The Virginian-Pilot
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NORFOLK
A police officer shot and killed a pit bull that attacked him while he was pursuing a man last night in the 5500 block of Springhill Road near Virginia Beach Boulevard and Military Highway.
The police officer went to the address about 1:30 a.m. after dispatchers got a report of a suspicious person, said Chris Amos, police spokesman. At some point, the officer started chasing a man and they ran through a yard.
The dog attacked the officer, biting him in the shoulder and the officer kicked the animal away, Amos said. When the officer went to resume the pursuit, the animal aggressively started toward him again.
The officer fired, killing the dog, Amos said. The foot pursuit also ended. The officer, who was not identified, was treated and released from a hospital.
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Officer kills dog
ok, maybe "fired" is a bit harsh, but at least suspended while an investigation is being done. A dog has every right to protect his
home and family, the officer used far more force then was needed, I dont
care what kind of dog it is, you spray a dog in the eyes with pepper spray it will break off and run away whimpering, so why kill him?
Also I do NOT agree that a dog is "property" we are talking about a living, breathing animal not an object, file for property damage? Thats
just inhumane, I wonder if that police officer has a family dog and how
he would feel if someone killed his pet when he simply could have subdued
the dog with pepper spray. I hope PETA jumps all over this.
this dog was doing what dogs
this dog was doing what dogs are suppose to do and should not be shot. Besides everyone else is right the dog could have just been pepper spread instead and would have saved this officer from any further damage and the dog would still be alive. This officer is a hazard to that community and should be fired.
My Rant
I think the officer should be fired, killing a family pet just because the dog was protecting his home. I understand he was in a foot chase
still that dog could not have killed the officer, he could have used his pepper spray b4 he went trigger happy!
Dog Just Carrying Out Its Responsibilites
If this dog was in his own backyard, then it was just doing its duty to protect his master's home from intruders. There is no way for a dog to distinguish between a police officer and a criminal. Unfortunately, the officer was running thru the yard, at night and in a state of high stress and tension. These are all danger signals to a good watchdog.
It may be that the officer had no other recourse but to kill the animal. How tragic for the animal and for the family that owned it. Regardless, the homeowner should be compensated for the loss of the dog.
geez
No of you guys get it. The only person at fault here is the thug that stole the car and then ran from the police. If the thug did not steal the car, the dog would still be alive and the cop would not need stitches. If the thug did not run from the police the dog would still be alive and the cop would not need stitches. I side with the cop on this one, he was protecting his life. A dog is a dog. Yes, I have a dog (who usually stays inside) but if it was attacking a cop I would rather see the cop alive than the dog. And for the people who don't like cops, you are free to move out of the country to a place where the laws suit you better.
officer/dog
what was the officer supposed to do??? let the pitbull maul him to death??? or was the officer supposed to ask the pitbull nicely to stop eating his shoulder...i agree with the officer. police officers dont get paid a lot...and a lot of people couldn't/wouldn't do their jobs...they should be respected instead of being bashed all the time.
Nice rant...
Take some more meds... I could care less if they lined up every last pit and shot them, but I am wondering if the animal was in it's own yard, fenced or chained. If it was running loose, good riddance. But if the dog was in it's own yard I could have an issue with this regardless of who was bitten. If it was my dog, (who is afraid of his own shadow, squirrels, clouds, and the occasional meteor by the way) who was killed in my yard, I'm pretty sure I would file a civil suit at the very least.
I'm telling you - rein in these cowboy cops!
This bonehead cop ran through a yard that was not his "in the name of enforcing the law" (whatever) and comes upon a dog that is threatened by the cop's abrupt presence in the dog's own yard. What does this bonehead cop expect the dog to do, offer him coffee and doughnuts??? Of course not.
The dog, like any good dog, defended his property (or his owner's property) against a would-be intruder. If a police officer can't ward off a dog and or subdue it without killing it, what do you think these yahoos will do with people? Wait, we already know the answer to that with all the "officer-involved" shootings.
When are the cities around here going to get a handle on these out-of-control cops? It can't come soon enough. It's too bad the dog couldn't shoot back at this idiot who clearly used deadly force when not faced with it himself. I hope the owner(s) sue the officer AND the department for this reckless behavior.
I'm not a fan of....
I'm not a fan of people who break laws that could endanger the lives of people and animals. I'm not a fan of people who run from police officers. I'm not a fan of people who like to shoot at officers, I'm not a fan of people who shoot people and not in self defense. I'm not a fan of people who have dogs who like to bite officers (and anyone else). I'm not a fan of people who drive drunk who cause accidents (in some cases no insurance or license. I'm not a fan of lawyers, delegates and senators who voted against the bill concerning record checks at gun shows and I'm not a fan of the NRA who slips a little favors or two to keep those delegates and senators happy. No matter if some people dislike or hate police officers, must of them could never be brave enough to do the job for what pay they get. Yes there are some officers who made on the department but shouldn't have, you never know what type of person they were until it's too late. As for many officers who don't know what type of person you're going to run into until it's too late.
I am a much bigger fan of Pit Bulls than cops
but that doesn't mean this officer deserved to get hurt. Of course, if the back yard he was running through was the one where the dog lived, then the dog wasn't acting unreasonably. Dogs protect their homes and families. It's a natural instinct. If the dog was not confined to a yard or didn't live where the attack occurred, are they looking for the owner of the dog? No dog should be running at large and especially if the owner knew the dog was potentially aggressive. Pit Bulls are generally not human aggressive unless they are protecting their family. Chances are this dog was either neglected, abused, or possibly intentionally trained to attack, a common situation with drug dealers of others who are conducting illegal business from home. If it was not in his own yard, the owner needs to be located and charged.