This is straight out of a 'Reno 911' episode :D

You're lucky he didn't shoot you! Most of these cops have some degree of personality disorder - they're pretty freaky and scary.

Cops are doing this way to much. The people need to sue the cop and country for this.

"Show your hands! Show your hands!" Bang! "Why didnt you get your dog?"

Seriously?! Should have shot the cop after that, you can do that in Texas under the castle law.

I am usually on the side of the police, but this is too much. Justified?? BS.

If this had happened at my house, there may not have been any incident before the cop got there but there sure would have been an incident after the cop shot my dog. There would be a dead cop, period. I'd plead self defense too - the cop shot my dog, I thought I was going to be next....

workin hard, not to you, but they are to some people.

I love my dog.

This is what they are training officers to do in the academy. Shot first and we will work it out somehow. They are never wrong while performing their duty.(sarcasm) But most have forgot Protect and Serve.

Sounds to me if this blue heeler was a good judge of character.

working hard

Kids and dogs are not equivalent. It is unfortunate that you feel that way

You're right... dogs are MUCH BETTER than kids. So no, they are not equivalent. Thanks for pointing that out.

the dog probably would have attacked the officer because the officer was screaming at the owner and acting aggressive and threatening. The dog was doing its job as well.. to protect

What was he supposed to do when a potentially aggressive dog comes running at him? Run away? Wait to see if it bites?

Gee... I don't know... maybe use the pepper spray they carry to subdue potentially violent individuals, when the threat does not substantiate use of lethal force.

Really, people? Shoot the cop? Whoever truly believes that is a waste of human life in and of themselves.

The department is being absolutely ridiculous by denying any wrongdoing. Their officer made a mistake, though he was trained this way. Policy in this case defies common sense. I have been around many blue heelers, and highly doubt this dog acted in the "aggressive" manner claimed. Still, even if the officer did believe the dog was going to attack, the policy is inherently flawed (just read what the officer yelled).

I would estimate that in the vast majority of cases if an officer aggressively approached someone playing with their dog off leash on their own property and began yelling at them in an angry tone (just their training), they would be met with a dog running up to them and barking. They would be killing a lot of dogs with this policy. It needs to change, and I have great respect that the owner is able to take such a high-road view of the situation. Still, the department, the PD union, and the officer owe more than just a PR apology for what happened.

That being said, this officer doesn't deserve threats on his life; nor do people have justification to say he should have been shot (@Prohibition). A dog is not a child (@IndieParty), no matter how you spin it. Don't anthropomorphize.

And @Palmquist--I think you meant "too much"; there weren't "people" who could sue in this case, just one man; how do you sue the country? (maybe you mean the U.S. justice department, but they don't decide local departments' policies)

It's fine if you think the shooting of the dog was unjustified, but I'm a little frightened by the high number of people who say they would have shot the cop. That's clearly not okay.

A large suit is the only way the police will learn you don't enter the wrong property and shoot a dog. 1MM would be about right!

maybe the cop learning how to read the addresses on the mail box would have made this a non issue oh wait this is "texass" creationism is more important than reality.

I hope they are just spouting off.

All I can say is, if anyone, a COP should be able to read and recognize canine body language. It's next to impossible to confuse a dog running up to you to say "hi" and a dog running up to you with the intent to attack. Ever seen a dog about to attack? You don't forget what that looks like... it's pretty terrifying.

Either way, the whole story is not coming out here. Either the dog was being aggressive, or the cop was not justified in shooting it. There's no middle ground. Every single cop knows what an attacking dog looks like, and if this dog wasn't attacking, the shooting was not justified. Period. End of story.

AMomentaryLapseOfReason - Not every dog owner on the planet has his dog perfectly trained. And just because a dog isn't trained to walk without a leash, doesn't mean they are dangerous. If you bother to watch the video, the police officer did not announce himself except to point his gun at the dog's owner and tell him to show him his hands. As others have stated, there are other ways of dealing with the dog. The dog is not going to kill the officer with his teeth, just as a man is not going to kill an officer with his fists. Officers do not (well, not supposed to) shoot unarmed persons, even if they are threatening violence. And I certainly hope the officer DOES feel bad, he definitely should because he didn't need to kill this man's dog.

Working Hard,

Some people don't have children, and the emotional attachment they have to their dogs runs just as deep as that of human connection. This has nothing to do with equating human life with animal life and everything to do with living in a shared, social society of mutual respect for sentient creatures. You can tell much about a society by how they treat their animals, and I'll be damn if I'm going to live in a community where I feel my dog can be systematically shot by someone and the repercussions of their actions go unnoticed.

This "controlling the dog" bullsh*t needs to stop. THEY WERE IN THE YARD! The dog ran toward a stranger and barked, THAT'S WHAT DOGS DO! IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH BEING A BAD OWNER! Is this for real? I don't know how many people are able to train their dogs like world class super heros but dogs run and they bark and even the most well-trained dogs can turn a deaf ear to their owner if they see a fat squirrel, like GIVE ME A BREAK PEOPLE. With that said, THE DOG SHOWED NO SIGNS OF AGGRESSION, running and barking and then stopping at his feet was NO DANGER TO HIM! The owner even yelled at him to not shoot the dog and instead the cop pulled the trigger as soon as the dog reached his feet? NEWS FLASH, an aggressive dog is going to lunge at you and growl, neither of which happened. THERE IS NO EXCUSE. Anyone who said they would do the same is just as skiddish and spineless as the officer who did it. I would NOT feel comfortable with an officer who was that much of a scaredy cat protecting my town. BY the way, it says nothing about the man holding the women against her will being ARMED, so why would the officer have his gun pulled IN THE FIRST PLACE?! COWARD.

"All I can say is, if anyone, a COP should be able to read and recognize canine body language..."

What a completely over-the-top statement!

What a completely over-the-top statement!

How do you figure, sport?

Nearly every local or county PD has a K9 unit that they train with.

Any wonder why police are getting it more and more these days?

Spineless pussy with a gun.

Chad (#1.27),

Very nicely put. Although, you need to take a look at post #1.14. I don't think all dog owners see it the way you do.

Reason,

I'd be a little more careful my friend. Talk like that makes me think you haven't met many people in the world with varying perspectives. If you were to "put my dog down", I can assure you, you wouldn't be "having a talking with me afterwards" about much of anything.

Brokinarrow - Dogs have been and still are used as weapons. Dogs can kill with their teeth and men can kill with their hands. I don't see your logic there.

It is up to ALL dog owners to control their dogs. Period. If a dog rushed at me in a violent manner I would put it down. I would feel like crap after but I would do it. Then I would have a good talking to with the dog owner about responsibility

My logic is that the dog did not rush aggressively, it did not lunge to bite, it stopped at the officers feet. Like I said, not all dogs are trained not to go say HI to people, and they shouldn't be shot for that. Let's put this another way:

I'm a Marine. I'm trained how to use a lot of different types of weapons, and I'm trained how to follow orders quickly. You know what I don't do? I don't go and choke slam my civilian counterparts because they don't do something they're supposed to.

woops double post

Poor dog..this is BS..why draw your gun and you didn't even realize your at wrong address/or correct address. The dog came at officer like any dog would coming on their turf...not even at attack mode...but wagging its tail.

That officer should be assigned to dog poopscoop collections for 1000 hours and pay the owner for vet fee's and a new dog!

Good luck with Chad not beating your ass afterward ;-) I'll also add, had the officer given the owner time to control his dog, I'm sure he could have. One second is not enough time.

Trigger happy PUKE!

If that was MY dog, I would SUE the crap out of that department and officer!

Oh no! A Marine.

Reason

You took that as more of a threat than what I intended, but I knew you would. It's usually the weak that speak like you do ... the ones that throw around hypotheticals of taking "anything down," like it doesn't even matter.

In other words, its been my experience more often than not that the people that talk tuff (like you) are the ones just trying to prove to themselves that they are. I have little need for such banter as I have nothing to prove. At heart, I'm really a big softy who just loves his dog. But I wouldn't think twice about letting him lift his leg on your face as we both walk past your tuff-guy act. Because that's all it really is, an act.

