A family pet, an innocent bystander, is shot dead by cops.

[Stinky The Clown]

Cops are chasing a bad guy. The bad guy runs into a private yard and hides down a half flight of stairs at the bottom of a basement entrance. The cops come along, guns drawn. They enter the yard.

In the yard is the 3 year old family pet, Kinkaid. He barks at the cops. The cops think he's charging them. They shoot him in the head. A total of six shots are fired, two enter his head and one enters his torso.

Before the bad guy is even in handcuffs, Kinkaid is mortally wounded and dies.

Kinkaid was a family pet. A good dog.

His misfortune is his genetic make-up. Kinkaid is part pitbull.

This is Kinkaid, as a puppy.



I.Simply.Cannot.Imagine.

http://www.causes.com/causes/800778-justice-for-mary/actions/1721303

[patrice]

1. NOT right!! nt

[Purveyor]

2. It doesn't matter that the dog looked like a pit, they do it to any breed...I bet I can find copy

were they did same to a chihuahua.

Pathetic, cowardly pigs...scared of their own fucking shadow unless they are packing 'heat' and then only if they have back-up.

spit.

[MsPithy]

12. You are correct. Fucking pigs will kill any dog.

No dog is too small, too young or too chained for cops to kill it.

[Ghost in the Machine]

26. And yet *some* posters on this board think only PIGS and the military should have guns... n/t

[Thegonagle]

30. So arm the family dog???

[LisaLynne]

3. So sorry for the death of the poor dog.

This happens far too often. In some cases, I try to be understanding, that the cops are in a tense, life and death situation and may not always be able to give an animal the benefit of the doubt, but there is great prejudice against this breed so I am way less inclined to do so here. Three of the sweetest, gentlest dogs I've known have been pitbulls. Dogs are what their people want them to be.

This makes me so angry and sad. I can't imagine losing an animal this way.

[Loudly]

4. Pit Bulls are not long for this world.

What is wrong with you?

That is a genetic dead end goddamn it!

[flvegan]

5. True, if we leave it to idiots, morons...the brain dead FoxNewser nobodies.

The ones who have no research ability, the knee-jerk fucknuggets, the ones that deserve the pointing and laughing shame over and over.

But why should be kowtow to idiots?

[pecwae]

33. What are you trying to say?

It's a good thing the dog was shot? All pits should be shot? That the OP and others are stupid for feeling compassion for an animal bred and conditioned by humans specifically for violent tendencies? If you answer 'yes' to these questions the wrong here is within you.

[LisaLynne]

36. Plus, this was a pittbull mix so ...

whatever point that poster was trying to make is even less valid. If that is possible.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

48. Or anything that reminds us of Pit Bulls,

Like an American Bulldog ...

[Kalidurga]

6. I don't understand dog fear...

not even pitbull dog fear. Yes, you do have to respect a pit a bit more, because while they are less likely to be aggressive they are more likely to be deadly when on the rare occasion they are aggressive. It's horrible to lose an innocent pet this way. Well it's horrible to lose a pet in anyway, but this is rather shocking.

[awoke_in_2003]

17. Less likely to be aggressive? Please...

not condoning the cop reaction (do a search- I almost never defend cops), but pit bulls are ticking time bombs bred to do one thing- kill.

On edit: truth be told, I wouldn't trust any dog over 40 lbs. Dogs are driven by instinct, not brains. They are rather stupid animals.

[Ed Suspicious]

20. Right, and pits have been genetically selected to be more inclined to be dog aggressive and less

inclined toward human aggression. I trust pits more around people than other dogs. My own pit, a pound puppy pit, can be wicked defensive towards those of his own species but in his 8 years on this planet has been 100% docile toward humans. Your assertion that they are "bred to to do one thing- kill" is pure pablum.

[defacto7]

23. Interesting.... and a polarized

I agree with your first statement because I know dog breeding. But the second statement is pretty far from the truth. Dogs are not rather stupid. Just like people there are many different intelligence levels and many have physical and mental talents that humans can't match.

Dogs are not rather stupid animals, some dogs are stupid because they have been bred wrongly by stupid people. Some have been taught by stupid people.

As far as PBs are concerned, they are a genetic mess and no matter how nice they are, there is a seed of aggression that no owner with a closed argument would be able to see coming. But the problem with them is purely the fact that they are a twisted genetic disgrace which is the fault of cavalier attitudes of human breeding. No, they won't last long.

