SWAT kills two dogs in front of children during a house raid over a marijuana posession.

F _ _ _ me! Some of the replies on this incident are truly disturbing. How can anyone watch that video, read the news report and STILL side with thuggish, Robo Cop morons who certainly appear to (on the OPs video) be bully minded without question.. there isnt much more i can point out thats not already been brought up on this already, but for those saying the cops were just doing their jobs..my ass were they. their job entails actually gathering evidence, or enough evidence to give them probable cause.. one guys statement isnt going to work, and do so before busting into anyones house early in the morning hours, killing the family pets and leaving the child who witnessed this all mentally scarred. Child endangerment indeed!! The war on drugs is so horrendously overboard and warped its scary.. I generally am a 'cop hater' with more than enough reasons to be that way..but i do not deny they are at times needed in a situation and i do not deny there remain some decent beings on the force..but newer cops seem to only sign up for the job for the power hunger, and control..especially if you get a sadistic bastard, they are just freaking great with a badge and a gun!
In the words of the Kottonmouth Kings the police are meant to 'Protect and serve, not harass and disturb' ..something they are doing far more frequently than i'm comfortable with..
Just wanted to add in my thoughts on this, the video made me angry and sad at the same time.. even if the guy was selling WEED out of his house that situation was still extremely un called for all together.
Arent officers of 'law' actually meant to learn how to deal with such dogs as the Pitbull? -without shooting it to death i mean!
Uggh this has wound me up..

...but shooting or kicking a police dog can carry the same weight as if the animal were a law enforcement officer. way to uphold and enforce a double standard! it's no wonder people love cops!

just what exactly makes a cop dog more valuable than one that is considered a family member? a badge? sergeant's stripes? civic responsibility?

in my experience police dogs are some of the most volatile creatures on earth. especially the retired ones that wind up in civilian homes.

reply to post by EyesWideShut

Originally posted by Looking_Glass
To me it would seem like these horrifically violent acts are slowly being introduced to be accepted as the norm. ie: This incident, as well as the 17 year old kid that got tased at the baseball game.

Disproportionate use of force.

Tasing a mischievous teenager or killing beloved family pets in cold blood is NOT NORMAL
I guess they had it coming right?

Don't create a disturbance or you'll be dealt with severely.

That's the message.

[edit on 6-5-2010 by Looking_Glass]

You're exactly right and we are long overdue in passing laws against bad cops who do this kind of thing. Cops who do this kind of thing ought to be charged with treason and crimes against humanity. Instead, they get put on administrative leave, with pay and they wait till the situation dies down and more times than not they get out of these situations scott free.

We're breeding a whole generation that is going over to Iraq and Afghanistan and shooting anything that moves and these same people are coming back and getting jobs as Police Officers.

People in Law Enforcement need to be held to higher standards and face more severe punishment than regular civilians because of the powers they have.

On a side note. I would like to ask a very simple question. How many times have you actually been helped by a Police officer compared to the times you've been harassed by one over simple things like a traffic stop?

One more thing concernning the War on Drugs. I'm old enough to remember when this started. I was in my late teens. The only thing it accomplished was doubling the price of weed in the US. The supply was still flowing as normal. Yea, a lot of arrests were made, but imo it was just a CIA job to remove dealers who were not in the loop. I say this because this all went down during the Iran Contra deal which ended up being nothing but a front for the CIA to run drugs and launder money.

I UNDERSTAND THE PROTOCALS THE POLICE NEED TO FOLLOW. I AM NOT A FAN OF POLICE, IN FACT...I HATE THEM. BUT I UNDERSTAND THAT MOST DRUG BUSTS DON'T END UP LIKE THIS.
THIS WAS HORRIBLE!!!.....I WOULD SEEK VENGEANCE

POT NEEDS TO BE LEGALIZED...NOBODY SHOULD DIE OVER WEED

reply to post by CanadianDream420


I have one better.. Flint Michigan. A friend of a friend had his house raided as a "meth lab" Durning the raid they shot 6 of his dogs. 4 were just 6 months old. They beat the crap out of the home owner. Turns out they had the right address but the wrong street. They still to this day have not issued an apology.

