We have been following a growing trend of alleged unjustified shootings of pet dogs by police officers. We can now add a case out of Chicago where a 7-month-old miniature bull terrier, called “The Colonel” by neighbors, was shot by a police officer. A lawsuit names Officer Brandon Pettigrew as the cop who twice shot The Colonel, which weighs less than 30 pounds. According to witnesses, the officer then calmly returned to writing the ticket and handed it to the distraught owner. The police returned three days later, according to media reports, and asked why the owners were speaking to the media . . . and proceeded to give them a ticket for having a dog off a leash.
The incident happened near my family’s house on the north side of Chicago.
On Saturday afternoon, witnesses say that the Colonel followed his owner outside of the owner’s gated home where the officer was writing a parking ticket for the van of Al Phillips. According to witnesses, the officer warned him about having a dog without a leash twice and then proceeded to shoot the puppy twice. Witnesses say the puppy was not threatening the officer, who then proceeded to finish his ticket and give it to a distraught Phillips.
The Colonel was rushed to an emergency vet and had five hours of surgery to save his life.
What is incredible is that the police returned later to the scene while Phillips was speaking with a reporter and demanded to know why he contacted the media. According to the report, they then gave him a ticket for not keeping his dog on a leash.
That was three days after the incident.
The ticket deepens the controversy. I have never heard of a leash ticket being written three days after such a common occurrence. I walk our dog in Chicago regularly during holidays and often see dogs off the leash. The ticket raises concerns of retaliation. It was entirely inappropriate for the officers to ask for an explanation of why the family was speaking to the media, if this is found to have occurred. The presence of a reporter adds credence to the allegation. To then combine such an improper question with a ticket only magnifies the misconduct.
Even if the ticket was not retaliation for embarrassing the CPD, it seems calculated to cover the officer for the shooting by citing the owner after-the-fact. Unfortunately, Cook County Anita Alvarez is not viewed as particularly protective of citizens in confrontations with the police.
The lawsuit is likely to get more information and action than official channels, unfortunately. Among other things, it could allow for discovery not only on the incident but the governing policies of the CPD.
Source: CBS
I dont know Justice Holmes, what I would have done if that cop shot my puppy for no reason. I would have gone to jail, no doubt. An ambulance would have to be called for one of us.
QUOTE ” it could allow for discovery not only on the incident but the governing policies of the CPD.”
LOL You haven’t been following their ‘policies’?? A off duty cop beats the chit out of a female bartender, and gets 2 yrs probation instead of jail. BTW what they don’t tell you is that the reason he is beating her is that she cut him off…and the reason she cut him off is because he started a fight with another guy!!!
Then we have the two guys that sued the cops for MILLIONS, but a “investigation” found nothing wrong! And this was after paying out $4million to a guy that had a screwdriver up his butt, and and another $2 million for false arrest with another CPD victim.
THEN when the City Counsel wanted a list of names for offending officers, Jody refused to give it up, even after ordered by a Judge.
NOT UNTIL HE WAS HELD IN CONTEMPT did he finally turn them over…
I could go on all day about the Chicago police….
Now there you have a real case of jack booted thugs. It really is time to do something about out of control police. Perhaps the ACLU or may be the voters could start asking some questions about why police officers would thing they have a right to stop citizens from speaking with the media. I can only think of one reason voters wouldn’t do that– the next time the officers might shot them and not their dog. We are all in prison.
“The ticket raises concerns of retaliation.”
———————————————————
concern?
CONCERN??????!!!!!
YA THINK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHzh0PvMWTI
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHzh0PvMWTI&w=560&h=315%5D
Oh yes, a 7 month old purebred puppy scampering about is a huge danger to the police! horrors! They have become a bunch of authoritarian cowards with no common sense.
I had a much more dangerous job riding racehorses.
http://www.theagitator.com/2007/12/28/how-dangerous-is-police-work/
“If not checked we will have a police state the equivalent of the USSR in its heyday.” -Mike S.
