't perfect, and when they make a mistake it can be far-reaching, but, most of us wouldn't be able to handle the job or its risks or consequences. some perspective is in order....

and thank you to all the LEOs out there, may you go home to your families safely.

>  In a perfect world this would not happen, unfortunatly we do not live in perfect kind of world .other posters on this board  ensure we are kept aware of this each and every day!.

>  Instead of bitching or complaining about the system all the time, why don't you freekin crybabys secretly overthrow a government, invite all the perfect people to migrate to this perfect country you are going to build. Next institute your own perfect government ,elect your perfect legislators, write your own perfect constitution, select your perfect religion as well as a perfect police/military force, then you won't have to waste yours and our time bitching about it anymore as all your time can be spent keeping your own world "perfect" because there will be no crime and certainly no reason to have some other nation want to overthrrow your perfect government or criticize your perfect religion.

Good Idea keeping things in perspective.  I am not putting down LE because most of them do a great job but, please, Dangerous?  Doesn't even make the top 10. http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/invest/extra/P63405.asp 

I was a tall tower climber for many years (not the safest job in the world) and know that a dangerous job is made moreso many times over by individuals who don't follow rules and procedure.

By all means let's keep it in perspective. If the reporting is correct, the dog was shot 9 times. Nine times bespeaks panic and poor marksmanship. The officer needs more range time. The department's public relations training needs some work too. Shooting an innocent homeowner's dog then refusing to either administer a coup de grace or allowing the dog to be taken to an emergency vet should not be SOP.  Yes, it was a dog this time. There have also been cases of innocent people getting shot in similar circumstances. What I saw in this case was a lack of officer training and perhaps procedures that need to be changed. This case should be a warning to that department to tighten up both. A formal apology and a financial reimbursment to the dog's owner would be appropriate too. I don't know if either were done.

I support my local sheriff's association. I think most LEOs do the best job they can. But there seems to be room for improvement in this particular case if the news report is correct.

GARD,  I hope people did take the time to watch.  He had a wonderful group of family and friends.  Perspective isn't always easy to come by, these videos should help with that.

>  Funny I don't remember anything in both of my acadamies pertaining to any type training such as you have described!! Perhaps you could give me a first hand actual account of this type of training I have received in both of my acadamy classes and then I could elaborate on same.

>  I see now you are referring to specialized training, ok! I 'm sorry but I am a lonely PSD handler, trainer, I don't get all that high tech anti terrorist training that the larger cities get. Hmm I guess if you are going to get that kind of training you might as well get it from the "BEST" in the business, huh?! People who live in a state of rediness 24/7!!

GARD,

Keep up the good work!

Uglydog,

One of the reasons why specialized officers such as SWAT/TEU/ and other special units recieve more of the military type of training is because of the changing of society.  You have to understand that on a daily basis Lonely PSD handlers, and regular officers are coming up against high powered weapons, people with extensive military training in special weapons and tactics. If we do not have officers trained in the special tactics who is going to stop them when they go nuts at the local grociery store. Yes I am a LEO and yes I was on the SWAT team when I was an officer, and you better believe it when I tell you it sucks when you go up against someone who out guns you and you find out he is a war time military vet who snapped. As far as shooting dogs with tazers, mace and so on you have to remember the officers have a split second to make a decision that you get to watch on video while drinking your coffee. I will tell you this I have been a  LEO for more than ten years working in some of the cities worst areas and I will be damned if I am going to risk being bit by a pit in order to try and tazer it. You see if you miss with the tazer you are shit out of luck, at least with my weapon I have 13 more. (vicious animals) I have used body language and even my hat to move dogs so no this does not apply to nice dogs. Just ones who show the aggression and then act.