Cop goes to wrong address.

Cop points gun at wrong man who is armed with a Frisbee.

Dog reacts to cop.

Cop shoots Frisbee playing dog dead.

Cop was tresspassing.

Cop needs glasses.

Cop needs extended time out.

RIP Cisco.

Chad - I love my dog too. Don't know why you threatened me over a disagreement of words. I wish I could agree with you and say it is an act, but then I would be lying. Have a nice life big softy.

Reason - Well, now that you're trying to insult me instead of using reason and logic to come up with a counter-argument, I see that I've won. Thanks for that :-)

Cops- shoot first ask questions later!

Reason-FYI-I agree with Chad. If you put my dog down because he barked and you felt threatened, "we" would not have a conversation. Period.

First of all we're only talking about a 40-50 pound dog here not a rottwieller. The officer obviously doesn't have the temperament for a badge and gun. He should be sent packing!

If it were my dog that cop would be dead.

"Oh no! A Marine." Arrow- As a retired AF guy, I think Reason was actually paying you a compliment!

Pigs do this all the time, and they do it when YOU call the cops for HELP (they often shoot your dog), and they do it in drug raids (which are tyranny to begin with).

Face it: cops suffer from the same problem as politcians and militaries...they are a safe haven career for sociopaths. That doesn't mean most cops are sociopathic, it means a greater proportion are than the general population.

Barney friggin Fife's is all some of them are. Wonder how many donuts he had and the sugar got to him. Dog stopped at his feet. Sure the cop's name wasn't Zimmerman?

Bill - Well, as I couldn't detect if there was fear or sarcasm in the text, it was hard to say heheh :-)

Dunbass cops----get the facts bbefore u shoot an innocent dog!!!!! I hope you get fired.

"It was Texas people, the shoot first and not ask questions afterwards state.....

It was Austin. AKA as Frisco-on-the-Colorado.

The police have become a gang. In White Plains, NY they murdered an unarmed black Marine veteran, in his own home and lied about it. They are often power trippers, NRA, and out of control. They do this stuff all the time, even kill people, and the taxpayers pay for their attorneys.

"What a completely over-the-top statement!"

___________________________________________

"How do you figure, sport?

Nearly every local or county PD has a K9 unit that they train with."

Chris,

Read more carefully. I was referring to a poster's claim about "reading a dog's body language". So? The cop was NOT a K9 officer. Millions of people also have dogs.

cop had no legal right to be on the dog owners property, wrong address. cop had no legal right to pull his sidearm when he never should have been on said property to begin with. cop had no authority to give orders when he was not legally able to be on said property. the cop is 100% at fault for being incompetent at his job, the department is responsible for bad policy, training and incompetence.

lets flip this, say the cop had wrong address and had a k-9 with him and saw the homeowner and his dog but the homeowner is not aware of the cop nor k-9, the cops sees a man in back looking like he might be hiding or running (playing with a dog) and sends his k-9 unit, the k-9 runs towards them and the homeowner fearing for his life and/or his dogs, shoots the k-9 dead. what would happen to the homeowner? the homeowner would get charged with murder of a police officer (k-9 unit) and get life in jail. but hey i guess its okay for police to kill any dog under the excuse 'it was attacking', which is subjective.

the officer should be reprimanded and fined (possibly demoted and re-trained) and be made to replace the lost dog with a dog of the victims choosing. the department should review its policies and have a better understanding of privacy laws. when it comes to people with the power of life and death, there is never an excuse for any mistakes and any mistakes made should be dealt with harshly.

@Swagganaut

Your legal theories are hilarious!

I don't think my comment posted before.

AG99: Everything DID happen at once. Check out the released dash-cam vid. The officer is clearly reaching for his gun before he even reaches the house. We can hear him aggressively confront Paxton, shouting at him to "show me your hands!" and then "get the dog!". Then we hear a shot. Time elapsed: 17 seconds. Then, the officer is defensive and belligerent, demanding to know why the dog wasn't on a leash. Well, he was in his own yard, that's why.

Even if the officer legitimately felt threatened, the way he handled the situation from start to finish, sucked.

So, according to this police depatment's rationale, when they release one of their dogs on a "suspect" that person would be justified in killing the dog as the person certainly feared for their life and safety? Got it. Thank you.

Some of these comments are stupid. Kill the cop? You need to get hate out of your heart. Let's say the same thing happened, just in a different setting. Instead, a U.S. soldier in Afghanistan gets a call about 2 guys fighting and hurting other civilians. He goes to where he is told, but gets sent to the wrong side of town. Then, out of no where, a dog owned by a citizen runs at the soldier while barking. The soldier shoots the dog for the fear of his life. He didn't know that the dog was friendly and just wanted to play. If a soldier did the same thing this cop did, would you haters still be calling for his blood?

Reason I feel sorry for your dog hope he can someday find a good home with good people to live with

Its funny that in Iraq/Afghanistan if a military member shoots the animal of a local, the local gets a fat cash payment, where in the US its just a whoops my bad. ....

Next time you see a police K-9, bark at it. Just bark at it one time. The cop that handles that K-9 is going to beat your butt sooo bad! Then you are going to be arrested to threatening a "police officer." Your dog, however, can be shot by that same cop at will and for no good reason. K-9's are treated better than this country's citizens. George Orwell should have named his book "2012."

Stupid cop. Poor dog.

The Humane Society in my city offers a class on animal control, including how to read a dog's body language to determine it's intent. I wonder if this officer had ever attended a similar class?

Cops because maniacs and those with no self control need a profession too.

This man is being far more rational about this than the cop was. There should absolutely be repercussions for the officer. He clearly doesn't have the skills needed to be carrying a gun in situations like this.

The quote from the article that sums it up best: "... you also have to be able to make rational decisions quickly, not just any decision.”

Just like any other job, if you lack the skills to do your job correctly you get fired. Or at least retrained. I am nervous knowing that officer is still on patrol carrying a lethal weapon. If you see him, make sure to walk up to him verrry sloowwly and announce your presence so you don't startle him.

Should be a requirement that the dog actually bites you before you can shoot. It's not going to kill you with a single bite. It's not a man with a gun who can kill you with a single shot. Yes, you're wounded with a bite, but now the intention of the dog has been made clear. As much as I prefer cats over dogs, this incident is really upsetting. If it had been me, I'd probably be sitting in jail for knocking the sh*t out of that officer. I can't imagine what it had to be like for this guy, one minute playing with his dog out front, then seconds later watching this cop splatter his brains across the driveway....

Really, people? Shoot the cop? Whoever truly believes that is a waste of human life in and of themselves.

Yes shoot the cop. The sad fact is that most people that become cops shouldn't be cops. Most cops are power hungry in the fist place which is why they become cops. They look for any excuse to use force and make you have a bad day. Blowing someone's dog away is fun for them. In the online multi-player game world we call people like this griefers because they derive enjoyment out of giving others grief.

I have no solution to the problem of finding good people to be cops, but even so if a cop shoots my dog in my front yard I'll shoot him if I think I can get away with it. I've had many dogs run up to me barking. Many dogs that will never bite will bark at you in their own space.

Pick a dog at random, any dog at all, and wait for it to start running towards you, barking like the devil was standing next to you. Is the dog running -- and barking -- to "greet" you, or is it wanting to rip your throat out? I'm betting that unless you "happen" to be what is called a "dog whisperer", you ain't going to be able to tell within the first fifteen seconds.

Cops have to deal with this kind thing a lot. The thing is, if they wait to find out if "Fido" is just being friendly, or if "Spot" is looking to make a new chew toy out of the cop (or someone else) -- it is far too often far too late to take any action to protect oneself from a slavering, mad-as-hell animal that is likely to kill you before you can say "boo". Far too many people are attacked every day by dogs that "wouldn't hurt a fly".........

