There is another lawsuit against a police department for shooting a family dog without provocation. The latest victim is Rosie, a 3-year-old Newfoundland belonging to Charles and Deirdre Wright in Washington state. Rosie got loose and ended up in the backyard of Lora Perry. Perry said that police came and shot and killed Rosie who was not being aggressive in any way in her yard. The Wrights have now filed a civil rights suit.
While the police department cleared the officers, Perry says that officers let her own dog out of her yard and waited for an officer to arrive with a rifle to kill Rosie. They fired four times at the dog which Perry described as just “sniffing around.”
This is the latest in a long line of such tragic cases (here and here and here are examples). Courts historically have been less than sympathetic in such cases where the dog has run away. As noted earlier, the value of such pets is quite limited as chattel. The true damages are often secured through a claim by the owners for intentional infliction of emotion distress or negligence.
Source: Seattle Times as first seen on ABA Journal
Lesson: never call the police to deal with a pet. call the spca or another animal shelter.
my cock-a-poo took himself for a walk and gave the animal control officer a really good workout. max thought the guy wanted to play tag. max runs up and tags the human then runs like the dickens. he repeats this until he gets tired. cost me $70 to get the rascal back.
Idiots.
Some operational comments:
It all went downhill from this: In reading the article it was mentioned that one of the officers did not know how to operate the catchpole. A ten year old could figure that out. I carried one in the trunk of my patrol car for a while and there were only two moving parts in it, a wire rope that you pull on the back to cinch up the loop and a tightener that is twisted to lock the loop in place. And that it was said that the loop would be too small to fit around the dog’s neck? Well if they knew how to operate it, they would learn that you untwist the lock and feed the wire rope back through and magicly the loop widens. Maybe if they were trying to lasso a rhinocerous, the loop might be too small.
Plus, it was simply a loose dog. I did not read anywhere where this dog was viscious. If they could not capture the dog, forget it and move on to another call. Lighting up a dog with a taser does two things. It locks up the dog for 5 seconds and then it runs like lightning in some random direction. Unless you can get it secured in 5 seconds you are never going to capture it after that experience.
And this “let’s just shoot it” attitude. Again, if the dog had attacked someone I could see shooting it to protect someone else but a loose dog? Unbelievable.
As for the dog winding up in the neighbor’s fenced yard, the neighbor had under RCW 16.04.010 the legal authority to hold the dog until the owner could arrive to retrieve the animal.
From the legal point I would say yes to the section 1983 violation pursuit. The dog is considered the property of the owner and police deprived the owner of that property by killing it. The emotional distress can be another issue. One way to look at it would be if the owner forgot to set the brake of their car and it rolled down the road and came to a rest at the bottom of a hill would the police destroy it in the process? No different than this dog, it got loose and the police destroyed it.
Another example of a meaningless call that should have been walked away from resulting in a huge legal mess.
according to the seattle times the officers tased rosie twice before shooting her. wtf was that for? on the ground, put your paws behind your head, zzzt. stop resisting, zzzt. bang bang bang bang.
buncha sadistic idiots
WOW!!! This is just SICK!!!
Newfoundlands are REALLY gentle dogs…. they are no way menacing…
It seems that the police in the USA are a BIT too trigger happy…..
Maybe ALL the police in the USA need an overhaul….
When people and animals are being shot at the drop of a hat on a daily basis…. This does NOT instill security and comfort…. It does instill rage
and fear…..
This is NOT how the police in a FREE country should be conducting themselves….
PS… I hope that this family gets MILLIONS of $’s over this…..
The citizens of the USA have to stop accepting this type of
behavior from the Police…..
When police see no downside to brutal behavior, they engage in it with abandon. Tasting animals and humans ignoring that that action alone can be fatal. It make one wonder what kind of people are our police forces hiring. These officers need to lose their jobs and be criminally prosecuted.
Once again Justice Holmes, I agree with you 100%.
You are exactly right, they do need to lose their jobs.
The officers tasing humans and animals that pose NO danger to anyone, need to lose their jobs and be criminally responsible.
Too many instances lately of tasings and shootings of unarmed people.
This has to STOP!!!
This is giving the USA a bad name.
People should feel safe when the police are around, NOT fear
for their lives should they make one wrong move or gesture.
Police need to pay four tomes what was lost. That what an unscrupulous tax collector did, and what a rich man in the KJV who killed a lamb that was like a daughter to a poor man. He was demanded to pay it. Police need to become extinct.