Never the less, killing the dog by the police may or may not have been justified. A lot depends on the threat, and a pit bull can easily break bones and is relentless to the death if they feel attacked.

[Arcanetrance]

50. Bullshit pitbulls just like any other living creature are the products of the conditions around them

I have friends who have had one for 10 years and it's more peaceful than my girlfriends pomeranian

[Jackpine Radical]

52. You ought to meet our 130-lb. golden.

An old dog now, he has never threatened anyone.



And then there's our 80-lb. Golden. She has an attention deficit disorder. She can never get enough attention from people.

[get the red out]

54. What beautiful companions!

There was a story a few years ago about cops killing a family's Lab under the same circumstances as this Pittie was killed, in it's own yard because it barked.

I'm still haunted by so many horrible stories.

Your dogs are just lovely. Goldens have just about the perfect temperment.

[MindPilot]

7. I really wish I hadn't clicked on this.

Rage is pretty much all I feel anymore.

[get the red out]

53. I'm right there with you

This is a horrible world.

[damnedifIknow]

8. Man up cops.

This is getting way too common of an event. I personally wouldn't be able to shoot a dog unless it was chewing my leg off. What are they training cops to do these days?

[SwankyXomb]

9. Shoot first

and fake the reports later.

[defacto7]

24. agreed

[DreamGypsy]

10. If you rush into a yard with a 32 ounce soda cup in your hand ...

and a dog barks, you squeeze the cup and the actors in the scene are splashed with sticky goop and cold water.

If you have a gun in your hand, odds are something dies.

[jamejest]

11. Shooting things feels good!

The poor cops have to exercise their macho muscles and shoot their guns. It makes them feel like a REEAALL MAN! When I went to the
police academy one of our instructors asked us who our role model was in law enforcement. I said Sheriff Andy Taylor(Andy Griffin/
Mayberry). Most of my fellow students chuckled, our instructor said that Mr. Griffins character was a Peace Officer not a police officer.
The difference was a peace officer did exactly that - maintained the peace - unlike his latter day counterpart a super macho bully who
dreams of day long firefights and stomping people who are different from them.

[azurnoir]

13. almost happened to our dog Ruby who is also a pit bull mix

cop came to our door claiming a 911 call had been made from our address, it was in the middle of the afternoon and only I and my then 10 year old son were home I could not convince the cop that no such call had been made and he demanded to search our house!!!! anyway our dog came to the door with me and started to bark at him he drew his gun pointed it at the dog and said if I did not remove her he'd shoot her this was with a closed locked screen door between us she was inside he was outside
I left him there and put her in a small rroom off the living-room he proceeded to go through the downstairs except for where the dog was all the while demanding to know why the call was made, till this day I have no idea what happened my son was with me watching a movie so it wasn't him it scared me and felt like a random violation of privacy

[MrModerate]

16. I'm not a lawyer, but . . .

I've always been told that you don't have to let cops in the house under such a situation. In fact, doing so apparently exposes you to a whole range of risks that the copy will screw you.

[azurnoir]

21. well the cop told me that if I did not allow him in

(he was alone) that he would obtain a warrant because I had made a 911 call and refused him entry and come in force so to speak and they would in his words "turn my house inside out" so I let him in

[MrModerate]

31. Well, I wasn't there, of course . . .

But I can't imagine a judge granting a warrant on such a flimsy pretext.

What you describe was a felony abuse of authority, IMO.

[msanthrope]

40. I am an attorney. But I am not YOUR attorney. In my experience, when a cop or social worker

tells you if you don't let them in, they will obtain a warrant and come back, I find that having them do the extra legwork works to your advantage.

If I had a client with a situation such as yours, I might get the person's badge number, and document the incident to the person's supervisor and any police oversight board. I would also ask for proof of said "911" call from the relevant authorities---i.e. dispatch.

[get the red out]

55. Warrentless search?

OMG, I would have been terrified! I'd bet your little boy was scared, poor kid. You were probably lucky he let you lock up your dog.

