The Virginian-Pilot
©
NORFOLK
Vick the pit bull was playful during his 2½ years of life. He was happy – like a family member to Christine Jarvis and her children.
But early Feb. 16, Vick got out of the house and was shot and killed by a neighbor, an off-duty Norfolk police officer. Police said Vick charged the officer in a threatening way.
Jarvis and her family gathered Saturday outside their home on McNutt Court for a candlelight vigil to remember Vick. It was hosted by the Tidewater Coalition for Pit Bull Awareness, a group of pit bull owners who say they are trying to dispel misconceptions about the breed.
Jarvis said the neighbor had called it to her attention before when Vick had gotten loose .
“What was so different this time?” she said.
Police say it was about 12:25 a.m. and the officer was bringing in packages from his vehicle when Vick charged him. The cul-de-sac is off Chesapeake Boulevard.
“Our officer felt very threatened by the dog,” said Karen Parker-Chesson, a Police Department spokeswoman. “Officers are trained and taught that if there’s a perceived threat, they’re supposed to act immediately.
“He did nothing inappropriate.”
There were previous calls to dispatchers complaining about Vick being loose, Parker-Chesson said. Dates of the calls were not available Saturday.
An investigation into the shooting is complete. Adding to Jarvis’ loss, she said, is that Vick was cremated with several other animals without her consent. She wanted to bury him.
“We’re just remembering Vick, his spirit ,” Jarvis’ boyfriend, Earl Woods, said during the vigil. “It’s like remembering a family member.”
Yes, Vick was named after Michael Vick, who served 18 months in federal custody for running a pit bull fighting ring in Surry County.
Jarvis said she named her dog after the NFL star because she liked him as a player.
A photo montage showed scenes from the dog ’s life: his birth, sleeping on a pillow with Jarvis on Thanksgiving, playing at the laundromat.
“You can actually see,” Jarvis said. “He was happy.”
A stranger who heard what happened gave her a baby pit bull after the shooting. She’s named Sassy.
Rhoda Tucker of the pit bull coalition said she felt shooting Vick wasn’t necessary when there were other options, such as calling animal control.
Vick wasn’t neutered, which would have been helpful in keeping him from roaming, she said.
Also, Norfolk is among cities in Hampton Roads that require dogs to be on leashes. Jarvis said she sometimes let Vick outside to play. In the end, two sets of neighbors on a cul-de-sac aren’t speaking to each other.
Patrick Wilson, (757) 222-5150, patrick.wilson@pilotonline.com
Twitter users: Follow reporter Patrick Wilson here.
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I give the puppy...
... 1 year before it charges someone else in the neighborhood because she will let it roam like the other one. Hopefully, it won't be a defenceless child.
Candlelight vigil for this animal who deserved to die? gimme a break! How about charging this lady for letting her dog lose instead of giving her unwarranted publicity?
Stupid!
Rhoda Tucker of the pit bull coalition said she felt shooting Vick wasn’t necessary when there were other options, such as calling animal control.
So Rhoda, let me make sure I understand you and your coalition. A pit bull - or any other vicious animal - is attacking me, or worse, a child. The first thing I should do is call animal control?? Are you kidding me? I'm sure the animal will stop its attack while I'm dialing for help. You and your "coalition" should get a cubicle at PETA.
The rest of the story...
In this case the dog that was shot was a nuisance roamer that lived less than 300ft from the officer's door.
I was told the officer had informed the family on two previous occasions that the dog was running loose. I believed he knew the dog.
Only a piece of my comment was printed. I said dogs that are bottle fed, sleep in bed with their owners, and are raised in a household with eight children coming and going are rarely aggressive. I did not believe the officer needed to shoot this dog, dogs have very acute hearing, a shot into the ground would have been excruciating and probably sent this dog running home. I also said if the officer had thought the dog was dangerous why didn't he call in animal control before the night of the shooting, have the family sited or the dog confiscated for evaluation.
Space or perspective shortened my statement
Delayed posting
Not sure this will get approved, and even if it does I doubt Rhoda Tucker will read it. But here goes.
First, I'm not calling you stupid. However, your additional "options" you noted are very stupid. You said the officer should have shot his gun toward the ground. Officers are trained to discharge their firearms either at ranges or only in the effort to protect themselves or someone else. It's obvious you've never shot a gun or even been to a gun safety course. Bullets ricochet and often go on their own trajectory. Would you still say support something so reckless had his bullet hit an innocent person??
absolutely the right thing to have done
I don't care what kind of dog it is outside of a mini-poodle. If one charges me late in the night or high noon, I would not take any risks with my person. The dog dies or gets beat either by gun, knife, or baseball bat. Thank goodness the gent was carrying a self-defense weapon. Being a police officer is irrelevant. Let's say he was a shipyard worker. Hesitating could lead to maiming, death, or debilitating scars to the more important of the two....human. Basically ruining a human life. In all cases I choose humans over animals 100% of the time. Now they should fine the owner at least as much as they would if a homeowenr parked his boat or RV in their own driveway and got cited...Another ridiculous subject.
you are kidding right?
Naming your dog Vick after Michael Vick is like naming your child Charles Manson.
Unpredictable....
Pit Bulls are unpredictable. As former owner of several how they have interacted with others and small children has varied widely.
While at USMC Base Camp Lejeune I was tasked with drafting a base order banning specific dangerous breeds of dogs following the mauling death of a 3 year old child.
As a 'dog-guy' it was tough at first to draft such an order until I got to the bite statistics on pit bulls (3 breeds) and German Shepards (who knew).
From research and experience I won't take chances with the breed around family, friends, community.
None of us were there in the officers shoes...perhaps he was acting in a manner consistent with the owners description his demeanor. Then again, the dog could have been advancing and growling.
On an aside, a candlelight vigil is a little much.
what?
A candlelight vigil for a dog, are you serious? What about the millions of babies (human beings) murdered in this country every year by government funded abortion? God Bless help us!
Genes to fight-wrong owners-enforce stricter laws & bounties
The Clifton study shows just how tragic current irresponsible “ownership” of Pitt Bulls has become-- from the WWI war hero “Stubby” to the abused and neglected breed today. “Rottweilers and pit bull-type dogs accounted for 67% of human Dog Bite Related Fatalities in the US (1997 to 1998).”
www.dogbitelaw.com/Dog%20Attacks%201982%20to%202006%20Clifton.pdf
Virginia needs comprehensive dog bite legislation, stricter neutering and licensing laws, and much more aggressive prosecution of puppy mill owners, dog fighters, and neglectful owners.
Call Chicago Crime Stoppers Hotline (1-800-535-STOP) if you have information about dog-fighting for reward up to $1,000.
Glad it was an armed cop and not a kid.
I'm glad this dog decided to charge at an armed police officer and not a defenseless little kid. How would you feel if the dog would have charged your wife and kids when they were getting out of your car in your driveway at night? Would you say, "oh! it's okay that Vick just killed my two year old son and mutilated my wife when she was trying to save my son."? I think NOT! The officer did the right thing and Vick's owners should be charged and fined for consistantly failing to keep control of their dog.