Lexington officer shoots, kills dog; owner questions officer's actions

Michael Powell raised Rocky from a puppy. The German Rottweiler was 10 years old and had been a constant companion for Powell's 8-year-old son, he said.

On Thursday, Powell buried Rocky on a family farm in Owenton — a day after Lexington police officer Aaron Greenleaf shot and killed the dog in Powell's fenced-in back yard on Bryan Avenue. Police said Rocky attacked Greenleaf as the officer was searching the property for a teenage boy who fled from a nearby trailer park.

The situation has left Powell with a number of questions: Why didn't officers use non-lethal weapons, such as pepper spray or a Taser? Why didn't the officer simply leave the property? And why did the officer shoot his dog six times?

Read more: www.kentucky.com...

There seems to be a lot of cases of police shooting people's dogs these days. Here we have a dog on its own property, minding its own business, and some stranger comes up and shoots him. The dog was protecting his property as many dogs do.

I have not been able to search at all since the forum changed, so if this is a duplicate thread, I apologize in advance.

I am from Lexington and I have known the Powell family for years. How strange for me to find this on ATS. Don't think I have a comment at this time.

reply to post by crazydaisy


Tell us any interesting facts about this family so it can shed some light on what really happened

Sorry but this is funny to me.

He shot the dog six times. Hilarious.

Our cops are so retarded now it's like a slapstick comedy.

Except in real life the anvil falling on your head kills you.

Ouch!

Oh well, no one cares and no one's gonna do anything about it.

On with the next victims, I sure hope I get to win the lucky "killed by cops accidentally" lotto.

My kids would at least be able to afford college with the money they could get suing them over my unjust death. And I won't have to deal with the bill collectors anymore. Win-Win if you ask me. But you know, I am never so lucky to win these lottos...sad face...

There is always a bright side to things. Don't forget that.

Try to laugh though. Picture yourself as Wil E Coyote, and the cops as the Road Runner.

They always get away with everything, we always end up with a ACME anvil on our skull. (Or bullets, whatever)

Anyways, it's just a dog. Think of all the dogs you can buy after suing them over this??!! That's why its called a Lotto!

reply to post by Jessicamsa


I can't understand why we have all these stories
about police officers shooting dogs.Can't 'they' stop
the dogs in any other way besides killing them?Or,
is it just easier to shoot them and think later?

A Rottweiler is a guard breed. What did the cop expect it to do but defend his territory? I think it would be pretty obvious that no one jumped into that back yard to hide, so why not move along and search some more appropriate place?

It seems like every week now there is a new cop-shoots-dog story. I have an over-sized, lethargic, love sponge of a Pit Bull. I'm afraid to walk him in the park now because of these stories.

reply to post by crazydaisy


I knew the Grandfather - he was a juvenile officer at one time in Lexington. They have a good reputation, a good family unless that has changed since I was there several years ago. I see no reason for anyone to shoot a dog 6 times, this must have been heartbreaking.

reply to post by Lookingup


Looking up,

If the dog reacted to the presence of a policeman, would it not also follow it would have reacted to the presence of the

person the policeman was looking for if he was hiding in the backyard?

The policeman would have done well to look in the yards that are not guarded.

Police have generally (depending on location) been authorized to shoot dogs that can hamper the pursuit of a perpetrator simply because a dog that is attacking an officer can cause the officer harm and thus, in protection of his/her body and in pursuit of a criminal (his/her job) s/he can and will shoot a dog without pause.

i teach a motorcycle safety class, and a cop who was in to renew his license said he'll shoot one for chasing him on his bike in a suburban neighborhood.

When did making things easier for cops trump the right to defend your property with whatever weapons available, including living weapons?

reply to post by Lookingup


I have one too, but I'm not afraid -
We would both defend each other to the death.

gj

reply to post by MagoSA

i teach a motorcycle safety class, and a cop who was in to renew his license said he'll shoot one for chasing him on his bike in a suburban neighborhood.

If you see that cop again, ask him what he would do if he saw you or I doing the same thing..
I'm tipping an arrest would follow...

Seems more and more it's one law for them and another for us pleebs!!

This is why you always keep two guard dogs and train one to never bark.

Police thses days have already proven that it could be a Pitbull or a Poodle, they never discriminate.

reply to post by muzzleflash


You want to talk about hilarious! Months ago, maybe last year by now, a cop shot a tiny dog that was trying to defend the front porch of his house, in Blue Ash, Ohio, The dog was fenced in it's yard. Not harming anyone. The cop couldn't control the doggy, and as it was hanging onto his sleeve, the cop unleashed multiple rounds into the pup. It still didn't die, The cop needed to pop a couple more rounds into the pup.

You need links? I suppose I can give them to you, but the little devil dog's story has already been posted on ATS.

Go Puppies!

www.kentucky.com...


Here's somewhat of a happy update that was in the news today. A breeder donated a new puppy to the family. Cute little dog.

Dog are just going to have to learn how to shoot back.

reply to post by Jessicamsa


Thank you for the link - that was very very nice. A new puppy can be very healing but I know they won't forget the friend they lost.

Originally posted by mamabeth
reply to post by Jessicamsa

 

I can't understand why we have all these stories
about police officers shooting dogs.Can't 'they' stop
The dogs in any other way besides killing them?Or,
is it just easier to shoot them and think later?

I can understand.
The cops have neighborhoods with large numbers of drug houses many guarded by vicious dogs trained by drug dealers to protect the drug houses.
The problem is these cops have run into these dog on many cases and start viewing all dogs that try to protect there owners property as drug dealer dogs.

later in a later in chasing some criminal in another part of town that is not a drug area they are confronted by a large dog they forget they are not in the drug neighborhood.

I'd get myself killed if a cop (anyone!) did that to my dog. There is no way I'd be able to control myself and not lash out at some idiot who attacked my girl like that.

Those poor people..that poor puppy.

Originally posted by Zoodie
I'd get myself killed if a cop (anyone!) did that to my dog. There is no way I'd be able to control myself and not lash out at some idiot who attacked my girl like that.

Those poor people..that poor puppy.

edit on 14-9-2010 by Zoodie because: eh

I'm with you. There'd be a dead cop to go along with my dead dog, and possibly a dead me, depending on who the faster draw is. But I guarantee you there'd be bloodshed. I'll be damned if you're going to come onto my property and kill my dog because she's in your way while you chase some assh*le across the neighborhood. Let them go through my yard or meet my puppy. They aren't coming into my house, because they'll meet the same fate you'll meet for shooting my dog on my property. My dogs are my children. You kill them, you're committing murder. I don't give a high hell what you're badge says you think you can get away with. I pay for that badge. I'm not paying for you to murder my family members, regardless of species. An eye for an eye, a life for a life.

Pets are family too.

They give us their love and loyalty.
They have intelligence; they have personalities.
A pet can no more be "replaced" than a child can.

Malicious or stupid killing of other peoples' pets should be regarded as murder.