If y'all don't want your four-legged "child" killed -- ESPECIALLY those big, pit bull, German shepherd, Doberman, etc, etc, etc, etc types-- KEEP IT TIED UP/LEASHED/PENNED/CAGED/IN THE HOUSE!!!!!

Some people have a completely irrational sense of fear around dogs. Dogs sense this and it freaks them out. They are like why is this person projecting fear on me. Confidence goes a long ways around dogs. That big guy should not have had fear around this breed of dog.

osuguy

Really, people? Shoot the cop? Whoever truly believes that is a waste of human life in and of themselves.

Really osuguy, I have a six year old Yellow Lab mix that is my entire family. He's better than most people I know. We hike, swim, camp, you name it. He is extremely inquisititve about everything. If a cop came on my property, w/o justification and shot Buck, that city, county, whatever, would be missing of of it's finest.

BRTW-if osu stands for Ohio St. Un. I understand your ignorance.

Was the dog wearing a hoodie? I know shame on me.

Was the dog wearing a hoodie?

No, but I heard it was carrying skittles and iced tea.

I wish I could say "Only in Texas" but..............

The article makes it sound like everything happened at once

They've released the dash cam video everything DID happen at once it took less that 20 seconds, Cop yells get your dog and then bang there was less than a second between the command and him shooting the dog. The police officer was wrong.

wheels460

maybe the cop learning how to read the addresses on the mail box would have made this a non issue oh wait this is "texass" creationism is more important than reality.

He had the right address the 911 caller gave the wrong one! damn how hard is it for people to click on links listen to the 911 call, watch/listen to the dash cam video, watch the video the guy took on his phone after the cop shot his dog. This is not rocket science sheesh.

Shoot the cop?

Cops killing dogs is common.

But this one really saddens me when I watch it.

The original seems hard to find, with the cops 'talking' at the end...grrrr..

(note, if you don't feel comfortable clicking links , just 'youtube' tenn. cops shoot dog.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_9yISBRSl0

Another 'mentally challenged' human being with Wyatt Earp syndrome allowed to wear a badge.

This cop should be fired at the very least.

We want justice!

Fire the cop who shot the dog!

Blue shirts are nothing more then government killers. It is beyond time to abolish them.

Incompetence to the nth degree! Stupid is as stupid does: I'd sue the crap out of this officer and the department as well. Bet the cop feels like one big bad stud for shooting a dog!

"Blue shirts are nothing more then government killers. It is beyond time to abolish them."

If we abolish cops, who do you think will keep the peace? Do you want the USSR style of authority, where we are watched by the military, or do you want an anarchy like Somolia?

@ Random pennsylvanian

If we abolish cops, who do you think will keep the peace? Do you want the USSR style of authority, where we are watched by the military, or do you want an anarchy like Somolia?

I'll take anarchy over the shiiiiooooot we have today. Odumba is the first to go...hang him by his nut sack...then anyone who wears a badge will be next.

We don't need any of them. The strong will survive with their M4's which is a call girl's call!

If we abolish cops, who do you think will keep the peace? Do you want the USSR style of authority, where we are watched by the military, or do you want an anarchy like Somolia?

I would prefer that we try citizen militias that are called to defend the people that ask for help. No government troops. Of course I recommend that everyone defend themselves.

Your fault, my fault, nobody's fault, I would go hunting.

Polka- Switzerland has that type of authority, all of their citizens (male) are part of the Swiss militia. While I do think it's a good idea to have a formed militia, it would be too hard to form/organize with a nation that has over 300 million people. If we did form a militia type of authority, we would have to give citizens good training on how to handle their guns. Switzerland trains its citizens, but Switzerland doesn't have a big population like the USA. I do agree with you on the fact that militia's are good.

Polka14

A citizen militia doesn't work. They might shoot people wearing hoodies.

Switzerland has that type of authority

Helvetia (Switzerland) has militias but the system in the US should be purely volunteer militias. Not forced.

A citizen militia doesn't work. They might shoot people wearing hoodies.

The volunteer militia would only work to use armed force to defend our freedoms if needed. The militias would not be above the Constitution and has no right to infringe on the rights of anyone.

Planning on someday getting two dogs again and when I do I will have a big sign on my property stating NO Police allowed on these premises because I have dogs. They will be warned! Own a dog put a sign up! If they kill my dogs I will defend them and my property!

oh wait this is "texass" creationism is more important than reality.

No dumbass, this is Austin...it's not like the rest of Texas...it's very educated and very liberal, which is no coincidence. This officer acted hastily and with poor judgement. Rest assured that he will not catch any slack in Austin. Austin probably has the more vegans than any city outside of MA or CA.

As long as it is the police who police the police, this sort of crap will be par for the course. Perhaps at some point in this country's history, the system of investigating the wrong-doing of a police officer (and the subsequent punishment thereof) worked properly, but nowadays, anyone with two eyes, two ears, and smidgeon of common sense can see the rampant corrupt protectionism that permeates the very fabric of American Law Enforcement.

Being a dog lover, I can't imagine what that man is going through. So horrible. This just makes me furious.

This guy is WAY more understanding than I would be. My brother is in law enforcement and has had dogs come after him but has given their owners time to get them under control. He has never had to shoot one. This cop is an idiot and is way to quick to use force, which should scare the crap out of anyone who is on the other side of meeting him in an enforcement situation.

That being said, I am sorry about your dog. I would hope that the local PD would compensate you so that you can add a new addition to your family. Not that it would bring Cisco back of course. Hope things work out.

Seems like the more cops arm themselves the more they become complete wussies. I expect more from them. And no, carrying a gun does not mean you can protect yourself from a dog bite. Mail carriers, etc. are confronted by dogs in this way all the time and they don't shoot to kill.

Since I like dogs a heck of a lot more than people, the evil twin in me nags at me that if I was in that situation, I would have shot the officer if the opportunity presented itself. It is Texas and they have a stand your ground law.

A bit extreme? You bet. But like I stated earlier, I like dogs a heck of a lot more than people. A LOT more.

Dave - Well stated. A dog running and barking at you is not an "immediate threat". Now if the dog is GROWLING as he comes up, I'd be a bit more worried, but you shouldn't shoot until the dog starts lunging in to bite.

I hate to sound so violent, but I really can't stand people that don't understand dogs are part of people's families.

My bulldog is not just some "pet", he is like my son. I've easily spent $10,000 over the years on his medical care and health ... he means more to my wife and I than anything. To think some idiot with a gun and a badge can just snuff his life out is completely unacceptable. If my little guy was shot in front of me like that, I really can't say what I would do to the cop, but it wouldn't be good.

My thoughts are with this poor man who lost his dog.

And I worry about the state of our law enforcement. They've gotten quite gun happy in our neck of the woods (Washington State) with a shoot first - ask questions later policy.

I'd sue the jerk who shot my dog.

Chad - I know what you mean there, and I'm especially worried about something similar as I own a pitbull. Friendliest dog you'll ever meet, he definitely DOES run up to you, but only in attempt to lick you to death. However, people are dumb and some (actually a lot fewer than I would have thought) just immediately assume he's a killer animal. I'd be getting that officers badge number and letting the city know they'd be hearing from my lawyer. Hell, I'd even go so far as to let PETA know about the incident.

Piece of $hit cop.

Yeah, I don't mean to stereotype, and usually I never do, but cops just seem to be the absolute worse when it comes to dogs. They just don't give a @!$%#.

The irony is that if a police dog comes at you (a dog trained to attack), and you kill it in self defense, you're charged with a crime.

Well, it's like I keep saying.... even though most cops are good and deserve respect, it seems there is an ever increasing number of bad apples getting mixed in. When the people cannot trust the police and justice system to do the right thing, we start taking things into our own hands.... and that's when things start getting REALLY ugly. So to any police officers out there reading the comments on this article: Talk with your fellow officers and make sure they understand how closely your actions are being watched and judged.

lowlife cop what if he had been at the right address and the bloke ran towards him yelling would he have still fired, you bet. Sack and sue him, I am a dog lover and have 2 boys who are like family hurt them and look out

If it had been me after that piece of crap shot my dog he would have had to shoot me next because I would have been out for blood.

