Police Raid Wrong House and Kill Family Dog

Police Raid Wrong House and Kill Family Dog

www.huffingtonpost.com

A man in Texas says that a police officer fatally shot his dog at point blank range.

An Austin police officer who responded to the wrong house on a domestic disturbance call is accused of fatally shooting an innocent man's dog.

The dog's owner, Michael Paxton, was playing Frisbee with the Blue Heeler, named Cisco, on Saturday afternoon when the officer entered his home, ABC reported.

"While I was at gunpoint, my dog came from my backyard barking at the officer," Paxton wrote on the "Justice For Cisco" Facebook page. "I yelled for the officer to not shoot my dog, that he will no

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Here we have yet another case of a police raid on the wrong house resulting in the death of the family dog. The owner, while being restrained at gun point, pleaded with the officer not to shoot the dog - claiming that he does not bite - but the cop shot him dead in front of the owner anyway. IF this tragedy was reversed and a citizen killed a police dog then the shooter would be charged not just with discharging a weapon or even animal cruelty but also with "killing an 'officer' in the line of duty". Nothing will bring the dog back but what legal remedies should be taken here? Compensation for the family, penalties towards the officer (perhaps related as in the loss of a year's pay). What rights does a homeowner have to defend a family pet against death by cop when the dog has not attacked the police (especially if the police have no legitimate business being there). IF there is another thread on this story I apologize but I did search first.

www.huffingtonpost.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

People just don't understand.

My dog barks and goes crazy whenever someone knocks on the door. So imagine how worried/excited/agitated they'd during something as crazy, and as new, as a raid. The dog won't understand that he's a cop and what he's there for. I imagine they see him as a threat, like my dog does whenever someone new enters the house.

It sounds as if the owner had the dog under enough control for the officer to be held completely responsible for his actions. Some people may be like "Well, it's just a dog", but a few things wrong with that. For one, any dog owner would be completely devastated when their animal dies, it's part of the family. And two, this time it was a dog, next time it could be a person.

reply to post by CosmicCitizen

Originally posted by CosmicCitizen

The dog's owner, Michael Paxton, was playing Frisbee with the Blue Heeler, named Cisco, on Saturday afternoon when [color=FFE89E]the officer entered his home, ABC reported.

Just an FYI: They have edited the article, since you quoted it.

The dog's owner, Michael Paxton, was playing Frisbee with the Blue Heeler, named Cisco, on Saturday afternoon when [color=FFE89E]the officer entered his property, ABC reported.

CORRECTION: A previous version of this story stated that the officer entered the dog owner's home.

That doesn't make it any less of a wrongful act, but the fact that it occurred outside, does paint a different picture, than if it had been inside the house.

Most cops are too scared. If these cops weren't always in fear, these types of stories would not be as common. Stories such as this, should be few and far between.

It has to be a standing order to kill dogs. All dogs. The frequency of it happening over just about anything can't be due to anything else.

The best part is that the only people who will suffer are the folks who loved that dog and taxpayers when the city eventually settles the lawsuit for $300,000 that will come of this.

The morons who cant get an address right with all the satellites and psycho big brother tracking equipment in the world at their disposal just brush it off as another typographical error. A simple clerical mistake.

At least it was just the dog that was killed and not a member of the family, which has happened on more than one occasion.

It seems this whole thing comes down to an attitude problem.

The cops have this attitude that they can go wherever they please with only the slightest justification and legal cover for their actions. He came out on a domestic call? Okay..and entered this man's house....WHY exactly? He couldn't have heard anything to support the idea that it was a valid call, since obviously, NOTHING was happening at this house remotely like what he was out there for.

Never mind that though... In the house he comes and down the homeowner goes at gunpoint. Oh..the dog doesn't like seeing it's master put down at gun point? Just kill it. The Department will pay whatever damages...

No..This is getting entirely out of hand. The cop has explaining to do from the moment he figured he could just barge right the heck on in when nothing could possibly have corroborated his call in ANY conceivable way. Again..It WAS the wrong address..so the lack of evidence is kinda self evident.