[ReRe]

14. Cowards, every damn one of them....

....Why can't they carry something for a dog to chow down on, for Christ's sake? Or a fucking tranquilizer gun? I wouldn't want cops like this in my neighborhood. Shooting up everything that moves. So what did the bad guy do? Like, did he steal a pack of cigarettes at the local 7-11? Did he do anything at all? Did he start running from the police, even though he had done nothing at all? What caused them to be so desperate to shoot the dog while in pursuit of this bad guy? I clicked on the link and there is nothing on the bad guy and his crime. Of course, there's no justification for the killing of this innocent family pet, simply being a guard dog and protecting his territory. He was a little hero.

[defacto7]

25. Yes, there are better ways than shooting stuff...

and it seems shooting stuff is in vogue these days.

[mzteaze]

15. I have a friend

who is a Police officer who's been in a similar situation. The owner was not around and the pit bull charged at him. He felt his only recourse was to shoot the dog who did not go down and in fact continued his charge. The dog bit him anyway instead of stopping in it's tracks. In the end, the dog was put down because the owner could not verify it's rabies status and there is only one way to determine it's status.

More recently, a fellow officer was involved in a similar type situation. They also shot the dog mid charge as well. The owner was there but did not call off her dog or react quickly enough.

While owners may understand their dog's personality and likelihood of attack, it should be understood that strangers may not (and most likely are not) able to distinguish playfulness from aggression or anything else in between. In the case of police, there is often mere seconds to making a decision of whether to fire or not.

My friend and I have argued 'round and 'round about shooting an animal versus other methods (he feels there are no other options when the dog is charge at or towards you) and is adamant that if placed in the situation again, he will fire again.

My best suggestion would be for owners to follow leash laws in your state. My friend has stated that in his state, dogs are required to be on a leash AT ALL TIMES. Because of this, many owners who lose their dogs to police involved shootings are or have been unsuccessful in lawsuits following the incidents. They are also likely to be ticketed or fined for the incident on top of losing their pet.

[MrModerate]

18. I very much doubt that there is a state law requiring dogs to be leashed at all times.

If for no other reason than such laws are (in my non-lawyerly experience) entirely local. I'd also find it strange that there'd be a law requiring a leashed animal in a secure back yard.

I think your friend the cop is lying through his teeth.

Also, how about running away if charged by an animal? Or using less-than-deadly force?

This strikes me as a perfect example of the militarization of local police forces, which has grown out of the insanity of the war on drugs and the imbalance in funding in many jurisdictions -- where it's easier to get money for a SWAT team than it is for a couple more "Peace Officers."

[mzteaze]

46. Ask the police

I provided the law below.

Louisiana Revised Statutes. Title 3. Agriculture and Forestry. Chapter 18. Animals Running at Large. Part V. Dog License Tax. § 2771. Dogs not to run at large

Statute Details
Printable Version
Citation: LA R.S. 3:2771

Citation: LSA-R.S. 3:2771

No person shall suffer or permit any dog in his possession, or kept by him about his premises, to run at large on any unenclosed land, or trespass upon any enclosed or unenclosed lands of another.


Based on this, my friend explained that is why they issue tickets in these types of situations.

[Stinky The Clown]

47. That law, were it in force where this event took place, would not have applied.

The dog was on enclosed land, not running at large.

[mzteaze]

56. Perhaps

in the original story. However, in the two stories that I talked about in my original post, that's what the police used as a basis to writing a ticket.

Makes it all the more important to know the laws in your neck of the woods.

[Occulus]

19. The moment you gave police a capital letter

I knew you were going to apologize for them.

[mzteaze]

45. There IS NO APOLOGY for the Police in Louisiana

I don't agree with the shooting....and if you actually read what I wrote, provided HIS way of thinking on the issue.

[pecwae]

34. Know what?

Fuck your Police officer friend.

[LisaLynne]

37. Yeah and you know what?

I have known many postal workers who have had many dogs charge at them. Funny, none of them had guns or shot dogs and none of them died, so ... yeah.

And yeah, what freaking state has a law that dogs be leashed AT ALL TIMES? Maybe out in public, but in their own fenced yard? Doubt it.

[99Forever]

41. Bullshit.

There is NO law in ANY state requiring dogs contained on PRIVATE PROPERTY to be "leashed at all times."

Site the state and the law or be seen as a lying, cop apologist.

Hogwash. And they wonder why people call them pigs.

We hold a kennel license and I say it just ain't so.