Listening to the video and what was said it sounds like a poorly trained officer panicked when the dog approached him and shot the dog without any real cause. I do not hear the type of growling or angry barking one would expect from a dog that as about to attack. It sounds more like the dog came running out to see what the commotion was and the officer just panicked. There needs to be some reparations paid to this man for the loss of his dog and some retraining done in the police department about how to recognize different behaviors from dogs so they can react appropriately. If the dog was really going for the officer as he is trying to claim you would hear the angry growls from the dog. Thee officer would also likely have wound up on the ground or at least had some physical contact with the dog because the dog's momentum would have kept it coming forward and crashing into the officer. This appears to be a case of a poorly trained officer overreacting to the situation. The fact that the officer already had his hand on his gun before there is any indication of the dog or anyone else being seen tells me that this officer was on edge and that makes for very poor decision making skills. It is also pretty evident from the officer's statements after he shot the dog that he knew he did something wrong and was trying to justify it, both to himself and the dog's owner.

I can't imagine the owner's pain. And I am sure the officer will also never forget this. Hopefully it will teach a lesson.

Oh, I'm sure it has taught him a lesson: I can shoot dogs with impunity.

To be fair, if it was a person running at them with a knife, they'd probably shoot the person, as well. It's just harder to tell if a dog is "armed" (aggressive) than a person when they're running at you, and people know to stop when yelled at.

If he honestly felt threatened he could have maced the dog. Too many freakin trigger happy cops. It used to be the last resort and now days it's just shoot and ask questions later.

Actually, I'm not sure there ever really was an apology... at least not at the scene... I first heard about this story on facebook, a page (justice for cisco) was set up by the dog owners friend... he said that the cop did NOT apologize at all, and neither did his superior officer on the scene... and that they told him "hey, you should have had your dog on a leash"... (What??? in his own yard???)...

Also, listen to the recording from the dash-cam... how much actual time is there between the officer saying "get your dog" and the shot...?

This is a disgraceful disturbing event, with no justice for the dog, or his owner.

"I'm not on a vendetta against the police," he said.

Oh I would be. That would be one dead pig.

Exactly Jennifer Grant—as a trained officer there are other more effective ways to deal with a DOG than just shooting it. Especially after the owner yelled "Don't shoot my dog!" According to the article the dog ran to the officer's feet and he shot it. If it's an aggressive dog it's going to LUNGE and BITE. It's inexcusable.

Its time to end the Police State, Call your Representatives, demand they make laws that rein in the out of control thugs who are pretending to be our Law Enforcement Officers.

And thats my opinion.

This cop should be dismissed. He obviously cannot "read" a situation and is too quick to use deadly force. He's a liability to that department and any other he could be employed by. Trained indeed.

Welcome to America, where the fear is so palpable, that a big strong cop has to shoot a dog that is about 1/4 his weight, maximum. If we weren't scared of everything around us, we would look like Canada, where most people don't even lock their doors. They have a pretty high gun to person ratio their too. They just aren't all afraid of their own shadows.

I hope that cop feels tough now, shooting a defenseless animal that didn't know any better then to run up to where his master was. Way to inspire confidence in the bravery of the Texas police.

Makes one wonder if that had been a 4 yr. old child coming at his knees, would he have shot it? If mail carriers can handle a can of mace and a dog, why can't a police officer do the same? Mail carriers come across far more dogs that the police do, the stupid fool.

It happened to my daughter. Police went to her apartment complex because of a robbery, and she had 2 dogs, and they shot the puppy, he was acting like a puppy running and jumping, and she was trying to grab him to put him inside, and the cop just shot him! Lucky they didn't shoot her! She was/is traumatized because of it! She moved that very night! A robbery and a dead dog!

We have a Second Amendment to protect ourselves from thugs like this, and all other, government criminals. I expected a Texan, of all people, to know how to use it and the Castle Doctrine to protect his liberties, family, and property, from this type of criminal behavior.

Wow... yeah, the recording is really damning of the police officer. "get your dog!" Blam! That fast, no time for the owner to do anything. This guy was obviously hyped up expecting a fight instead of maintaining a cool head to diffuse the situation he thought he was going to walk into. As police are supposed to be held to a higher standard, this is really sad.

Our old mail carrier used to carry around a can of whipped cream in his sachel for errant dogs.

One particular German Shepherd on the block would run up to him every day, barking his fool head off. We would see "Tom" walking up the street, shaking the can...and as soon as the dog was in range, he would shoot whipped cream in his face. The dog would stop running and start licking his chops.

One day, "Tom" couldn't get the whipped cream to come out of the can, no propellant left.

The dog was running, full tilt, right for him...but stopped right at "Tom's" feet, sat down and cocked his head, and whined a bit...waiting for his treat. "Tom" just kept going....no problem.

This cop was over reacting, like a frightened child. A family pet was shot to death in from of a man and his child....and at the WRONG address on top of it.

Thank goodness the cops in our town aren't a bunch of sniveling cowards. They totally understand what it means to "to serve and protect", and we respect them for it. It really does go both ways.

Clearly most of the posters here have never been in a dangerous situation. To suggest that an officer, called to the scene of a potential domestic violence case or even worse, a kidnapping (held against her will) be prepared with his mace to encounter a possibly dangerous dog is just ridiculous.

This officer had a duty to protect himself as well. Did you all just miss the story of the FIVE cops who were shot in New Hampshire serving a drug warrant?

Some of you people need to get some life perspective. I love my pet more than anything or anyone but I still don't value his life above that of a human. Especially a human who puts his life in danger to protect mine.

If a cop was yelling at me to put my hands up and to "get my dog" I would have commanded the dog to heel. If the dog is not capable of heeling on command then he has no business being off leash when not in a fenced in yard.

Sorry, did the 911 call mention anything about the suspect being ARMED? no? Then why the hell would the officer's first instinct be to reach for his weapon?

And soxfan - listen to the video in the article. There is barely even one second between the officer yelling "get your dog" to the dog being shot!!

He was in a fenced off yard!! Nothing in this story suggests this dog was a threat to the cops life, even if it bit him I don't think that would justify the use of lethal force. This was a trigger happy cop and I think it reflects very badly on his judgement and crisis management instincts. If he truly felt he was entering a highly dangerous hostage situation which was a threat to his life then he is an idiot for entering alone with no backup. This guy ran in guns blazing with a shoot first check he had even the right address later attitude, he has no place serving in law enforcement if that is the way he conducts himself and he certainly has no place being allowed to carry a lethal weapon, gun advocates always say guns don't kill people do, well this is the sort of brainless gun wielding killer they are talking about.

Magnum Serpentine - "Call your Representatives, demand they make laws that rein in....." Our representatives. We no longer have representatives. Our representatives cannot pass a budget even with a super committee, for our betterment, but they can pass NDAA in a heartbeat for their own protection. WE are not represented, we merely pay taxes to serve the so-called servants. Sorry about my rant. I did understand your point.

So the police should assume that there are no weapons involved when called to the scene of a crime? Or are you are assuming that people should check with the criminals before the call the police to report something suspicious? You made me LOL.

It is unfortunate that it is not an automatic response for a dog owner to heel their dog when their dog is running at someone. A simple command from the owner as soon as the dog took off running could have prevented this whole thing. How long does it take to shout "heel"? Longer than a cop saying "put your hands up" TWICE and then "get your dog"? I don't think so.

Pam Montgomery,

Cute story!

Sox fan- you are a true idiot. You know nothing about what took place in New Hampshire. Take your self-righteous superiority and try to hang on to that job as a security guard.

If a cop was yelling at me to put my hands up and to "get my dog" I would have commanded the dog to heel. If the dog is not capable of heeling on command then he has no business being off leash when not in a fenced in yard.