We’re well on our way…
The “throw-down” ticket.
Darren Smith gets it! This is one dog, horrible but one dog nonetheless. The BIGGER issue here is the corrupt city of Chicago and their unconstitutional attempts to protect police crimes like this.
MikeS, “Oliver Stone on line 2”. I made the connection to Chicago in conjunction w/ Mr. Turley. Read the post. It is not only about cops killing dogs, it is about cops suppressing scrutiny ala the Alvarez debacle. I lived in Chicago, you visited there a few years back.
If it was me:
Officer: “Why are you talking to reporters.”
Darren: “Because I want to bring to the attention of the public the illegal killing of my dog by a member of your department and hope to expose the abuses being covered up by your department in the hope that your chief of police will be removed from office and the rest of those unsuited for office are removed and jailed if they committed any crimes. It is also my intention to take legal action against the department and petition government for redress of my grievances. Is there anything else?”
I wonder if the writing of the second ticket after talking to reporters can be considered a SLAPP since the ticket is a form of civil action
So, when will they give him a medal and promote him to the K-9 unit?
disgusted.
Yet again, why are the Sargent and the Lieutenant covering for this sadist? Why do they not charge him with a crime? How can we have ‘law enforcement’ when the cops are the criminals and their supervisors cover them for the crime? He should be charged with animal abuse at the least. Endangering the community. Dangerous use of a firearm, etc.
bigfatmike: No. A man who would shoot a 30 pound purebred PUPPY in cold blood in front of the owner will shoot anything, anyone for no reason.
Is there a city protocol that says any dogs found to be off leash should be shot by police? Is that standard operating procedure in Chicago?
The citation was hand delivered by a Sargent and Lieutenant. It is also alleged that it was issued after the dog owner was asked and declined “to drop the issue”. Thankfully the officer was a bad shot. Given the circumstances, the background (pavement) near people and a school, the shooter was using exceedingly poor judgement. It appears the dog’s abdomen blocked the ricocheted bullet that hit the pavement.
I don’t see how the community and the courts can ignore this kind of action by LE.
Doesn’t the discharge of the weapon under these circumstances present a real threat to the community.
Don’t the officers actions, at the very least, raise questions regarding his or her mental stability.
Unless there is some important fact missing from the story, it would seem that safety of the community requires that this officer be separated from fire arms.
Can anyone feel safe with an individual like this walking the streets?
Outrageous behavior from cops yet again. When I was a kid my parents taught me that the cops were my friend. I tell my kids to steer clear of the cops and not to answer any questions without me present. And, for goodness sake, don’t let any Barney Fife near the family pet!
This is not a Chicago issue. our cops are out of control across the country and the State fully supports them by charging folks who film them behaving badly. since 911, we have been slowly and steadily moving towards an oppressive police state. people thought this was Bush but, it was the society – Obama and the Democrats have only continued this.
“This is not a Chicago issue. our cops are out of control across the country and the State fully supports them by charging folks who film them behaving badly. since 911, we have been slowly and steadily moving towards an oppressive police state.”
Eric is correct Nick. I’m sure where you live is just as corrupt as Chicago ad the police just as out of control. Perhaps though, in your thinking it is because Chicago is a Democratic Party Town. Partisanship shows Nick, even though you pretend it doesn’t. Scratch many a Libertarian and you’ll find a Republican fallback position. This is certainly not true though of all Libertarians, some like GaryT, who occasionally comments here, really are totally committed to their
beliefs and I respect them and find some common ground.
Mr. Turley, you don’t think Chicago cops and Alvarez will take the higher court’s rebuke lying down, do you? It’s Chicago..they’ll double down.
In a dog loving country such as ours, I can only think that the spate of dog shootings occurs as revenge by LEO’s for someone having the effrontery to question their behavior. This goes beyond institutional arrogance into the area of Official Sadism. If not checked we will have a police state the equivalent of the USSR in its heyday.