Cop shooting dog in "self defense"

[Purlina]

And many mailmen have died and/or been seriously injured from dogs. Why should a cop risk his career and his ability to work?

HERE is a case of a dog attacking a mailman and him dying because of it.

The owners daughter told police that the dog had showed no signs of aggression before the incident and the family is deeply sorry.

This is just one case of a family dog (with no signs of previous aggression) killing a person. Now, why should a cop risk dying and his family suffering, all so a dog (that showed signs of attacking him) could live?

Yet mailmen still take that risk every day. So I ask again, are mailmen simply braver then the police?

[Deleted]

I haven't read through all 34 pages but instead of comparing police to mailmen in how they deal with dogs, why not compare how it's dealt with by police forces in places that they don't carry firearms, surely that would translate better?

[Purlina]

Who knows. I can't answer for them. Maybe they need the money, maybe that's all they could do. I don't know. But some people are willing to take the risk, others aren't. But, there have been cases of mailmen killing dogs that have attacked them. Maybe not with a gun, but the dog still was killed

Well they should use those methods then (Dog / Pepper spray anyone?), instead of shooting a firearm and risking harm to others.

Like the police officer that shot his partner in the back (instead of the dog)...

[Tikaru]

Yet mailmen still take that risk every day. So I ask again, are mailmen simply braver then the police?

I'd like to see the numbers of loose dogs compared to those behind a fence/door for mailmen, since you're so determined to go off topic.

[Rukentuts]

I'd like to see the numbers of loose dogs compared to those behind a fence/door for mailmen, since you're so determined to go off topic.

I'd like to see how many even get attacked. We have posters claiming that all "dogs are killers", but I'll wager there are a surprisingly low number of attacks.

[Purlina]

I'd like to see the numbers of loose dogs compared to those behind a fence/door for mailmen, since you're so determined to go off topic.

Too bad many houses have mail boxes that are actually right near the door eh? And this is not off topic at all. Actually it's pretty damn relevant, seeing as how we are discussing how people handle dogs.

[Rukentuts]

Too bad many houses have mail boxes that are actually right near the door eh?

Actually in southern MN there are still quite a few places remaining with the sidewalks + porch / door mailboxes. They're still around.

[Purlina]

Here in AK I have a concealed weapons permit. I carry a gun on me. If a dog was to come after me (in an aggressive manner), I'm going to shoot it. I don't care if the owner is screaming in the background that the dog won't bite. I'm not risking my life on the owners word.

Now, if it was some yappy, rat toy breed coming after me to attack, you better believe his ass his getting soccer ball kicked across the damn field. The dog may not kill me, but I don't want possible scars on my feet or some kind of infection from the bite (if it did break skin).

That's how I would deal with the situation.

Maybe if it comes after you. If it's just standing still and barking, do you whip out your gun?

[Purlina]

Barking, with no means of getting to me, no.

Barking/growling in an aggressive manner and has access to my body, yes.

So do you shoot the dog while it's moving, or do you shoot the dog while it is standing still several feet away?

[Alixie]

While much of my family is in law enforcement, dad, uncles, cousins, Im glad Im not just because of all the ungrateful bastards that would gladly shoot 10 cops to save their rabid pooch. Cops go through a lot of shit daily and dont need armchair PETA warriors berating them for being able to use lethal force to defend and enforce the law.

Yet another stupid pet owner. Hur dur, Imma ignore the police and keep on walkin. Oh shit, bad things happened because I was a moron!

---------- Post added 2012-11-14 at 03:38 PM ----------

So do you shoot the dog while it's moving, or do you shoot the dog while it is standing still several feet away?

Whatever gives the better shot.

Unless youre cool with loosing a hand.

[Rukentuts]

Cops go through a lot of shit daily and dont need armchair PETA warriors berating them for being able to use lethal force to defend and enforce the law.

No, but cops can only use deadly force when their lives are in imminent danger. It's clear in this case that it was not.

[Waaldo]

I was hoping this thread would be closed by now. I'm absolutely disgusted with how many of you are siding with this cowardly cop. I've said it probably 5 times in this thread already but I'll say it all again.

The cop could have easily taken the dog in a fight if it came to it. And there were TWO cops, not 1.

So you would have been happy with the cop punching/kicking the dog to death, but shooting it is out of the question. one of the cops was on the ground, so I don't see how that is relevant.

The dog was a golden retreiver/black lab mix, arguably the most non violent dogs in the world

I commented in this early, how the fuck is the cop supposed to know what kind of dog it is when this is the first time he has seen it at MIDNIGHT!!!!

The cop could have used several other weapons he had on him instead of using lethal force to subdue the dog.

The cop that shot the dog was using a shotgun. I also made this point earlier, the cop can't magically put the shot gun on his back and pull out a tazer like in CoD. The tazer is unreliable against a dog anyways.

You heard the neighbors in the video saying what a loving, peaceful dog it was. It had no history of being aggressive

Every dog in existence, at some point in time, had no history of being aggressive, that doesn't mean that it can't be aggressive. How do you think that history is made?