Originally posted by gravykraken

in my experience police dogs are some of the most volatile creatures on earth. especially the retired ones that wind up in civilian homes.

I'll second that actually. I used to work for my best mates family business - breeding, training, showing and selling all 4 breeds of Belgian Shepherds. This particular type of dog is favoured by law enforcement and security because of the dogs high intelligence levels and exceptional sense of smell. I remember one in particular, named "Prince", who was prone to snap at anyone. I was told to be especially careful with him as he had once been a police dog somewhere in the US (I forget where) and occasionally slipped into "police-dog mode" in his old age confusion. He bit me a few times while I worked there, I still have the scar from one bite on my hand.

Originally posted by EyesWideShut
reply to post by dankojudd

 

(That's one tough corgi though , took that 40 Cal round like a champ!)

This joke exemplifies a disturbing trend.
Yet another laughing "hero" tossing puppies over a cliff.

I really don't think i can live soundly in this world anymore after all of the things iv'e seen humans do. Not that I am afraid of something like this happening to me, but rather I don't know if i could live with not trying to do something about it. I can't look at something like this and not want to act. I think it's time we all start collectively DOING things about this rather than just stating what is true about it over and over again.

People like this, this institutionalization of the mind has to end before it's too late.

double post.

[edit on 6-5-2010 by Ansiroth]

A police dog is considered an officer in that if you hurt or kill it you can be charged for whatever level crime the same as if it was a person, but its ok for them to kill your dog.

This is for California but I assume other American states have something similar.
www.policek9.com...

Penal Code 600

(a) Any person who willfully and maliciously and with no legal justification strikes beats, kicks, cuts, stabs, shoots with a firearm, administers any poison or other harmful or stupefying substance to, or throws, hurls, or projects at, or places any rock, object, or other substance which is used in a manner as to be capable of producing injury and likely to produce injury, on or in the path of, any horse being used by, or any dog under the supervision of, any peace officer in the discharge or attempted discharge of his or her duties, is guilty of a public offense. If the injury inflicted is a serious injury, as defined in subdivision (c), the person shall be punished by impreisonment in the state prison for 16 months, two or three years, or in a county jail for not exceeding one year, or by a fine not exceeding two thousand dollars ($2000.00), or by both a fine and imprisonment. If the injury inflicted is not a serious injury, the person shall be punished by imprisonment in the county jail for not exceeding one year, or by a fine not exceeding one thousand $(1000.00), or by both a fine and imprisonment.

(b) Any person who wilfully and maliciously and with no legal justification interferes with or obstructs any horse or dog being used by any peace officer in the discharge or attempted discharge of his or her duties by frightening, teasing, agitating, harassing, or hindering the horse or dog shall be punished by imprisonment in a county jail for not exceeding one year, or by a fine not exceeding one thousand ($1000.00), or by both a fine and imprisonment.

(c) Any person who, in violation of this section, and with intent to inflict such injury or death, personally causes the death, destruction, or serious physical injury including bone fracture, loss or impairment of function of any bodily member, wounds requiring extensive suturing, or serious crippling, of any horse or dog, shall, upon conviction of a felony under this section, in addition and consecutive to the punishment prescribed for the felony, be punished by an additional term of imprisonment in the state prison for one year.

These pigs murdered an innocent dog, trying to do its job of protecting the family it loved. The pig should be charged just the same.

I hope these pigs get shot down like that poor dog.


[edit on 6-5-2010 by acrux]

reply to post by ChrisF231


I wouldnt put myself in their position to begain with. So everything is ok and justified because a police officer didnt want to get bitten, boohoo. Cry me a river. Really? Your honestly going to say everything is justified? Obviously you want to make sure your intel is correct. So do the job the right way not the wrong way. Isn't that what police officers tell kids these days, do the right thng not the wrong. This only reaffirms that these police officers are not for the poeple but against the people. The child probably hates cops now. Guy never turned out to be a drug dealer. So what now? Owell, 1 dead dog, 1 traumatized child, 1 heart broken, 1 injured dog, 1 broken house later and it's ok, because its 1 job well done? I like the way you think, you think its justified because it comes with the job of being a cop right? Too bad that none of that belonged to a cop but to the family they terrorized.