(Just caught the post above about the original article being corrected at the source......inside the house or in the man's yard, it doesn't fundamentally change the outrage of what happened because a cop just had that attitude problem)

This really disturbs me, they are trying to stop the progression of our pets and know that this is a part of the soul evolution process.

The problem I see in these dog shootings is that the owners don't have enough dogs.

A solo dog is not very life threatening. 10 pit bulls charging on the other hand.... the officer may be able to take out 1 or 2, but the other dogs will subdue the trigger happy man in costume.

I guess if we want to be dog owners, we should own multiple dogs to ensure we have at least one left after the cops "act properly and accordingly with procedures."

Originally posted by Unity_99
This really disturbs me, they are trying to stop the progression of our pets and know that this is a part of the soul evolution process.

No they don't. What rubbish! This is just plain stupidity or arrogance on the police officers behalf.

IRM

reply to post by JibbyJedi


But if the man had a pack of dogs and one got shot I think the two likely outcomes would be either all the dogs get shot or the dogs succeed in killing the cop.

I feel like either way the state would contrive to throw the man in jail if 5 or more dogs were involved

Originally posted by Juggernog
At least it was just the dog that was killed and not a member of the family, which has happened on more than one occasion.

The thing is, Juggernog, that most of us who have animals do view them as part of the family. The loss is intense.

Knowing that officers carry cans of gas (choose your brand) makes these shootings much harder to digest. It surely appears to me that "shoot first, question later" is the mantra of today's police forces. No wonder we feel the need to protect ourselves from those who supposedly are paid to protect us.

reply to post by CosmicCitizen


Why is an American police officer's first action in response to a "domestic" to pull a gun out and aim it at the nearest person? Such lazy policing, assess the situation first, it's there for defense, not an everyday "tool" you use to get people to comply

reply to post by LadyJae


I can relate to that. I guess what I meant was, at least it wasnt a mom, dad, daughter, son etc... killed, which would be much worse than a pet, regardless of how you feel about pets.

Originally posted by Juggernog
reply to post by LadyJae

 

I can relate to that. I guess what I meant was, at least it wasnt a mom, dad, daughter, son etc... killed, which would be much worse than a pet, regardless of how you feel about pets.

Very true.

Either I'm noticing them more or there has been a marked increase in situations where innocent people have been injured (some seriously) or killed because of mistakes by the police force. Always the company response is "the officer acted correctly and within guidelines".

I've already decided what I will do if I ever faced with this type of situation. I am also ready to meet with any repercussions that result from my actions. While I will do nothing directly to the uniformed officer, their loss will be much more dear than my dog. Especially, if I was not doing anything wrong and they find themselves unable to incarcerate me after shooting my dogs.

Wow, insanity. I can tell you one thing, a copper comes and shoots one of my animals, he better damn well shoot me too quick, cuz it will be war at that point.

Originally posted by AR154
reply to post by CosmicCitizen

 

Why is an American police officer's first action in response to a "domestic" to pull a gun out and aim it at the nearest person? Such lazy policing, assess the situation first, it's there for defense, not an everyday "tool" you use to get people to comply

Quick, rush to the scene of an alleged DV before someone gets hurt!

Once on scene draw your weapon and aim it anyone you see.......you know.....before someone gets hurt.

Cops really are the last people in America you want to be carrying guns. They prove it everyday.

reply to post by CosmicCitizen

Nothing will bring the dog back but what legal remedies should be taken here?

Ah, shoot. Nevermind, I just re-read that line as I quoted it, and it says "legal" remedies. Nevermind with what I was going to write. BUT, I will say that just as a police dog is considered an officer in the line of duty, so would my dog be considered a family member protecting his home, and although I am not stupid enough to take on an overwhelming force head to head, I am sneaky enough to get around that problem.

I think another thing we have to think about is....

Do you think the police understand or care what kind of image these kinds of things give police in general?

Growing up you are indoctrinated to trust the police but after a while even the most law abiding citizens develop a distrust for law enforcement.. and for good reason..

I don't know what kind of person this guy was... but he was innocent at least then and the police came into his home anyway and killed an innocent man's dog..

Another question would be.... how are police getting their information because it seems these days, with as many incidents such as this, that they need to start checking their information before they jump the gun and start shooting.