Did you even watch the video? The man wasn't even given time to tell the dog to heal. The officer said it and then shot. For that matter, the cop was yelling at the man to get his hands up and later said "why didn't you get your dog". Give me a break. If the man would have gone for the dog the cop would have shot him, too. Not everyone has their dog perfectly trained to heal on command. In fact, I think you would find that most don't. That does not justify the cop killing it without warning on the man's own property. The guy was probably in shock to begin with because he had no idea what was going on. I don't know too many people that would react calmly and think rationally when a cop shows up in their yard pointing a gun and them and yelling at the to get their hands up.

I can't believe people are excusing this cops behavior. If he is that quick to react, then he puts everyone in danger that he encounters. He should know how to remain calm under pressure and survey the incident, even for a moment, to decipher what is going on. He did neither. Poor excuse for a police officer I say. I wouldn't want him on the streets protecting me. Not if it means I can be mistakenly shot dead when I've done nothing wrong.

It is unfortunate that it is not an automatic response for a dog owner to heel their dog when their dog is running at someone. A simple command from the owner as soon as the dog took off running could have prevented this whole thing. How long does it take to shout "heel"? Longer than a cop saying "put your hands up" TWICE and then "get your dog"? I don't think so.

What exactly would be going through your mind if you walked around the corner and saw an officer aiming his weapon at you, yelling "Show me your hands!" I'm going to bet that it probably wouldn't be "Hey, maybe I should tell my dog to sit!" Me personally, it would be more like "What the F&*@#??? Why is this officer pointing his gun at me?? Oh s(&@ my dog is running at hi---- and now he's dead" Did you watch the video? between "Get your hands up" for the first time and the shot being fired, there are literally maybe 2 to 3 seconds. That is not enough time to process what the hell was going on and then call the dog back, sorry.

JXC

We have a Second Amendment to protect ourselves from thugs like this, and all other, government criminals. I expected a Texan, of all people, to know how to use it and the Castle Doctrine to protect his liberties, family, and property, from this type of criminal behavior.

To me the question is - in a stand your ground state - do you have the right to kill a cop?

Sox yes a child in his yard playing with dog just screams of a dangerous situation.

To suggest that an officer, called to the scene of a potential domestic violence case or even worse, a kidnapping (held against her will) be prepared with his mace to encounter a possibly dangerous dog is just ridiculous.

Wrong. What's "ridiculous" is the assertion that a LEO shouldn't be prepared to deal w/ a dog when responding to a domestic dispute. That's SOP.

What's even more "ridiculous" is trying to rationalize and justify this shooting by referencing a horrific...yet entirely dissimilar event where officers were shot serving a drug warrant.

If a cop was yelling at me to put my hands up and to "get my dog" I would have commanded the dog to heel.

Clearly, you didn't watch the video. The cop actually fires on the dog before he finishes yelling at the owner to control his dog. He says, "man get your do..." and before he even finishes the final syllable of 'dog'...he opens fire.

Even the best trained dog can't follow a command when they're dead. Or, at least mortally wounded.

If the dog is not capable of heeling on command then he has no business being off leash when not in a fenced in yard.

LOFL...I absolutely LOVE the implication that a dog should be better trained and more "capable"...than an armed LEO.

JFC...

Soxfan has a problem first of which is hes a Sox fan but that also explains why he has reading comprehension problems and delusions of intelligence.

If you hear a window being broken in the basement of your house late some night, do you call that cop or do you call the dog pound . . . ?

I get my 12 guage and see whats happening. If it is a dog breaking in I will call the pound. If it is a human I won't call anybody. I will "3 - S" it. ( shoot, shovel, shutup)

Common,

Funny, if it was a dog, I'd shoot it and then look for the owner that let it free (and woke me up). It's the owners that need shot, not the dogs or the cops.

Exactly what are you "working hard" at? Being a sociopath? That's probably the only thing you'll ever be successful at. Feel free to look for me if my dog causes you to have an emotional short circuit.

Yeah, shoot the owner for allowing his dog to run around in his own back yard, how DARE he! Perhaps you'd be cool with the cops just living in your home too, ya know, just in case anything illegal happens.

Never mind

Or somebody becomes a perceived threat and needs to be shot!

he didnt misread the address, he was given the wrong address mayeb you shoud learn to read

I think she's referring to the DISPATCHER misreading the address. Either way someone made a mistake and now a friendly dog was shot dead in front of the owner. Aka, either way it's bullsh*t.

Friendly dog?? Where did you read that. Friendly dogs come up to you slowly and lick you hand. It's all good. I'll bet the neighbors are sleeping better now. No barking dogs at night and they know they are safe with the police watching their homes.

Cops seem to create more problems than they solve. Just look at the war on drugs....

DawnChris, you're absolutely right. He was given the wrong address. The fault is with the person calling in the 911 report. In fact he would have been justified in capping the man, right? Right!!?? I mean, that would have been the caller's fault too, right? I mean, we don't expect cops to verify things. Their job is to show up and waste something with withering, take no crap, instinct shooting. Right? That's what you want from law enforcement isn't it? Not protection. Enforcement. Not discretion. Reaction. Not discernment. Reflexes. I hope you live close by...

Workin hard- I don't know how many dogs you've met. But dogs run and they bark at strangers. That doesn't make them NOT friendly, it makes them A DOG. He didn't growl, lunge, bite, nothing. He barked and ran toward the cop and then stopped at his feet and got shot. Clearly the cop was a wittle scardey cat who rather use his gun than assess the situation...that doesn't make me feel safe, that makes me feel uneasy that a cop could be so afraid of a domestic DOG like a blue healer, it's not even an aggressive breed! UH OH look out there's a running, barking dog coming, better duck and cover. I'd hate to see what'd happen if any loud noises to startled him during a confrontation.

Friendly dog?? Where did you read that. Friendly dogs come up to you slowly and lick you hand. It's all good. I'll bet the neighbors are sleeping better now. No barking dogs at night and they know they are safe with the police watching their homes.

Are dogs constantly fed sedatives where you live? Dogs in my town sprint up to you to say hi all the time...

Friendly dogs come up to you slowly and lick you hand

My little Corgi-Chow mix would run up to you barking like crazy, and with her tail going at warp speed. And as soon as she got there, she'd look for attention - and roll over for a belly rub if she found the slightest opening. Scares the hell out of me that she could be shot just for being excited.

Workin hard- we get it, you don't like dogs. No one cares. Chances are you're all talk and would never shoot a dog point blank, you clearly just like riling up the discussion board with your offensive comments to an obvious group of dog lovers. But if you aren't all talk, then I hope you enjoy the repercussions if you do one day shoot a dog you "thought" could be, or kinda was or seemed to be a potential threat to you. People will call you a coward, cruel and barbaric and you better hope the owner didn't really like his dog that much...because if he liked his dog half as much as the typical dog owner, you'll see that the outrage discussed on this board isn't all talk on the dog lover side of things. That's just a fact.

Workin hard-"Friendly dog?? Where did you read that. Friendly dogs come up to you slowly and lick you hand."

Where did you come up with that theory? Seriously? I would love to know? I have two beagles and two labs who will tear across the yard to greet anybody. I mean fast and furiously. But it's all in an effort to see who can get the first bit of attention. Not an ounce of aggression. I also have a buried electric fence all the way around my yard and my dogs will NEVER go outside of it. Ever. They aren't stupid and don't want that shock. I have lots of friends who are officers and they think this was a irresponsible act by the officer as well as do I. An appropriately trained officer would have taken more time than this one did to assess the situation. The only one yelling was him , there were no signs of distress, no signs of a woman even. Maybe he should have used his eyes before his mouth. Think before you react. That is part of their job.