[mzteaze]

44. The state is Louisiana

The way the law is written, it does not distinguish between private or public property. Keep in mind they are also the only state in the union that follows the Napoleonic laws, not Anglo-Saxon like all 49 OTHER states.

Here is the law:

Louisiana Revised Statutes. Title 3. Agriculture and Forestry. Chapter 18. Animals Running at Large. Part V. Dog License Tax. § 2771. Dogs not to run at large

Statute Details
Printable Version
Citation: LA R.S. 3:2771

Citation: LSA-R.S. 3:2771

Statute in Full:


No person shall suffer or permit any dog in his possession, or kept by him about his premises, to run at large on any unenclosed land, or trespass upon any enclosed or unenclosed lands of another.


So y'all fight with the law, not me. I don't live there and didn't make the law. However, as I described above, that's how the police apply it there. The owner got the ticket.

[Poll_Blind]

22. Police would have shot that dog regardless of pit bull or not. nt

PB

[In_The_Wind]

27. Very sad!

[redgreenandblue]

28. Ten years in prison for each of the cops would be appropriate.

They entered private property and murdered someone.

[billbailey19448jj]

29. may that poor dog rest in peace

Here's also hoping that the cops responsible will face harsh consequences for this.

[RandiFan1290]

32. Police are cowards! Keep your pets away!

They would murder your Chihuahua if given the chance.

[HillWilliam]

35. Swear to G'd, true story

A few years back when we lived in town, our neighbors' house got broken into. We called the cops and they came out, circled the house a few times, then called me over. They made me go in first because they heard the dog in the living room.

I said, you best be right behind me and I mean in. I'm not afraid of the dog. I'm scared to death of a bad guy. "We'll cover you" is not exactly reassuring when you may be BETWEEN candyass cops and a bad guy.

I went ahead and picked up the dog and came out. The cops were standing in the kitchen looking like who shot the white-eyed boogah bear. I said, y'know, y'all ought to be ashamed. This is a 35# dog; I'm a queen. Y'ALL. HAVE. GUNS.

Jeebus.

[Stinky The Clown]

39. Okay . . . . .

. . . . . that brightened my morning!

Thanks for the story!

[HillWilliam]

43. I shouldn't complain on two counts

(1) They didn't shoot me or the dog, and
(2) One of them was KEEEEEY-YOOT!!

heh

All's well that ends well.

[Ezequiel]

38. Police Militarization

Respects no form of life!

[KurtNYC]

49. I CAN imagine it because I live 2 doors from a police station and

there is one very well meaning meter reader who loves to feed treats to dogs and get them to jump up on him and go nuts (meter readers need love too). In effect he is training dogs in this area to run up to cops and jump on them because dogs tend to generalize from any behavior for which they have been rewarded. Any time you feed a dog you are training it to repeat what ever behavior it was doing in the 5 seconds before the food came out.

One day this same cop was standing on the other side of main street and he throws a treat toward a dog who is tied to a parking meter but it lands in the streets and my dogs pull like crazy trying to get into the street to get to it. They weigh 90 pounds each so it is a wrestling match if they are really determined. I blurted out "God damn it" and he yells "What's your problem?!" I said you are training my dogs to run into or across the street to which he answered "Oh I am not." The owner of the dog was tied complained also and he has stopped but I live in fear of my dogs running up to cops and....

[get the red out]

51. That makes me furious!

My dog would get herself killed by cops for sure, she's a Border Collie but is a hell of a watch dog, she doesn't miss anything out of the ordinary, she barks a few barks if the neighbors come in later than usual on a weekend night.

I saw a story a few years ago where the cops killed a Labrador Retriever in very similar circumstances. Though I do agree that the trigger probably pulls faster on a Pittie, no pet is safe.

They had no right to charge into someone's yard and kill their dog for barking. NONE AT ALL. Just as they have no right to endanger innocent people on the road in order to chase down a "bad guy" racing through traffic. And a woman was killed in the city I live in exactly like that, cop ran a red light in a car chase and she was killed driving home from work.

I have read so many stories about cops killing people's pets for no good reason and it scares me. This is disgusting. It needs to stop! I think the cops get the adrenaline going and they want to blow something away or chase until they catch whoever, it gets really personal apparently and they don't want anything getting in their way.

[Duppers]

57. wouldn't you know it? Baltimore cops again.

I do not like 'em.