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Officer kicks, then shoots dog in store parking lot

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posted on Sep, 19 2012 @ 01:31 PM
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This occurred on the evening of September 8th in a grocery store parking lot in Lubbock, Texas. A complaint call came in stating that a pit bull was attacking another pit bull in front of the store. A Lubbock police officer was dispatched to deal with the situation.


LUBBOCK, TX (KCBD) -
Police on Wednesday released the dashcam video of an officer shooting and killing a dog in the parking lot of United Supermarket, 5001 Marsha Sharp Freeway on September 8.

Both the dashcam and a police report identify the officer as Clinton Lewis. Lewis wrote in the report, "An aggressive pit bull was attacking another dog in the parking lot of United Supermarkets. The dog placed myself and others in danger of serious bodily injury. I fired one round into the dog with my LPD-issued pistol."

Police say they were called to United because of a complaint about the dogs fighting.

When the story first became public some criticized the officer for presuming that the dog was dangerous because it was a pit bull. Others at the time defended the officer as saying the safety of people was more important than the well-being of the dog.


www.kcbd.com...

I couldn't separate the dashcam video that was embedded in the story on the above link, but I encourage you to watch the video carefully. WARNING: The video is somewhat graphic and shows the death of a dog. If you are easily upset, please do not watch this video!!!

I'm no fan of pitbulls (especially ones running loose together), but after watching the video several times, it appeared to me that the officer went up to two dogs who appeared to be playing, not fighting. He walked up and kicked one of the dogs hard, but when the dog ignored him and went back to playing with his buddy, the officer shot him at close range in the torso.

The dog immediately lay down, and, sadly enough, its tail was wagging at the officer as it was dying. The other dog went over to his friend, only to receive a swift kick from the same officer.

Why wasn't animal control called to capture these animals? I just didn't see the need to kick the dogs, and shoot the one dead. There is a world of difference between two dogs playing roughly, and two dogs fighting. I feel this dog was executed on the spot simply because of its breed. Do you see imminent danger towards bystanders and the officer? I did not. Would not a taser have been better to be used in this situation?

Please view the embedded video on the link provided and let me know what you think. Were the dogs in a vicious fight, or were they playing together? Was it necessary to shoot this animal, or could it have been handled in a different manner?

I created this thread because too many dogs are being shot lately. In this case, it appears that the officer was annoyed at the animals and shot one dead to simply stop the incident, rather than resolving it humanely. Too many trigger-happy police are running around out there. I expect more from our officers: More intelligence, more compassion, and more humane treatment of animals. Shooting should be a last resort, not the first one.

I welcome a civil discussion on this matter. What do you think? Justified, or not?

MODS: If this story has been reported already, or if it violates some T&C rule, feel free to do with it what you will.



posted on Sep, 19 2012 @ 01:38 PM
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Though i appreciate the time you spent to post this news, I am so tired of seeing examples of human cruelity not only on other humans but on animals as well.

Humans are capable of such terrible things, if one is able to kill or injure animals, particularly ones with the level of intelligence of a dog, doing terrible things to other humans is not far of.

Now this is no way a slight against those who hunt, but these kinds of things as detailed in the OP is something completely different.

/rant



posted on Sep, 19 2012 @ 01:42 PM
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If I wanted to watch preselected clips of death, abuse and misery, all designed to make you feel apathy and anger, I would turn on the mainstream news.

So Im not watching this video, and I recommend that you start thinking about what you feed your brain and how it makes you feel.



edit on 19-9-2012 by Bodhi911 because: (no reason given)



posted on Sep, 19 2012 @ 01:47 PM
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reply to post by MDDoxs
 


I am also tired of reading about the terrible things done to animals, but turning a blind eye to it, especially when it comes to individuals we pay to do the right thing (police officers), will not make it go away.

I did struggle with posting this, but it is becoming more common, not less common. We as a society need to make public officials accountable for their actions, to animals as well as to human beings.

To me, this was a blantant execution for no other reason than the offier's irritation at the situtation. However, I did want people to give me their own view of the situation. Perhaps I'm a bleeding heart for animals, but there is a time when killing an animal is necessary to protect the lives of humans, but this wasn't it.

We must expose cruelty in order to eradicate it. This guy has received no reprimand for his actions, and its business as usual for the Lubbock Police Department.

Thanks for your input.



posted on Sep, 19 2012 @ 01:49 PM
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It's very hard to tell from that video alone if the dogs were playing or not.But the one thing that makes me believe you are correct is the way the 2nd dog reacts after the shooting.He doesn't appear to be aggressive towards anyone.I agree with you that a tazer would've been the smarter option here,rathere then shooting the dog.



posted on Sep, 19 2012 @ 01:50 PM
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Can't believe how quickly the officer executed that dog, he didn't even give it a chance.

Yes this is because the dog was a Pittbull type the officer treated the dog this way, no question.

People are standing around with the dogs fighting and noone seems personally that scared of the dog that was shot and it didnt look a danger to the people standing there.

