Bizarre, Criminal law, Society

SWAT Team Raids Family Home, Shoots The Family’s Two Dogs In Front of a Seven-Year-Old Child, Finds Only a Small Amount of Pot — And Charges Father With Child Endangerment


The video below of a SWAT team raiding a home in Columbia, Mo. has raised questions over the actions of police officers and charges brought against a family. In the video, the officers shot the family’s two dogs (including one in front of a seven-year-old child) on a drug raid that only netted a small amount of marijuana. Nevertheless, the father Jonathan Whitworth was charged with drug possession and child endangerment.

The police shot and killed the family’s pit bull and wounded its Corgi. On the video, Whitworth asks “Did you shoot my fucking dog? . . . Oh my God, what the fuck did you do that for?”

Credit for this story goes to Daily Tribune reporter Brennan David who obtained the video.

Whitworth pleaded down to possession of paraphernalia and paid the possession fine.

For the full story, click here.

52 thoughts on “SWAT Team Raids Family Home, Shoots The Family’s Two Dogs In Front of a Seven-Year-Old Child, Finds Only a Small Amount of Pot — And Charges Father With Child Endangerment”

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  4. I live in Columbia, MO. We are enraged. Nothing in memory has brought our community together like this. I have not the time to read all of your comments on this blog, as I have been looking at blogs about our fair community from all over the world..

    The history of the video here:
    http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2010/may/06/complete-coverage-february-2010-swat-raid/

    The video was obtained by our local newspaper who for once, acted like real journalists. The police did not want or ever intend for this video to be seen. I am surprised they didn’t “lose” it.

    A good place to get a feel of how Columbians are reacting to this story here, read the comments after this news article:

    http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2010/may/06/chief-details-swat-incident/

    and the comments after this article. Trouble brewing in our fair town….

    http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2010/may/03/drug-raid-inquiry-is-ongoing/

  5. Then new criminal class: the cops.

    I want Andy of Mayberry back.

  6. There is a real problem with the police and citizens interact. Although this is true everywhere in the world, that does not mean America should not strive for better. Legislatures need to step in at this point and mandate the elimination of these kinds of raids for nonviolent drug offenses. All this tragedy over a little bit of weed?! They should also spell out precautionary measures to take when a child may be present. Not to mention mandating that all reasonable methods of subduing pets be used with lethal force used only as a last resort. I’ve been thevictim of misuse of police force myself. I can tell you that there is not a more helpless feeling. Where have all the liberal lions gone?

  7. In all the cases where this has happned i have never heard of the Cops haveing to face any real consequence for their actions. I fail to see how this will change in the absencens of serious repercussions for the cops when they do this.

    I bet if the police dept who did this had to pay a few million in penalty or if the mayor disbanded the the department and reformed it then maybe.

  11. @Wooty’s Still a Cat –

    Thanks for the link – I don’t think for a minute this is an isolated incident. This happens thousands of times per year but rarely is recorded, most cities/Law Enforcement agencies don’t bother keeping track of such a thing so it is difficult to know. However, one city that does keep track is Milwaukee and they report shooting an average of a little more than 60 dogs per year.

  12. when you read something like this it makes you wonder how many times this happens and doesn’t make the news

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