Two months ago, a man in Nevada opened his front door to find his 6-year-old pit bull twitching in a bloody heap. The dog had been shot by a cop who immediately claimed the dog was charging at him.
On April 10, Gary Miller was at his home when he accidentally triggered his house alarm by sitting on his keys. The home security company called him to confirm a breach, and he responded saying there was no problem. Deputy John Tolle, who was responding to the call, claims he did not get that message, and showed up at Miller’s residence. In the backyard, Gary Miller’s pit bull, Blu, heard Deputy Tolle entering through the front gate, and sprinted out to investigate. When Deputy Tolle heard the dog barking and saw the dog running toward him, he immediately grabbed his gun. What happened next was captured on the officer’s body camera. The footage was released to the public on June 10.I'm not a "Dog Person", but I admit that when I'm confronted by a dog, I tend to shout and growl back at it. That usually gives the dog a moment to re-evaluate the situation.
(Maybe he isn't the biggest dog in the pack!)
I understand that police tend to categorize "aggressive behavior" as a Threat. I get that.
Still, I can't help but wonder if this Law Enforcement Office might have over reacted.
As for the "false alarm" (see the video) ... there's enough blame to spread around. The homeowner felt he was threatened, called for the cops, and later called back to identify his initial call as a false alarm.
The deputy didn't get that information, and he was keyed up for "whatever happens:"; meaning that he wasn't privy to the details of the call.
Not making excuses, but for all he knew, the dog may have been the problem.
(see: CUJO)
No comments:
Post a Comment