Friendly dogs come up to you slowly and lick you hand-...... you must not know dogs, submissive fear biting dogs behave that way, normal dogs run and vocalize (bark)...if your afraid of a an anklebiter you've got bigger problems. not to mention we do need to do something about how police are not held liable for the damages they cause when they make a mistake. get the wrong address and break your door down- you have to pay to replace it. they go on a high speed chase to catch a dude with expired tags and hit your kid- oh well sucks to be you. maybe if officers were held personally accountable for their actions they might exercise better judgment. cuz yes if you truley feel like your life is an danger than you should have no issue with being docked $400 to replace a dog you shot in error if you were in the wrong location.

You're not the only one, dude. If my Gemma got shot, I'd kill the SOB.

Madmac - can you not read, or are you just a f*cking idiot? That's exactly what skunk said, and they clearly didn't care. Sounds like they also don't care about your worthless comment either, douchebag.

hey madmac - scabby just called you a douchebag.

OMG it's totally on! Scabby just called out another anonymous user online! And they used foul language.....so they must have won the argument!

I hope he sues that cop, and the whole city. Big heads, little brains in the police force as a general rule. Talk about bully behavior - no wonder the respect level for cops is so low. Sad. Sorry for that guys unnecesarry loss.

What was the guy doing that was so threatening that the police officer made him put his hands up? That's just scar, you are in your house and the cops show up guns blazing? Not asking any questions? Sounds like this officer needs more training. Where was his partner? There have been all these incidents lately in Austin included unfortunately a police office who was killed. It sounds like they would do better if they go out in pairs. Each incident has occurred with a love officer. They might be better able to make decisions if they have backup. Some of these officers are very new in the force as well and Austin is a growing city.

Dear justme - 3245828,

That would be my defense in court after killing the cop.

Oh how I weep for the future of society after reading comments like this. I try to reason that it is out of the emotions the story elicits that people like @hadesjw call for a human to be put to death for killing an animal (regardless of the plausibility of the officer thinking he was in danger). But I quickly realize it is just another sign of the deteriorating fabric of society as a whole.

The grammar mistakes are just as worrisome....

No he deserved to be killed because he charged into a property gun drawn showed no attempt to identify he was at a property where any threat was present and started shooting, under the castle doctrine I would feel incredibly threatened by the individual's actions. Who the hell knows if it's a fake cop uniform, the all guns blazing attitude certainly doesn't seem like the actions of a trained law enforcement officer, so under the castle doctrine I'd have every right to shoot this intruder in self defence of my person and property.

If he pulled up in a squad car (it is reasonable to assume he did), and you shot him under the "castle doctrine" everyone claims to know so much about, you would get Murder 1. :-)

It's you clearly that knows little about the law, murder 1 requires premeditation and planning neither of which could have occurred if someone unexpectedly bursts onto your property brandishing a gun. The castle law as legislated in Texas says that if ANYONE threatens you without your provocation on your property whilst you are not in the commision of a crime you have the right to use lethal force in self defence, there is no exception for over zealous law enforcement

You are 100% right!! Your's is the best comment so far. These F%$K*&^ sheep that post here have given up to and actually want this police state we now call the USA...until it happens to them of course!!

@AussieRob-- "Texas uses a similar scheme to New York, but refers to first-degree murder as "capital murder."

+

Excerpt from Texas Penal Code:

§ 19.03. CAPITAL MURDER.  (a) A person commits an offense
if the person commits murder as defined under Section 19.02(b)(1)
and:
(1)  the person murders a peace officer or fireman who
is acting in the lawful discharge of an official duty and who the
person knows is a peace officer or fireman;

Also, you could be a law abiding citizen and would still have to obey orders of a LEO with a weapon operating in accordance with law even on your own property. Thanks for playing, though!

POS is right. Unfortunately we are seeing this more and more and it really piss*s me off! Cops think they can do anything at anytime, they don't have to follow the laws. The video shows proof that this cop has no respect. Wonder what he would feel if someone shot his dog?! This cop should lose his job, what a friggen' joke. This cop is a COWARD!

Exactly... and contrary to this article, there was NO apology either... from the cop or the cops superior officer on scene.

Well - it IS Texas.

@Patrook Goreng

Yes, it IS Texas... and yes, you ARE ignorantly stereotyping.

I live in Texas... what was your point exactly?
That all Texans carry guns and go around shooting each others pets?
You should use those feet of yours to travel and see places...
Instead of stuffing them into your prejudiced mouth.

I've been to Texas a few times, enough to share my opinion. If you can't handle it then I suggest reading something else.

If you chose to continue then you'll just have to handle the fact that Texan politicians, policies, prejudices and even people have succeeded in building a reputation.

Patrook Goreng

I've been to Texas a few times, enough to share my opinion.

Naturally... Texas has an area of 268,820 square miles, and a growing population of 25.7 million residents... Please do enlighten us with your generalization of the populus of a state that is 10% larger than France and almost twice as large as Germany or Japan, based solely on you having visited a few times... because that's quite enough exposure to condemn 25.7 million people as gun toting thugs... Hey I've been to the South Bronx in NYC a few times, I guess all Black people in NY should be judged as violent criminals, based on my short jaunts into a very small area of a very large state... right?

If you can't handle it then I suggest reading something else.

I'm handling you and your prejudice just fine Patrook...

If you chose to continue then you'll just have to handle the fact that Texan politicians, policies, prejudices and even people have succeeded in building a reputation.

Texas Politicians? Of course they are idiots... all politicians are. Shall I judge you by the character of YOUR governing representative? And which policies and prejudices are you referring to specifically? Can you even name any? Or do you just assume they exist?

I'm not a native Texan. I relocated here... and I find the people here to be the most collectively friendly, and polite, people I've ever encountered... they are not backward, unintelligent, or bloodthirsty, or whatever idiotic fantasy you are harboring in your head.

Are there certain counties in Texas that are probably havens for racists... I'm sure there are... But there are many, many more friendly, multi-cultural, areas... as well as sprawling cosmopolitan cities similar to Manhattan, (only cleaner, and friendlier).

Soooo.... Where are you from anyway Patrook?

If you reread my comments you will not find anything like what you are attributing to me. I wrote "it IS Texas", and "Texans have built a reputation".

Any conclusions you make regarding those comments are based on your own interpretations.

BTW - Eucerin is good for thin, sensitive skin.

Patrook Goreng

If you reread my comments you will not find anything like what you are attributing to me. I wrote "it IS Texas", and "Texans have built a reputation".

I copied and pasted your comments and addressed them line by line.
You also said I would...

... "just have to handle the fact

the FACT mind you...

that Texan politicians, policies, prejudices and even people have succeeded in building a reputation.

I asked you to explain some of these policies and prejudices (ironic much)... and yet you still haven't.

Any conclusions you make regarding those comments are based on your own interpretations.

Way to weasel out of backing up what you said earlier...
It's because of MY interpretations... using all that unnecessary logic and reading comprehension.

BTW - Eucerin is good for thin, sensitive skin.

And a tall glass of shutdahellup, will ease the symptoms of your foot-in-mouth-itis...
although it won't cure it.

U mad bro?

I was yesterday...
I'm over it today...
May have been redirecting some unrelated, work-stress, bullsh*t at you...
If so... apologies.

But yeah, I do have a thin skin for generalized, stereotyped, prejudices... of any group.

Welcome back V...

Thanks... s'been a while huh...?

Why not a cival suit against the cop?

If there's nothing "illegal" or against police policy about this situation, clearly an error was made -- the property destroying event is the policeman killing the dog (regardless if some bonehead who called in stated the wrong address).

Go look at Texas law and see what happens if a citizen "accidentally" shoots someones dog.

Even a weiner dog?

It's really sad, but this is one case where I kind of get it. Dogs are scary! And this one was charging him. What could the officer have done? He thought that someone was in trouble inside, and didn't have time to deal with a dog, especially one which was running after him. I probably wouldn't have shot the dog, but I get why he did. The article says he feels awful about it.. What else can he do but say he's sorry?

According to the article, the caller gave the wrong address. That's not what's wrong here, in my opinion. In my view, what's wrong is police policy to shoot any dog that approaches. Lots of dogs like people and run up to visitors. In my view it should be universal policy to shoot the dog if it actually displays aggression, which didn't happen here.