Police need to pay four times what was lost. That what an unscrupulous tax collector did, and what a rich man in the KJV who killed a lamb that was like a daughter to a poor man. He was demanded to pay it. Police need to become extinct.
Police need to pay four times what was lost. That is what an unscrupulous tax collector did, and that is what a rich man in the KJV who killed a lamb that was like a daughter to a poor man. He was demanded to pay it. Police need to become extinct.
Darren,
“As for the dog winding up in the neighbor’s fenced yard, the neighbor had under RCW 16.04.010 the legal authority to hold the dog until the owner could arrive to retrieve the animal.”
YUP, They could have asked the neighbor to hold the dog, made strategic phone calls and this would have never made the news.
I imagine after being contained for an hour the homeowner could have set a bowl of water out for the big Galoot and made a new friend. When the dog owners returned the thanks and gratitude would have been flying, and this would be a nice good neighbor story. ….. OOPs.
I have held stray dogs in fenced yards, know people that have held stray dogs in fenced yards, and seen the joy when a runaway dog was retrieved by an owner. This is a common occurrence. I am surprised this option was not used. What the heck type of training did these officers receive ?
What the heck type of training did these officers receive ?
————————————-
The training seems to be shoot unarmed people… NOTHING happens… no job loss, no lawsuits, no jail time…. just a slap on the wrist….
Tase a human…. No problem….
Tase a dog…. well…. NO job loss over tasing humans…. so why would they lose a job over tasing a dog……
and lastly….. Shoot and kill a dog… well if they don’t lose their jobs or having criminal consequences over shooting unarmed humans…..
Then WHY would they have any negative consequences from shooting a dog????
WE have come to accept this kind of behavior from our police…..
what I mean by that is that, we get upset when we see the news on a story like this… and the next day, we are on to something else….
when the police suffer NO consequences from these actions….. They will ONLY get worse….
I am glad that they sued.
Training doesn’t necessarily make an officer better at their job. Really, the police are best saved as the last resort in most situations.
http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_22082746
Krazy….. The Keystone Cops with guns…..rifles….
what kind of cretin would shoot a Newfie? He needs to be in another line of work.
Why so surprised? Am I the only one here accepting of the fact our police guardians have morphed into a paramilitary of the Banana Republiic variety? Oh, they still talk a good line, but at least since 9/11, we citizens are enemies of the Republic first, presumed guilty until cleared. And it won’t be getting any better. Tapped phone line, anyone?
The lawsuit is of course a good course of action. But you know the National Rifle Association has an adage: If they outlaw guns only outlaws will have guns. Well they need to arm dogs. Fido could be sitting over by the fence with a deer rifle and when the Law Enforcement Offender is chasing little Tiko with his gun Fido could pick him off. One shot is good for the whole day.
Another easy strategy is to have a lengthy discussion and questionaire for new pig applicants to pig training school. Have you now or have you ever been a member of the Humane Society? If no. Do you now or have you ever owned a dog? If no. Reject! Next candidate. There is a certain type of creep who wants to be a bully with a badge. In bullydom these guys were not always top dog. With the badge they know that they can be top bully. Unless the Lt. is there. But then the bullys have a gang mentality and fit well into the pigsty hierarchy.
In picking the jury on the civil case against the dogkiller: Show of hands for those who own dogs? Make a mental note. Go from there.
What Justice Holmes said
Justice Holmes:
“Tasting animals and humans ignoring that that action alone can be fatal.”
Not if you just take a small bite from a limb.
Where are the kids in that town? They outta organize an Occupy Pigsty movement and wear Rosie tee shirts 24/7 until the Law Enforcement Offender is fired, he pays up a lot of money and the Chief gets fired and pays up too.
Leo, beo bo beo, bannan fanna fo fee O. Leo! If the first dog killer is ever insane, you lock him up and blame the name. Ig pig f inng fo o ig.
-Name game.
I have followed this case from the beginning. There are hours of video including the damning dashcams and multiple city hall podcasts. The interim chief police looked like he swallowed a cat when he had to report that the officers were innocent except for foul language. The Mayor got in to a major political brawl with the police union when he sympathized with the grieving dog owners by showing up at a vigil. The major also released the dashcams in indifference to the police union. The review boards were all in bed with each other. Just to cap it off, Up to 12 judges refused to hear the case citing conflict of interest causing the criminal case to go beyond the statue of limitations ( noted by the only judge that would hear the case) Remember this is part of the state that shoot Native Americans in the street and get away with it. This case is beyond the needless shooting of a pet. Corruption, incompetence and injustice abound.
