Officer shoots dog during foot chase thru dog's backyard. Right or wrong? - Page 4

Daryl,
I really consider you to be a very intelligent individual.  I have a lot of respect for you based on the fact that I consider you to be intelligent and articulate.  I can only assume you are joking or I am completely wrong about you and have given you way too much credit. 

Jim

Letter carriers of the postal service undergo routine training on how to avoid dog bites.  You think I'm an idiot for disagreeing with you?  I'm not saying I wouldn't use lethal means to defend myself if I were in those shoes and felt I had no other option, but there are alternatives, and I would expect the dog owner should have every right to sue the department for not resorting other means first.  If you expect you'll be trespassing on private property in the line of duty, you should be prepared for what could happen.

Yeah, pepper spray, I thought training was suppose to create muscle memory.

Daryl,
You wrote:

Maybe if you started shooting fleeing suspects, there'd be fewer suspects attempting to flee, and getting totally away with it.  If you feel you must play "chase", then save the tazer or pepperspray or nonlethal measures for the dogs that get in your way.

Shooting fleeing suspects?  Really, that would go over well.  Obviously, you are not serious.  Playing "chase"  is that what you call it?  I don't play games when I'm working it is serious business and I do not consider it a game.              R     Deliver mail and chasDDelivering mail and chasing fleeing often armed suspects are completely different lines of work.  A mail man should be trained to deal with dogs, and cops should be trained to deal with violent fleeing felons. 

I am prepared to deal with what happens when I go to work.  I am heartbroken for the family whose dog was killed.  I have been in similar situations and never shot anyone's dog.  However, I am probably more skilled than most at reading dogs and dealing with aggressive dogs.  At 2 AM it is hard to see the signs of a dog in a yard. like water dishes and piles of poop.  I always rattle chain link fences before I go over them and listen.  The family can sue if they feel the need to do that.  Being a cop comes with a lot of responsibility and liability.  The city will probably pay, if that helps to ease their suffering they should go for it.  


I do not think you are an idiot, I think you are very intelligent and very well researched on several subjects.  Go back and read what I wrote on the feasibility of alternative uses of force in this case. 


Again, I feel sorry for the family and the dog.  It was tragic for them.  I realize that this is one of those very emotional topics and people have strong feelings regarding their pets, I know I do.  No one wants to think this could happen to their dog.  Since, I have been in similar situations; unlike most of those posting here I do have some insight.  However, even with that insight I am not going to speculate on what happened because I wasn't there.  It bugs me when people jump to conclusions and speculation with out all of the information.   The only ones with all of the info are the ones that were there that night. 

Jim

Trouble,
You have issues and they are really beginning to show.  I find it fascinating.

Jim

A mail man should be trained to deal with dogs, and cops should be trained to deal with violent fleeing felons.

 

I'm afraid I must disagree.  If you're subject to dogs in the line of duty, then you should be trained.  Only desk jockeys shouldn't have to.  There are so many dog shootings by LEO's each year, it's a disgrace.  If you think even half of those are acceptable, then we oughta issue sidearms to all our postal employees as well, and save on training costs.

Funny, in my years of Police work I only know one officer that shot a Rottie.  The dog jumped it's 4 foot chain link fence and charged a female officer who was responding to the neighbor's house for an alarm call.  The dog lived, the cop didn't get bit.  When I was in Narcotics and we hit dope dealers houses on search warrants we had designated guys with fire extinguishers to deal with the dogs guarding the dope dealers houses.  We never shot a dog while I was in Narcotics, in over a 100 search warrants. 

Perhaps you could provide a chart outlining the number of dogs shot by police each year, the number of dogs in this country and the number of officers working every day.   Another chart could show the number of mail men bit and the number of cops bit by dogs.  It is a rather infrequent occurrence that I come across dogs in yards, but it happens on occasion. 

I also think it might be a bad idea to start arming postal workers, their reputation with firearms in the work place is not the greatest. 

Jim

Must be a stressful job

I would hold the felon on the run totally responsible for this dogs death;  needs to come up with say $10,000 or so to buy this family another dog.  I wouldn't call it a replacement dog and you cannot replace one's dog;  however, another Doberman might help and to the family I am so sorry that he died this type of death;  sounded like he was very brave and did his job well or at least tried to do his job.    Yep, a very sad story indeed.  Nan

Troublelinx,
It has it's moments both good and bad.  Stressfull and rewarding often at the same time.

Jim