The dog was on a leash

That makes it worse, it just means the dog can't run away.

The cops didn't need to tackle him because although he didn't stop (which was stupid I admit) he didn't try to run either

What if he was the armed suspect trying to casually walk away from the cops without drawing attention. They yelled for him to stop and he just ignored them. So they tackled him because walking away from the cops when they think you are armed is probably one of the dumbest thing you could ever do.

The dog was growling, not ready to attack. If you think that a dog's growl means he's definitely going to attack, I can't help you

That's like saying "Just because you pull out a knife on a cop doesn't mean you are going to attack him." But in both cases it is a sign of aggression, and cop's jobs aren't to sit around and wait for something bad to happen, they are to PREVENT it from happening.

If you read all my points above and STILL side with the cop, I don't view you as a human being. There were any number of ways this could have gone down and the cops handled it in just about the worst way possible. I hope the cop that pulled the trigger loses his job or worse.

If you don't have to same opinion as me than you are not human, good argument. It's very easy to sit behind a computer and look back at something and think about other ways this could have been handled. But they were in the moment there, with no time to think, only time to do. He couldn't sit down and make a pros/cons list of what would happen if he tackled the person, or what would happen if he shot the dog. You will never have to be in a situation like that, so how are you going to judge what this officer did in the heat of the moment.

[Rukentuts]

I commented in this early, how the fuck is the cop supposed to know what kind of dog it is when this is the first time he has seen it at MIDNIGHT!!!!

Having owned a golden retriever (similar to lab) it's pretty damn easy to tell.

Every dog in existence, at some point in time, had no history of being aggressive, that doesn't mean that it can't be aggressive. How do you think that history is made?

Not necessarily. Some dogs don't have aggression in their personalities. Thus when confronted they will run away.

That makes it worse, it just means the dog can't run away.

It also means it cannot attack.

[Purlina]

Whatever gives the better shot.

Unless youre cool with loosing a hand.

Oh no Lassie barked at the guy who flipped Timmy over, quick better shoot him!

But Lassie is just sitting there...

Mind your own business obviously Lassie is vicious and dangerous, it just barked!

You just hurt it's owner, of course it's going to bark.

STFU, obviously it's Cujio's twin brother back for revenge. Just look how it's just sitting there barking! *Fires off rounds into Lassie*

[Rukentuts]

Oh noes, a dog growled at a stranger! Because clearly only aggressive and violent dogs do this and no others!

[Waaldo]

Yet mailmen still take that risk every day. So I ask again, are mailmen simply braver then the police?

That's not just true. That's an old article.

My dad is a mailman and if there is a dog on the premises that is in the way of the mail box, they are obligated, by law, to skip the house.

[Alixie]

No, but cops can only use deadly force when their lives are in imminent danger. It's clear in this case that it was not.

The video isnt very clear to me. IM getting the impression that the cop should let the dog chew on his arm while he calmly decides whats the best force of action to quickly stop the dog and keep it away while he deals with its idiot owner.

Hmm, should I use pepper spray? Will that just piss it off more? Be ineffective? I need to stop the dog from interfering, not momentarily stop it.
Perhaps I should tie its leash to a telephone pole, just gotta find one and try to get ahold of its leash.
Well maybe I should kick it? Nah, thats too violent.
Okay, Ill try a stungun. I just hope that since its meant for humans, it wont BBQ the dog, but be strong enough to knock it out for a while. And at this close proximity, I dont electrocute myself too.
Ah shit, there goes my arm clean off.

[Rukentuts]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of..._United_States

Labs are not as nice as you would think. The dog in the video was part lab.

Oh, so far less people than are hit by lightning.

That's like the amount of people that win the fucking Powerball every year. Not exactly helping your case.

---------- Post added 2012-11-14 at 02:55 PM ----------

The video isnt very clear to me. IM getting the impression that the cop should let the dog chew on his arm while he calmly decides whats the best force of action to quickly stop the dog and keep it away while he deals with its idiot owner.

Hmm, should I use pepper spray? Will that just piss it off more? Be ineffective? I need to stop the dog from interfering, not momentarily stop it.
Perhaps I should tie its leash to a telephone pole, just gotta find one and try to get ahold of its leash.
Well maybe I should kick it? Nah, thats too violent.
Okay, Ill try a stungun. I just hope that since its meant for humans, it wont BBQ the dog, but be strong enough to knock it out for a while. And at this close proximity, I dont electrocute myself too.
Ah shit, there goes my arm clean off.

Anyone with an ounce of common sense knows that pepper spray with a dog's sensitive nose causes it to run the fuck away.

[Purlina]

The video isnt very clear to me. IM getting the impression that the cop should let the dog chew on his arm while he calmly decides whats the best force of action to quickly stop the dog and keep it away while he deals with its idiot owner.

Good thing the dog was just standing still eh? You need to act fast, when the dog is just sitting there barking...

[Rukentuts]

Scroll down to see the whole list.

I did. Teens to thirty a year. Out of 300 million people.

About that many people win the Powerball every year.