Peace!

reply to post by SmokeJaguar67


Agreed
and beautiful dog by the way!

Originally posted by 23refugee

Originally posted by EyesWideShut
reply to post by dankojudd

 

(That's one tough corgi though , took that 40 Cal round like a champ!)

This joke exemplifies a disturbing trend.
Yet another laughing "hero" tossing puppies over a cliff.

Indeed. I just cannot fathom how people can lack compassion, and not feel an ounce of remorse for snuffing out a precious life. But to laugh and joke about it as if it was nothing really sickens me.

Given the choice between police officers in full regalia and armed with weapons possibly being bitten by a dog which may or may not have been trained to attack them, and that dog being shot, personally, and with respect to those who disagree (and I do understand why,) I have to go with the police getting bitten as the preferable scenario.

There are non-lethal ways to subdue both animals and people. The misdemeanor arrestee was both cooperative and calm in my opinion. In my view this qualifies as excessive and unnecessary force. It is the unnecessary in that sentence which disturbs me the most.

I have respect for (and rely on) our law enforcement officers. I feel we must be able to trust them for them to be effective. Thus it greatly disturbs and alarms me that, apparently, they have not taken the time to develop non-lethal means of coping with easily subdued animals.

I feel that this was out of all proportion, even if the dog were attacking them (which I do not know.)

Overkill is an understatement.

Had proper surveillance taken place prior to this raid this could have never happened. If law enforcement goes strictly on the word of an informant then it only proves that they are incompetent idiots.

Anyone with a grudge who knows someone who has a little weed can make a call and this will happen?

A little surveillance and investigation before a home invasion will prevent a tragedy like this.

Rather than preparing for the worst they could have taken some time to better assess the situation.

If they suspected that he was a "big time drug dealer" then they should have used undercover agents, investigate and use surveillance... They could have caught them in the act. (IF they were doing anything illegal) But no, they'd rather break in at night and shoot first, then ask questions later.

It is this kind of bad law enforcement that is ruining the image of all law enforcement.

We don't have law enforcement anymore, just idiots with guns who answer phone calls.

Unfortunately it doesn't surprise me,they think they're above the law and can get away with anything

Hello, I have lurked on ATS daily now for quite some time. I love coming here and reading the opinions and learning "something new daily". That being said, when I watched this video this morning I felt compelled to add my .02.

There is absolutely no justification for these "officers" actions. Period

If killing a crated animal means that you are a real man, I guess I'll never be one.

The Constitution states that the military shall no be used against the people. So tell me what the difference is between that SWAT team and an Army squad?

I live in MD close to where that other incident took place that was posted earlier in the thread. I remember the sadness of the family. However, what I remember clearly was the smugness of the chief of police during the TV interview.

Special weapons and tactics indeed.

....and cops wonder why they're not well liked.

My point of view on this is that the police recieved bad info and bungled this drug raid badly. That being said it must be noted, after doing some research on the individual arrested Jonathan E. Whitworth it is revealed that he is far from a model citizen.

Having been charged with assault and disturbing the peace in 2005

media.www.themuleskinner.com...

Charged with DUI and leaving the scene of an accident in 2008 notice from the story it is his second DUI

www.themaneater.com...

www.columbiamissourian.com...

Plead guilty to conspiracy to distribute coc aine and marijuana in 2005

usamediablog.blogspot.com...

about 3/4 down the page with his codefendants

Now in this fellows defense it is quite possible that he had changed his ways and was trying to fly right so to speak.

In the defense of the the police officers involved they have recieved a warrant on a known felon, with an assault charge in his past, he could be violent he could be armed and his drunken drivng with intentional damage to 6 vehicles with witnesses, I should think would put any officers who were to try and serve a warrant on edge. I see no problem with sending a heavily armed team to this residence. I will not try and justify the shooting of a penned up dog pitbull or the corgi dog. However I dont see the Officers physically abusing the suspect not do I see them abusing the woman or the child. Realizing that in some cases of drug distribution time is of the essense , I think the police department in this case should have exercised some caution to determing exactly who and what were in this home with a few days of observation.

I hope this officer developes inoperable face and rectal cancer at the same time!!!!