RE: Tennessee Police
Hi Jennifer, If this guy had any knowledge of dogs at all, he would have known that the tail wagging was a sign of non-aggression. Looks like just shooting them is first in his mind. If I were an attorney I would take this case on with a vengeance. Jennifer Burgess (Rex -BMD, Mabel - Lab) in Memphis, TN A wagging tail is not a sign of non-aggression. One has to take into account the expression on the face, the positioning of the head and the tenseness of the body. There are nuances in the movement of the tail and some dogs lie!! The dog might wag his tail in anticipation not solicitation! Rose T. -Original Message- From: Mary Shaver [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Sunday, January 12, 2003 10:10 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: RE: Tennessee Police It appears this whole situation was the culmination of a series of misunderstandings that ended in tragedy. I am not going to either defend or accuse the officer, but let me just say, things are different here in the south. Many, many of our more rural counties have no animal control agency - their animal control is limited to calling the sheriff out when there is an animal problem, like an unwanted stray in the yard, and the normal response to such a complaint is for the sheriff to shoot the offending animal. If it turns out that the animal was someone's pet, oh, well... My point is, law enforcement officers here in the south have probably all been involved in this type of thing, so this particular officer may have not even given it a second thought. Is it right? No. Is it progressive? No. But given the mind-set here, I can certainly see how easily it could have happened. Mary and the girls, Laurel and Bailey Fayetteville, GA
RE: Tennessee Police
I can comment on this story as I live in TN. The details make it all the more horrible. It was two carloads of family members. Parents and one child(and dogs) in one car and grandparents and two other kids in the car behind. It was not just one police car but THREE. Only the driver in the first car was out being handcuffed so presumably (?) the other occupants could have shut the door? Maybe they were intimidated by the whole situation. The police officer who shot the dog had many other officers around to help him if the dog had actually bit him (no need to shoot before an actual attack). It was also not just a shot. The officer shot the dog's head off! In front of all the family members. The whole community is shocked by this. It seems the family is suing. I also wonder at the individual who called in the robbery. They claimed there was lots of money flying out the window and the car was going 110 mph. I really don't think that was the case. Who would start this manhunt for a few bills flying around on the freeway?! I certainly hope they are ashamed. Unfortunately, I'm sure the officer will get off with a hand slap. What is it they say? People who are cruel to animals are more likely to be criminals?.. Amy Hutson Knoxville,TN
RE: Tennessee police
A dog that I loved very well that was owned by a nearby friend was shot and killed by police in Philadelphia. It was another situation that any dog owner would have been happy to accuse the policeman involved of stupidity and unreasonable behavior. The dog had been attacked by another dog a week before, and when he saw him this time, he went to attack back. Perfectly reasonable canine behavior. But. The dog I knew and loved had slipped his collar and was running loose. He was big, a pit bull great dane mix. He was a sweet as could be, and a big old lap dog. He was not attacking any person, but the woman who owned the nasty Westie that he was going for was screaming for him to be killed. (The Westie had attacked other dogs, and had bit one person badly enough that they required 23 stitches.) Needless to say, those of us who knew the situation thought the wrong dog was killed. However - and I have thought long and hard about this many a time. The policeman made a call with very little time to assess the situation. People were screaming, one dog was loose and not under control, and he looked very much like many of the fighting pit bulls in the neighborhood. He probably thought he was saving a human life. Is it the responsibility of police to understand all the nuances of canine behavior? No. Would we like them to? Certainly. The Tennessee policemen were begged by the family to close the car door. The policeman's story apparently was that they still thought a crime had been committed and needed a clear line of sight into the car. Many things went wrong in that whole incident. I hope that a full investigation and some changes in how situations are handled would be initiated because of this. If I did something stupid like leaving my wallet on the roof of the car at a gas station, I would be very upset to be hauled out of my car and handcuffed without being given an explanation or chance to explain. If my dog were also killed during the process, I personally would be glad that I was handcuffed at the time. I'd be very afraid of what I might do next. We pay police a very unreasonable amount and expect a great deal of them. They are often outmanned and outgunned. They regularly walk willingly into situations that I would not ever want to be in. They will make mistakes. As will doctors and lawyers and judges and computer programmers. We all do. I feel sick about what happened, but I can't condemn the officer out of hand. If he is unsuitable for the job, I hope his department will make that determination. If his actions were based on department policy, then I hope they will make changes. Pat Long ( Luther) Berwyn PA
RE: Tennessee Police
It appears this whole situation was the culmination of a series of misunderstandings that ended in tragedy. I am not going to either defend or accuse the officer, but let me just say, things are different here in the south. Many, many of our more rural counties have no animal control agency - their animal control is limited to calling the sheriff out when there is an animal problem, like an unwanted stray in the yard, and the normal response to such a complaint is for the sheriff to shoot the offending animal. If it turns out that the animal was someone's pet, oh, well... My point is, law enforcement officers here in the south have probably all been involved in this type of thing, so this particular officer may have not even given it a second thought. Is it right? No. Is it progressive? No. But given the mind-set here, I can certainly see how easily it could have happened. Mary and the girls, Laurel and Bailey Fayetteville, GA
RE: Tennessee police
It is easy to condemn this police officer, but before we rush to judgment, we perhaps should attempt to put ourselves in the shoes of the officer. Police officers must react with amazing rapidity to all kinds of things that most of us could never even dream up. They must make split-second decisions in assessing a potentially dangerous situation. Sadly, it is not uncommon in the slightest for criminals to train dogs to be, essentially, weapons. So it is not at all unreasonable for an officer who believes that a serious crime has been committed to believe that a dog traveling with the suspects could be dangerous. It is easy to look at that footage, while we are sitting relaxed and comfortable at our computers, and see what that dog's real intentions were. But in the heat of an arrest and a situation perceived to be dangerous, a police officer simply can't see all the nuances that we can. There just isn't time. I'm not condoning the officer's actions -- I don't think any of us know enough yet to really say if he was right or not. My heart goes out to the family for the loss of their beloved pet and for the trauma of witnessing it. But I strongly believe that it is wrong to be accusing that officer of malicious and stupid action until the facts are more clearly known. Police officers risk their lives for all of us on a daily basis. They at least deserve the benefit of the doubt. And, lest we forget, don't you imagine the officer feels terribly guilty for what happened? He may also feel justified, but I would bet that he feels just terrible for killing the dog, especially in front of the family. Just my two cents, Julia Lily Max Astoria, OR
RE: Tennessee Police
Diana, I saw a writeup of this story. The man had filled his gas tank and left his wallet on the top of his car by accident. Someone found it and thought a robbery had occurred, an APB went out as a possible robbery, the family was pulled over, the people were pulled out of the car and handcuffed. They begged the officers to close the car door so the dogs wouldn't escape, the one dog jumped out and trotted around to the officer - who shot the Bulldog as it viciously attacked him. The video from the police car supports the fact that the police were asked to close the door, and shows the friendly family dog trotting over to the police officer. It's all under investigation, but it sounds like the police wretchedly mishandled the whole incident. The family of four - husband and wife and two kids - are understandably distraught. Makes me want to avoid Tennessee, which is a real shame! Pat Long ( Luther) Berwyn PA