I have a neighbor w/ a Newfoundland. I didn’t have to see him when he got loose, which was often. My dogs would look like they were rained on after he drooled all over them. He is just an easygoing, not real bright, drool machine.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/justiceforrosie/?fref=ts
Being a cop is a no win situation you’re dammed if you do and dammed if you don’t
One would think the cops would have called animal regulation to take care of the problem
There are no shades of gray on this one. The cops went hunting. All caught on their own DashCams ( one reason the police union was upset they were released) This tells of a bigger problem. The police had no fear of celebrating the hunt. (whooping it up and high fiving. Allegedly went out for beers later) In one video you see them letting a neighbors dog out of it’s yard by opening a closed gate. Creating the only reason to shoot Rosie ( dog not fenced ) Another neighbor caught the dog. The cops were sensitive though. After killing Rosie, the cops gave icecream coupons to the traumatized kids watching.
What Darren, pete and Justice Holmes said. And Bron as well. I’ve known quite a few Newfies and like most big dogs they are not a mean breed as a general rule. In fact, they tend to think they are oversized lap dogs.
Police are I will kill whoever or whatever as an answer just like the people that follow sharia law. Both do not think of the soul. Had they they would not kill no mater what. Police would not think of a fire arm as being power.
This is why I hate cops. They are ignorant barbarians worthy only of fear and avoidance – certainly not respect. The thing that makes it worse, is that they are allays supported by the State. Nazis, the bunch of them.
Police are on the same level as the military. When push comes to shove they will kill. Police will upholster their gun killing causing people to shake they heads at them killing for no reason at all. The gun is their god. That is what they bow to, and their external clothing .
Police are on the same level as the military. When push comes to shove they will kill. Police will unholster their gun killing causing people to shake they heads at them killing for no reason at all. The gun is their god. That is what they bow to, and their external clothing .
Perhaps an interesting side note for this situation of an apparent senseless killing of a family pet while children were watching: I’ve read form several sources that one trait that serial killers have in common is that they tortured animals before they started killing humans. Hmmm? Does that give anyone else the chills? And I think that some of the new federal laws like the NDAA have given the LEOs some reason to believe that they are above being accountable for their actions.
People thinking that they are above being accountable are in self deception. They they do not know scripture KJV nether do they want to know scripture. They feel comfortable with killing even as they feel comfortable eating food.
Eric, religious people thought they were crafty causing bad to happen to Jesus even as the Police think they are crafty bringing abut death in whatever way too. Both are the same. People have been deceived into thinking they are not the same.
There are two sides (or more) to police behavior in the community. This is a very human, kind and thoughtful style of police work.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/29/larry-deprimo-nypd-cop-gives-homeless-boots_n_2209178.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular
This dog was a Newf. I have one. They are one breed known for their peaceful disposition and love of people and all things. I have never even heard of one that will chase a cat or squirrel.
We are living in a police state – Richard Faircloth is right – years of sweeping things under the rug have resulted in a police force filled with the lowest specimens. For years, we have covered up brutal racist behavior – they would do this to a poor person, or a black person, or a gay person – really anyone they don’t like at that moment, as easily as they would do it to this peaceful dog. And, as they lie, cheat and steal to cover each other’s crimes, they know they will never be held accountable.
And, our government’s support of this evil, sadistic behavior is amply evidenced by the number of DAs prosecuting folks for “filming” their cops committing their crimes.
Just in case anyone was still in doubt as to the quality of cops we have in this country —
http://legalblogwatch.typepad.com/legal_blog_watch/2012/11/man-protecting-his-house-from-fire-gets-police-taser-shot-in-the-back.html
Federal publication on police / dog encounter training.
http://cops.usdoj.gov/Publications/e051116358_Dog-Incidents-508.pdf
I have long held the opinion that some police officers just enjoy killing.
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JohnMichael Since religious people wanted to kill Jesus you can say that wanting to kill is Pharisaical.
my bonnie would still be us , but acop shot her nov17,2012 in our own yard on a leash runner . looking for a teen that wasnt even in my yard. judy