I can almost see on one hand how the officer wouldn't have wanted to take the chance, but you can see from his posture to the other dog and this one that he is no animal lover that's for sure.

A call to animal control would surely have been better, but then the dog probably would have gone to a shelter and been executed as so many are in the states.

I believe the dogs were fighting but it's hard to tell from how short the clip is and some of these dogs play ruff because they are strong, it's really to hard to tell.

Poor dog wagging his tail as he was dying at the cop that just brutally executed him in less than 15 seconds from arriving on the scene.
edit on 19-9-2012 by Frankel because: Bah



posted on Sep, 19 2012 @ 01:50 PM
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reply to post by Bodhi911
 


Again, this was not a subject that I enjoy. I am an animal lover, and I am appalled at how many dogs are being killed by officers now. Some are killed simply for barking and trying to protect their homes.

It is not what I'm "feeding my brain", it is cruelty among our police officers that is going unchecked, and it is getting worse.

If you had a problem with the subject, perhaps you shouldn't have clicked on it, just to slam me.

But yeah, you go ahead and feed your brain only happy, carefree things, and leave the criminal behavior of our police for those who are willing to stand up and say NO MORE.



posted on Sep, 19 2012 @ 01:54 PM
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reply to post by nightstalker78
 


I agree, it's a tad hard to see if the dogs were playing, but pit bulls like to play roughly. I just didn't see the need to have to kick the animal, then immediately shoot it. There was almost zero lag time between the kick and the shoot. Not the way to handle the situation. If this officer was so quick to shoot animals, how quick would he be to shoot two guys who are fighting? Just a thought.



posted on Sep, 19 2012 @ 01:54 PM
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Is there no end to what these "Trigger Happy" cops will do?. This cop should be fired and then prosecuted for animal cruelty. Makes you wonder why some people choose to become cops, I'm sure that most is due to civic duty but I'm sure that many have chosen this career choice for the wrong reasons.



posted on Sep, 19 2012 @ 01:59 PM
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reply to post by Frankel
 


Thanks for your input, Frankel. The bystanders didn't seem scared to me either, they seemed to be comfortably standing around watching the show. They may not have wanted to break them up due to them being pitbulls.

I appreciate you taking the time to watch this travesty and give your opinion. There has to be a better way to deal with a situation like this. True, the animals may have been dragged to the local shelter, but the owners would have had a chance to claim their dogs.

Dog owners need to keep their dogs in safe enclosures so this does not occur. Pit bulls are notorious escape artists. People should not attempt to own one unless they are prepared to make sure they are in an escape-proof yard.

There are no easy answers, but to me, this was a trigger-happy cop, and there are too many of those on the force out here in Texas as it is.



posted on Sep, 19 2012 @ 02:01 PM
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i dont think the video shows enough to add to the context of the "fighting/playing". i think yes there is a good chance they were playing from what i could see. but a complaint was called in so it had been going on for a bit that we didnt get to see. they may have been fighting.

animal control should have been called first and foremost.

if the call went to 911, that dispatcher should have called animal control.

the dog should have been captured and IF deemed a threat, put down humanely. NOT kicked and shot to suffer.

i dont think he should be punished for acting rashly, but the public and PD need to be briefed how that SHOULD have gone down. chalk it up to a learning experience.

just my 2 cents though.



posted on Sep, 19 2012 @ 02:06 PM
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reply to post by FireDragonDan
 


Yes, trigger happy is the proper term for this police officer. He seemed to approach the situation ready to shoot. I realize there are many horror stories of pit bulls attacking people and causing severe injuries or even death, but every situation should be assessed as it is, and not as it is imagined to be.

There are many out here in Texas that are hunters and are comfortable with shooting animals. However, in the performance of their duties, a police officer should have a code of conduct about when it is acceptable to bring the firearm out for the purpose of killing.

This thread is NOT about animal cruelty per se, it is about a cop using unnecessary force in a fairly innocuous situation. At least that is how I saw it. I appreciate any input as to whether I am reading the situation wrong or not. The police are starting to use deadly force more often than is necessary in the United States.



posted on Sep, 19 2012 @ 02:08 PM
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How disturbing, that wasn't a dog fight for crying out loud...They were clearly playing tackle. If the other dog was that scared of him, he wouldn't of even bothered going near him. They might live together from looks of it.

Even though I was attack and my dog was attacked by a pitbull, there was no excuse for that. Those 2 dogs weren't charging at each other like in a dog fight.



poor guy.
edit on 19-9-2012 by Manhater because: (no reason given)



posted on Sep, 19 2012 @ 02:09 PM
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This is what's going to happen when you call the cops instead of animal control.

What do you expect is going to happen? The dog to be read it's rights and hand... errr paw-cuffed?

They don't give a ! about some "dumb animal" so there you have it. "ok James we gotta go take care of this dumb dog.. let's hurry before the donut shop closes"

bang!

[ .... sounds of donut smunching.... ]

"mmmmm jelly!"



posted on Sep, 19 2012 @ 02:10 PM
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reply to post by Dizrael
 


Good point, Dizrael. Animal control should have been the first agency notified, as they have those long sticks with loops on them to catch aggressive animals in a humane fashion.