This is COMPLETE bullsh*t. Most of you seem like rational people and agree that SHOOTING A BARKING DOG is NOT an appropriate response. Is that a JOKE?! I would be BEYOND FURIOUS. And you bet your a*s I would be doing whatever I could to change that policy.

Katethebrat- I don't know what your experience is like with dogs, but I would never EVER shoot a dog I didn't know just because it was barking and running at me. That's absurd you would try and blame the owner for not giving him the "proper command"...Give me a BREAK. He's a trained police officer and the only way he knows how to defend himself against a domestic dog is to reach for a gun? Pathetic. I don't care if a dog is trained by Cesar Milan, DOGS BARK AND RUN IN THEIR YARDS when they see something! That's not aggressive behavior, that's NORMAL BEHAVIOR. FURTHERMORE, if he was responding to a call about a man holding a woman against her will, why would the man be outside? CLEARLY he should have assessed the situation with the MAN instead of quickly shooting a barking dog.

I have no idea how I would even BEGIN to deal with my dog being shot in front of me. The cop is 100% at fault and should compensate the owner in any way he can for his loss.

If YOU own a dog... and someone comes into YOUR back yard, and points a gun at YOU... and YOUR dog sees this, and does NOT bark at the person threatening your life with a gun... then you need to go get a new dog... Any GOOD dog would protect its owner like this brave dog did.

The dog was in his own yard for God's sake! I have a beagle (not the most aggressive breed) and she runs to greet or check out anyone that comes onto my property. Shame on that cop - don't they get trained on how to react in a situation like this? I would have freaked out and been in jail if he killed my Rosie, especially in front of me. To me it would have been as bad as if he shot my 16 year son. This cop did not handle the situation correctly at all. So glad I don't live anywhere near Texas. I will never set foot in that state.

You would seriously SHOOT a dog that came running toward you? What is the matter with you? I assume (and hope) that you are not and are never a dog owner. Do you understand that dogs are territorial creatures and protect their home and their owners? The cop was the intruder, the dog was doing what was natural. The cop obviously was not trained properly in how to handle such a situation. He was sent to deal with a human domestic situation, wonder if he was going to shoot them as well.

Kate get real...

That dog WAS exhibiting proper behavior towards a stranger on his owner's property. I have 2 heelers - a red and a blue. They will both charge barking at a stranger. And when they reach said stranger, they stay right at their legs barking until I can get them to hear me over their noise. They "hold" them where they are. This is NOT inappropriate dog behavior in my OWN YARD. And barking and running is not aggression!

That said, I see both sides. The officer was wrong in that he used excessive force. He could have sprayed the dog and it would have backed off without killing it. I am an advocate for responsible use of firearms. "Responsible" does NOT mean using a gun to take out whatever "scares the crap" outta you. It means your defending your life (or that of another). It doesn't mean you just shoot the dog.

If I were a cop in TX, I'd expect most to have both dogs and guns. If I were responding to a domestic call, I'd have mace in my left and my hand on my pistol. Until and unless I saw another gun - then it'd be in my hand. Where's the common sense. Heelers have strong bites, but they can't kill a full grown healthy man with a bite. They don't even weigh that much. Proportionate response is all I'm saying. Proportionate.

I wonder what my dogs would do if someone charged them screaming at them... they'd probably pee.

My heart goes out to this man for the loss of what I'm sure was an awesome dog and family member. I hope the PD buys him a new pup - his pick - and issues an official apology w/a change in policy. Rest easy, Cisco.

LOL - does your 16 year son know this?

Katethebrat - Well I'd suggest that you never walk around my town with a loaded weapon then, as people's dogs will run up to you right and left, usually to say hi, sniff your butt, and possibly attempt to lick you to death. Or is shooting first asking questions later just how you say hello wherever it is you're from?

Oh, should also mention that I carry a concealed weapon whenever I'm with my family and/or dog in case anyone tries anything stupid around them.

I think the officer should of accessed the threat level a bit better.

I have 3 dogs 2 are little , a pom. and the other a miniature schnauzer and one is a chocolate Lab. They all 3 will bark at people walking by (usually one actually knows what its barking at and the others just bark to hear themselves yap). The size of the lab is about the size of a small pony, which in itself is an intimidating , but he is really just a teddy bear.

One day the Lab got loose and ran around visiting the neighbors in a friendly fashion but someone called the police. The officer came up and cruised around and spotted the dog, stopped the car and yelled at the dog to come. It did and jumped in the back seat of the cruiser. The officer drove around a bit with my lab and then came to the house and dropped the dog off.

Im sure glad the officer accessed the situation in my case and not only didnt shoot my dog but also brought my dog home.

You must not live in Texas. Police here just drool for the opportunity to shoot,tazer,and literally beat the crap out of anyone they get a chance to.This is not just on the local level,county and state are just as bad.

p

As a state inspector I have been attacked by a german shepard. But me having raised large breed animals I was able to think fast and barracade myself with a screen door only receiving a cute of bites. But killing the dog would never be an option. This incident was long before mace & tazers allowed for the public to use. I agree with the gentleman below when he says that most officers are just trigger happy. =(

Carolyn Lee Tillinghast - How many cops do you actually know??? Your assertion that "most cops are trigger happy" is not my experience and as a retired cop, I have known many. I have known very few that have intentionally shot dogs and very few that have shot and killed a person. I have known many that have come close to doing both, but they were able to exercise control and find another way to address the problem before them.

Sometimes, cops just don't have any other option if they want to survive or protect the life of another person in danger.

Funny thing is, just about everyone has the option of not shooting off their mouth with some baseless generalization about a whole group of people.

This cop had the option of not shooting. Cisco was a dog who responded to voice commands. This was a moron, who shows up at the wrong address, and shoots within seconds. Who pays the price for his stupidity? An innocent.

You go, Mike!

Interesting that you protest "baseless generalizations about a whole group of people". Naturally, though, you'd probably claim officer Edward Armijo of the Bernalillo, NM PD was totally justified in accusing me of lying because (and I quote) "people lie to me all the time".

By your own mouth - by your own mouth - every cop I've encountered has been a coward and a douche, so I'm forced to draw a conclusion about cops.

cadillacphil - Something tells me that you and I could be in a social setting (room full of people) and very few would know that I was a cop, but all would know that you are an a$$hole of the highest magnitude.

The Angry Guy - I don't know Officer Edward Armijo of the Bernallilo, NM P.D. I also don't know you, nor do you know me. I don't speak for all cops, nor do I speak for specific cops that I do not know. So exactly how does that make me a coward and a douche? Do I earn that honor because in your experience every cop you ever dealt with treated you unfairly? I am sure there are some really nice, intelligent, and fair minded people who both own a Cadillac and have the name Phil, then again there are the others.

get the facts straight before u kill an innocent dog dumbass!!! I hope u are suspended.Maybe someone will kill your dog one of these days-------

Mike - again, by your own mouth: Yes!

CadillacPhil,

It's not enough to react with righteous indignation, you have to try put down well-meaning strangers to make up for your own shortcomings from the safety of your anonymity. What are you, 13?

The article said the officer showed up in his driveway. Sounds like this was on his property not in the middle of the street.

The dog should be on a leash if it's off the owner's property-- that's a city ordinance. But in this case Cisco was clearly in his yard. The cop got out of the car with the gun already drawn and stepped onto the property gun pointing at a scrawny looking guy and a medium sized dog. The cop used bad judgement. He shouldn't have had his gun drawn out to begin.

Joshua, you sound like you just don't like dogs and are afraid of them...what the heck do you think a cornered German Shepherd would do? You need to read post #16 by mike252242..now he is an excellent example of how our civil servants/cops should carry themselves..with courage and brains.

Dumb cops with guns kill dogs.

Most truthful post of all.

It's also because they think they should never have to get hurt in any way shape or form while they try to enforce peace. Bunch of pansies. A dog bite now and then is part of the duty you signed up for.

