Originally Posted by Dezzy (Post 8237773)

You know that makes me sad about this? This officer has already been dealt with for killing a dog but the police departments will stick their head in the sand for as long as possible when a cop murders a black person.

I'm hoping that the police officer in question is taken out of the field, he obviously doesn't have the judgement needed to be trusted with a deadly weapon.

police officer in Whitehall, Ohio, accidentally shot and wounded a 4-year-old girl Friday while attempting to shoot her family's dog instead.

Columbus, Ohio, police Officer Jonathan Thomas was investigating a hit-and-run in Whitehall on Friday when a woman came up to him asking for help, according to The Columbus Dispatch.

The woman told Thomas that her sister -- later identified as Andrea Ellis -- had cut herself and needed medical attention.

When Thomas arrived at the doorway of the residence, one of the family dogs ran at him, according to Columbus police spokeswoman Denise Alex-Bouzounis. Thomas pulled out his gun and fired, inadvertently hitting the young girl in the leg. The 4-year-old, who is reportedly Ellis' daughter, is in stable condition and expected to make a full recovery.

Gary Parsley, who said he was the hit-and-run victim Thomas was speaking with shortly before the shooting, told WBNS that the officer had other options besides firing at the dog.

"[Thomas] was a big guy and they have Tasers and clubs and stuff,” Parsley said. “I don’t know why you would raise a gun. I really don’t agree with him just pulling his gun out and trying to shoot the dog.”

Authorities questioned Thomas after the shooting, WBNS reports. It's unclear if he will be disciplined.

Police opening fire on dogs is surprisingly common, to the point where in 2011 the Justice Department released a report on cop-canine encounters that, in the words of Time's Charlotte Alter and Justin Worland, "included advice on how to handle dogs without killing them."

The Columbus Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Originally Posted by DemolitionRed (Post 8238520)

I'm involved in an American gun thread debate on another site atm. Whilst most gun owners in America have had no formative training in firearms, the police have. If a cop can make the sort of tragic mistakes we are seeing in just this thread, it goes some-way to explain why America has such a massive problem with accidental shootings.

I didn't open the link because I don't want to see it but thanks for posting this Niamh.

Originally Posted by Niamh. (Post 8237759)

I watched the video, yeah it's a stocky dog but she didn't look aggressive, pretty much every dog is going to run out like that when someone calls to the door :(

Originally Posted by Ammi (Post 8239777)

..if these things were 'normal' in America, then they wouldn't get the media coverage that they do and he wouldn't have been given admin duties while it's being investigated.. these incidents do happen but it's not a 'normal' thing or a normal reaction for a trained and armed police officer, who is meant to be able to assess a situation when firing his weapon...

Originally Posted by arista (Post 8239769)

Yes but the USA Police
are permitted to shoot a dog
going for them or about to go for them.


The Owner should have
kept it on a lead
as Police were there etc


All very Normal
in America,