Hopefully this will be a learning experience for the police, but as the recent story of the Texas police officer who dragged a 77 year old woman with a bladder problem from her car and treated her like a common criminal shows, there has been a problem with aggressive, "shoot first and ask questions later" police behavior which is being covered up and not being addressed.

Thanks for your 2 cents!



posted on Sep, 19 2012 @ 02:13 PM
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reply to post by FissionSurplus
 


I am a police officer and I can speak for every officer in every situation much like this. Animal control refuses to go out to these circumstances. They only retrieve dogs if they are rabid or if they are confined. If this was not the case officers would not have to be dispatched to these complaints. When an officer is dispatched they are expected to put the dog down. This is what they were trained to do.

You can not tazer a dog, you can not pepper spray them. The reason you can not tazer them is because 1) The pulse of the EMDW is tweaked to work with the human muscles. 2) The probe spread is aimed for a persons torso which means they will likely miss a dog. 3) After you tazer an animal it becomes enraged and without any proper equipment to tie the dog you can not detain it, i.g. a backup officer needs to subdue the dog while it is being tazer'ed which also places the officer in the current.

I have tried to pepper spray a dog. He licked his nose and then continued to run after a child and bit him which caused him to require stitches and medical treatment.

The point I am trying to make is: Stop calling police and expect them to do something about lose dogs. I hate going to those calls because I refuse to put a dog down. I usually just drive through the area and pretend I didnt see it. Sometimes people get bit but I don't care because I would rather a person get bit than to kill a dog.

STOP CALLING POLICE TO KILL YOUR PETS AND THEN COMPLAIN WE KILLED YOUR PET!!!!!!!!!!!!!



posted on Sep, 19 2012 @ 02:16 PM
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reply to post by Manhater
 


That's how I saw it, Manhater. The dogs were playing "tackle". It may look a little rough, but there was no fighting behavior that I could see. Somebody else pointed out that we only get to see the part in which the police officer shows up, but honestly, I have seen nasty dog fights, and this just didn't look like one. The body language of these dogs looked like two male dogs, good buddies, who were busy playing rough, and they just happened to be playing in the wrong spot, inconvenient for people who wanted to shop.

Too quick to shoot, IMHO. Whatever happened to the old way of breaking up a dog disturbance by turning a hose on them?



posted on Sep, 19 2012 @ 02:18 PM
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reply to post by HIWATT
 


Yep. Animal control would have been the way to go. Pit bulls now have the reputation of being dangerous killers, so I think the officer came on the scene ready to shoot.

And, perhaps, afterwards, he went into the bakery section and got a box of donuts on the house.



posted on Sep, 19 2012 @ 02:27 PM
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reply to post by Dynamike
 


THANK YOU for your informed response. I can understand why, as an officer, you wouldn't want to go out to a call like this.

As a member of the public, I found it disturbing and upsetting. If you say officers are trained to kill, fair enough, but I think what I found most disturbing is the fact that the officer said that the dogs were an imminent danger to bystanders and to the officer himself. Is that the standard wording? Because it does not fit the video taken on the scene. Therefore, either they are told some standard wording to put in reports of this nature, or the officer is painting the situation in a different light.

I had no idea that animal control wouldn't go out in cases like this. However, since their official title is "animal control", I have to wonder why not. Surely they have equipment to deal with this better than a cop would.

I think it is important to get the word out, then, that if the cops are called on an animal complaint, they will shoot to kill. I was not aware that tasering and pepper spraying wouldn't work on dogs.

However, as a police officer, did you think the animals were an imminent danger?



posted on Sep, 19 2012 @ 03:37 PM
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I have a 75# black lab cross pitbull and must say from watching the video this is almost exactely how she plays with her big dog friends and even some of her yappy little ones. That being said I walk my dog without a leash at all times in my neighborhood she is well trained and listens to commands.

Yet because of the breed I do see people get uptight all the time until they meet her and she licks them to the point of them having to stop her, but people see the breed and automatically assume the worse and have had people at the river, think that my dog and her best dog friend were fighting just due to the noise and growling, not understanding that both dogs are well aquainted and under control.

It's a shame that both dogs were loose and the police were called if both animals had owners near, and were not loose this im sure would not have happend. I bye no means condone what the officer did, but at the same time I always use the phrase and I believe it that "there are no bad dogs, only bad dog owners" and although these animals did not seem a threat to anyone from the footage we have seen. The owners are clearly negligent bye just letting two animals closely scrutinized roam free.

My dog has gotten out before so before I write off the owners I know it does happen, but all in the same, two large breed animals most are afraid of should be under the watchfull eye of those in charge of them at all times unless secured.

Just My 2 cents

I know I would be torn apart if this happend to my Pup, hence the reason I try not to let her away from my side at home or at work (wicked dog policy lets her hang out) still officer was too quick in my mind to execute the animal when I'm sure more reason could have been implied.

SaneThinking



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