@Dave--that's akin to saying a stab wound or a gunshot now and then are part of the duty you signed up for. I'll reiterate my stance that I disagree with how the cop handled this situation. However, I am not going to expect a police officer to let every dog it thinks could possibly be attacking get close enough to do so because it is "part of his job" or some weak argument like that. Have you ever been bitten by a dog? It is not fun. Imagine a serious bite through tendons or ligaments that will end your mobile career. Or how about the lucky one that jumps high enough to nick your carotid or jugular?

They should expect to get hurt, but they shouldn't just sit back and let it happen.

So what degree of threat should the be allowed to use lethal force against? If somebody threatens them with a paper cut or a staple? Their are rules that outline what degree of force is allowed to be used at various threat levels, the equivalent of military rules of engagement, you can not and should not be allowed to meet every threat with lethal force.

One time my sister-in-law's crazy mother called the police saying we were holding her against her will. Our dog (he is really aggressive actually) was tied up, and the officer TAZED him still. The dog couldn't get near you and you tazed him? Cops have no respect for animals. After my sister-in-law answered the door eating a bag a potato chips, the cop decided she was fine and he left. No apology or anything. I also live in Texas so maybe it's just cops in Texas?

Because rabies suck.

Can't speak for the owner in the article, but my dogs have their immunizations. Always. Guess why. Because they're family! Rabies? Really? Working dogs (cattle dogs usually work in TX) generally are well cared for. They're very valuable investments in addition to being family.

Blood poisoning, then.

By that logic, then ("I can't know if the dog has rabies"), I'm absolutely justified in shooting to kill any cop who faces me - because he's armed, and I can't know he's not planning to kill me. Sounds good to me.

To any cops reading this - remember that if you shoot my dog for no good reason, I will kill you. I will devote my whole remaining live to killing you. Hopefully slowly and painfully. If I get caught and arrested, IT STILL WILL NOT BRING YOU BACK TO LIFE!

So remember that the next time you go to shoot someone's dog.

You might know that your dog has had it's shot but how do I know? How do I know you are a good dog owner in Texas or the next Michael Vick? This is a world of assumptions, you keep living in the world assuming everything is good and safe, I live in the world that assumes everything is not. Let's see who lives longer.

Well said Irish. As a dog owner & dog lover, I would be crush and mad if I were in their shoes. But the owner, who was there (not you other poster, but the owner) he is acting like an adult with maturity. He's trying to take a bad incident and turn it into a positive. Good for him!

I agree! What if there was a woman being held against her will inside? What if the cop had taken the time to deal with the dog, and a human being died as a result? This thread would look pretty different. Well, not that different. Everyone would still be angry. It would just be justified anger.

I would be crushed if something like this happened to my dog. ...but I'd also understand.

I disagree with you both. My hubs was a PO - a k9 handler as a point of fact. In the USAF. And he's a Vet. And he has been bitten. Many, many times. And he's had calls for domestic situations (any cop will tell you that is their LEAST favorite call). He's been bitten by several breeds and has even had to get stitches. It can happen. And he NEVER shot a dog!!!

I think the last one that bit him was a G. Shepherd and he punched it in the nose. The owner never saw it coming either. The one before that caught a knee to the chest when it lunged. He never even considered a pistol. Instead of using a gun when you're scared of something that WILL NOT KILL YOU, use your head - night stick, taser, mace, fist, foot - you have more to defend yourself with than a gun!

I can promise you that my hubs never lost focus of the person he was there to deal with just because a dog charged/bit him. He actions have always been swift and controled. He's always remained focused. He doesn't panic.

This officer panicked and his reaction was terribly disproportionate. He deserves a reprimand and training. He doesn't deserved to be crucified.

Sounds like to me they need to get more cops. This pet killing rampage these chicken @!$%# cops are doing is bull@!$%#. Bunch of ignorant ass chicken @!$%#s. Have better tranining. Im really sick of cops and thier attitude of shoot first, bastards.

I do understand being afraid of a strange dog running at you. That said, the cop told the man to raise his hands and also to get the dog. How was he supposed to do both? I know the cop is under stress, but the dog wasn't running wild in the street or lunging on him. Pepper spray, mace, first...bullets are for life and death, and the guy wasn't siccing the dog on him as some drug dealers do. Sucks all around. I don't think the cop is a bad guy, but this didn't have to happen this way from the info we have.

IamwhoIam - That's a choice your husband has made. Just because he chose not to kill the dog that bites, doesn't mean other people should. Not everyone has the kind of experience w/ a dog that your husband has. I commend him for his service to the country, community and animals in general but that doesn't make his choice the only choice. My father is a retired police officer and he has owned six different dogs over the course of his life. He's told me of only one confrontation w/ a dog. Sadly he told me he shot the dog, the only time in his 30 plus years he's had to fire his weapon on duty (such a shoot first mentality he's had). Now, before the ignorance of Stephanie-2073730 tries to persecute my dad for shooting the dog, my dad was called to a home where a dog attacked a baby and damn near killed the baby. A completely different situation to this one but a justified situation anyways. My point is if the dog will attack unprovoked than the dog is truly a danger and your husband my be able to take it but maybe not a child or someone who has less experience w/ dogs. Please notice how I also say unprovoked, I don't know what your husbands situations were like as I wasn't there and every animal has a right to defend itself but if it's unprovoked or trained to attack (especially trained to attack police), it's probably better the dog be put down.

Maybe listen to the entire video and hear the description of the subjects. They were Hispanic - the male subject much older than the gentleman with the dog. The gentleman whose dog was murdered was not Hispanic. The officer was given a description of both subjects...hmmmm - sadly the dog also didn't fit the description!

In a perfect world, John, it would have been you that rushed that cop.

@john

Well it is but think of the bigger picture... dogs are property correct? Range from $50 at a shelter to $800 and beyond for a pure bred. If you take your dog to the vet... tac on another $50 to $150 a year. In my mind it is never OK for an officer to walk onto your lawn and destroy your property. Do you not agree?

You're absolutely entitled to your opinion, John...but some people, including myself, regard their dogs as members of their family and will defend them accordingly.

I assure you, they're not "just a dog" to me.

Odds are, there might be someone out there that would say "It's just John. Get over it."

Just to clarify... I'm with Ric... I regard dogs as family... but just to make sense of the situation... if you regard dogs as family/property.. whatever... there was obviously a wrong on part of the local authorities in this news story...

John is why i prefer dogs to people

John- I guess you have never owned a dog that gives far more love than it receives. Dogs are called "mans best friend" for a reason and that is undying love and devotion. They listen better than kids, know when to leave you alone or when you need some attentuion with love. My dogs have and been and will always be a major part of a loving family. So if was your child running up to a cop and was shot would you say oh it's just my kid, get over it?

It's just John-405732, get over it. Who cares if he gets shot by a cop or by anyone else for that matter.

John: Does it hurt your ears when you try to pull your head out?

John got shot? Oh who cares it's just another John- get over it.

when your in the situation the officer was in you don't have time to read dogs. Most dogs I've know do not for some reason like uniforms. Maybe it's the solid coloring, barking and runnig at or charging.

I did security at a property that had a couple of stray German Shepherds that attacked me once at night so i don't care what you think you can and cant tell in that situation, if trained to read a dog you can read them, even when scared

Plus when i was attacked i had more then enough time to pull my Asp (collapsible wand) to defend myself. if the cop did his job and scoped out the area before getting out of the car he would have known the situation better, and they are supposed to be trained to judge a situation as they drive up to it not after they get out of a car with a gun drawn

Sorry did get to finish. This officer is called to a place where there is a person in trouble, he's looking at people, he has one out side, someone is suppose to be held in the house against there will may be another person there and now a dog comes running and barking, how much time do you give this officer to act, really how much, and if a shot gun or AK47 comes out the window and we have a dead officer now what do you say. Oh stupid officer he shouldn't have let the nice little dog get in the way. You can only see so much from inside a car.