Was The Shooting Of This Dog Justified?

[Kromovaracun]

A petition has recently been started to fire an officer who shot a dog to death. The incident was recorded, and you can view both the petition and the video (which you can probably guess is quite graphic, I know AB has its share of animal lovers) here:

http://www.causes.com/justice-for-max?utm_source=causes.com&;utm_medium=fbpost&utm_campaign=fbMAX0703

Does anyone know what exactly was the dog's owner being arrested for? Was the dog a sufficient threat to the police to warrant being shot?

[Gromit]

Shooting the dog was an over reaction, as was so handcuffing the owner. The dog was 'threating' but had not actually caused any harm to the officers. If it had bitten or cause any harm then I would accept it was right to stop it. But it didn't. It was just a big barking, and the officer was a big wuss.

Thankfully, we do not have big fat scaredy cats carrying danger lethal weapons in this country.

[jomifl]

The dog died quite quickly, most of the movement that occurred after being shot appeared to be a spinal reflex when the dog was unconcious if not technically dead..

[ChillDoubt]

Easily managable? Not a phrase I've ever heard uttered by law enforcement officers when dealing with a large, sturdy Rottweiler with the unpredictability that all those factors would ensure!
I suppose this scenario was easily managable too, yes?:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ud-qU-IPT1c

[Gromit]

And again without the typis...

Shooting the dog was an over reaction, as was handcuffing the owner. The dog was 'threatening' but had not actually caused any harm to the officers. If it had bitten or cause any harm then I would accept it was right to stop it. But it didn't. It was just a big barking dog, and the officer was a big wuss.

Thankfully, we do not have big fat scaredy cats carrying dangerous lethal weapons in this country.

[Gromit]

Duh, typos

[jomifl]

Gromit, have you ever beem attacked by a dog of that size?

[TheBaBas]

Quite chilldoubt.

Having a 12stone Rottweiller jumping up at you snarling and growling would make most people (although clearly not Gromit) fear for their safety.

The shooting was justified.

[jomifl]

^been :-)

[Gromit]

ChillDoubt
That is an altogether different scenario. That was a drug dealers dog and was trained as an offensive weapon. That dog was physically injuring the officers and there was only one way to stop it.

[ChillDoubt]

These guys had all the equipment but as this incident shows, matters can get out of control and beyond managability in an instant:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-KwZtKT1Uc

[jomifl]

When dogs attack for real they move so quickly that humans really don't have the ability to deal wth them. A rotweiller can rip your throat out before you realise it.

[ChillDoubt]

Not different at all Gromit. A large dog, renowned for ferocity and unpredictability begins attacking law enforcement officers.
There was only ever going to be one outcome.

As I said, if the owner acted responsibly and muzzled the dog whilst out in public, this probably wouldn't have happened. Furthermore, he should have secured it after he put it into his vehicle.

[jomifl]

Agree completely CD.

[ChillDoubt]

The dog was 'threating' but had not actually caused any harm to the officers. If it had bitten or cause any harm then I would accept it was right to stop it. But it didn't. It was just a big barking, and the officer was a big wuss.
-------------------------------------
LOL, have you actually read what you typed? So if an ordinary member of the public was walking down the street with an assault rifle, just 'threating'(?) people but not actually shooting anyone, the Police would be wrong to act?

As others have said, you've obviously never been threatened by a large, unpredictable canine.

[Baldric]

No it was not, total overreaction, as was handcuffing the owner, and the links put up my Chill have no bearing on the story whatsoever except to tell us he is not a dog person.

[B00]

That was awful viewing, that poor dog :-(

[Baldric]

By not my^^^doh

[naomi24]

Baldric, I'm a dog person - I have three - but I think the action was justified.

[andy-hughes]

This appears to be the coincidence of several situations.

It is unclear why the man was handcuffed, but clearly the police were on edge.

The man failed to secure his dog properly before speaking with the police.

The dog was instinctively protecting his owner, but did not appear immediately threatening.

It appears that the policeman fired his gun as a result of his own agitation, rather than any genuinely perceived threat from the dog.

In my view, the shooting was not justified, although I suspect the police will back their officer who has only to say that he decided his safety was threatened.

Personally, I think defence with mace, a baton or a taser would all have been preferable options to shooting. Shooting guns tends to make other people feel like shooting their guns, so it should always be a very last option, and in this case, it was certainly not.

[ChillDoubt]

My dearly loved but sadly departed Springer Spaniel would have disagreed with you Baldric, but then I always looked after him responsibly.

The links I put up have every bearing. Some dogs are very unpredictable, some attack without warning, some are not muzzled when they ought to be.

The majority are, thankfully, dearly loved animals who have responsible and sensible owners.