[Niamh.]

Horrifying moment Florida cop shot dead beloved dog Duchess in front of her owner 'on routine house check'

*I won't post the video but it's on the site linked if anyone wants to watch it

WARNING GRAPHIC IMAGES
A Florida cop shot Duchess, a 40-pound bull terrier mix, on Tuesday
The pet ran out of it's owner's front door after the officer knocked to say a car door had been left open
Duchess's owner Gillian Palacios said the dog was not aggressive in any way and wasn't even barking
The cop has been placed on administrative leave during an investigation
Florida City police spokesman Ken Armenteros defended the officer’s actions, saying: 'We don’t have the luxury of hindsight'

A mother and daughter are inconsolable after their dog Duchess was shot in the head three times by a police officer - and all because she ran out the front door when he was conducting a routine house check.

Duchess, a 40-pound bull terrier mix, was killed even though she wasn't barking or being aggressive in any way, according to her owner, Gillian Palacios.

Palacios told Fox that on Tuesday morning, the police officer knocked on her door to say her car door had been left open.

She said that when she opened the front door of her house, her dog Duchess ran outside. Surveillance footage shows the officer fatally shooting the dog three times in the head.

The family, who were distraught after their loss, say that they were not in any trouble with the police and cannot understand why their pet was killed for simply running into the yard.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...#ixzz3pINshHOO
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[Daniel.]

What a ****.

[Kizzy]

Poor thing

[Niamh.]

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

[Kazanne]

I wont watch it,but it's about time these gung ho gunslingers were brought to book.

[Tom4784]

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.

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Dezzy

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.

Yeah that's true Dezzy. It certainly seems to be a lack of proper training and a shoot first think later attitude with them

[Amy Jade]

There are a shocking amount of these type of videos floating around, has anyone seen the one when the dog runs wagging it's tail (I think it was a sheep dog) and a trigger happy cop shoots?

They should be fired immediately, clearly if they think a dog walking towards them needs lethal force they're too highly strung.

[Northern Monkey]

This guy obviously has an irrational fear of dogs.He should not be a cop.....Or a postman,or a door to door salesman.

[Kizzy]

Some dogs are trained to attack the police, we can't hear but he may have asked her to restrain the dog?
Why she let the dog out while she was in her bra I don't knowhowever it's by no way an excuse for what he did.

[Cal.]

OMG. What a dick.

He needs firing and a jail sentence.

[LeatherTrumpet]

have guns

will kill


Just as well a kid did not run out with a toy gun..

[GiRTh]

That story is bad but not as bad as this one. Bit of an old story but still very disturbing.

[GiRTh]

Ohio Cop Trying To Shoot Dog Shoots 4-Year-Old Girl Instead

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.

LINK

[GiRTh]

These cops like to shoot something. Even if its a kid.

Interesting that the cop was called even though the home owner asked for a paramedic and he just couldnt stop himself from shooting something.

[LeatherTrumpet]

He looked like a UPS man

[smudgie]

Using The line "We don't have the luxury of hindsight" as an excuse.
Perhaps they should have the foresight not to just shoot anything that moves, incorporation it into to training would help.

[DemolitionRed]

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.

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by DemolitionRed

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.

Yeah very point actually

[bitontheslide]

I think it is an unsavoury part of American society. There seems to be a very prevalent gung ho attitude. Its the same with their armed forces where they shoot first and ask questions later and this has resulted in them hitting friendly forces. They don't seem to be capable of doing peace keeping type duties and instead are always on the offensive.

[Ammi]

..I don't think it's fair to say, this is America/this is American society because we don't really hear about the many, many police officers who are doing a great job, only sadly, incidents like this..anyways, I did watch the vid because otherwise it would have been hard to say just based on the article itself...it looked as though he was just aware of something running toward him and shot without assessing anything so really it could have just as easily been a child because children can do similar as well...just run through an open door...

[arista]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

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

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,

[Ammi]

..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...

[arista]

Originally Posted by Ammi

..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...

Its only the DM.

Its not on USA TV News

And its Policy to shoot Dogs before they jump at your face
even if they can not reach your face.

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by arista

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,

Who keeps their dog on a lead in their house? My dog dashes out the front door anytime someone calls as well, it is my house and my garden after all