Was The Shooting Of This Dog Justified?

[Kromovaracun]

A petition has recently been started to fire an officer who shot a dog to death. The incident was recorded, and you can view both the petition and the video (which you can probably guess is quite graphic, I know AB has its share of animal lovers) here:

http://www.causes.com/justice-for-max?utm_source=causes.com&;utm_medium=fbpost&utm_campaign=fbMAX0703

Does anyone know what exactly was the dog's owner being arrested for? Was the dog a sufficient threat to the police to warrant being shot?

[pixie373]

I wonder if you could describe what happened please? I'm wary about watching the video.

[rockyracoon]

I've heard about the video but can't bring myself to watch :(

[Kromovaracun]

Sure.

A fleet of police cars are present on a street, which lots of people start recording on their phones for some reason. One man does so while walking around with his dog on a lead. Eventually, the police officers approach him and he puts his dog in his car.

The police officers then arrest him for reasons which aren't clear, and then the dog gets agitated. It leaps out of the window, and approaches the police officers. One of the officers draws his gun and kind of makes threatening gestures for a while, before shooting the dog about three times, which is right at the very end of the video.

(there are a few seconds of footage of the dog immediately after being shot, which some people might find upsetting).

[Kromovaracun]

I will be completely honest - as always with issues like this, I find it very difficult to care all that much about this animal's life. But I appreciate that many people- and his owner - do not feel the same way.

Personally, I see this as another reason why police should not carry guns, but I'm undecided as to whether the officer's response was proportional to the threat posed by the dog or not. Hence why I seek other opinions.

[Gromit]

It is in the US.
Some sort of incident taking place with police in attendance.
Man with dog on lead is taking pictures on his phone and annoying cops.
They come toward him so he puts his dog in his car.
As the police frisk the man, the dog jumps out of the car and starts to protect his owner by snapping at the officers.
Officer then shots the dog several times at close quarters, but not cleanly so the video ends with the dog squealing in agony.

Trigger happy best describes it.

[Graham-W]

At about 3:18 a cop puts his arm out towards the dog and the dog seems to go for it and then backs off.
The same cop puts his arm out again and as the dog approaches hi arm shots are fired and the dog is hit several times.
If an unknown Rottweiler had already attacked my colleague and looked like it was coming in for another go I think I would have done exactly the same as the cop.

[TheBaBas]

If I had a Rottweiler jumping up at me like the dog was in the video and I had a gun I'd shoot it as well.

I don't believe for a minute a copper would shoot a dog unless they felt their safety was at risk.

[pixie373]

It does sound like a nervous reaction. I might watch video up to the dog approaching, as you should be able to see whether the dog was intending to attack or not. I wouldn't expect a policeman to accept being attacked by a dog, but it would upset me if it was unnecessary.

[rockyracoon]

Sounds like the owner was a dick for not doing up the window, the poor dog was just protecting him. My dog did something similar with coppers a couple of years ago, he saw them as a threat to me and warned them.

[pixie373]

Thanks for the explanations. Have just caught up with some of the answers. Wouldn't taser work?!

[Graham-W]

Exactly that Rocky.
The poor dog doesn't know what a police uniform looks like and is just protecting his owner.

[Graham-W]

to add. (pressed submit too soon)
The police were, justifiably, protecting themselves from an unknown dog.

[ChillDoubt]

Totally justified. Whatever the owner had done he knew what he was being arrested for and complied without protest.
If you want to take a dog of that breed and reputation out and about, put a muzzle on it.

[rockyracoon]

I agree, the policeman was protecting himself, perhaps he should have aimed better instead of making the dog suffer, only he knows what he was thinking though.

[jomifl]

The dog was threatening the police and on the point of attacking them. The police couldn't wait until a dog of that size and strength actually injured someone. The owner hadn't secured the dog in his car and if he had had any sense he wouldn't have hung around with trouble in the offong.

[naomi24]

The dog was protecting its owner, but the policeman was certainly justified in shooting it. I wish he'd have killed it cleanly though. Awful to see the poor thing writhing on the ground.

[jomifl]

Rocky, the dog was not standing still to allow the policeman to take aim.

[rockyracoon]

Fair enough jom, I can't bring myself to watch it. :(