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| Shooting Dogs |
Police departments use to allow the use of firearms to destroy animals that
were so badly injured that shooting the animal would be a humane use of
deadly force. While some rural police departments may still allow the use
of deadly force to humanely dispatch an animal, I doubt you'll find many,
if any, urban or metropolitan police departments still permitting the
practice.
The overriding reason for not shooting animals is simple and logical.
Bullets have a way of going places where they're not intended to go.
Today, animal control officers are available, or police departments have
other humane means available...most commonly lethal injection.
There may come a time during your career where you'll be forced to use
deadly force to protect yourself or others from a dangerous animal. For
those of you who join police departments where encountering bears,
mountain lions, alligators or crocodiles may just be part of the job, I'm
certain your department will give you plenty of training in handling those
encounters.
No matter what part of the country you're policing, you will encounter
dogs...some friendly and some not so friendly. If you're an animal lover,
as I am, you'll be amazed how many police officers are deathly afraid of
dogs:
You're going to work with an officer who doesn't seem to be afraid of
anything. Then...one day that officer will be confronted by a growling 27
pound Poodle, and the officer will act in an uncharacteristic fashion.
While this story has all the elements of courage, irrational fear, luck and
stupidity, there may come a time during your career when you'll be
confronted by a really dangerous dog. Drug dealers like to keep large
breed dogs with a particular preference for the Pit Bull. These bottom
feeders will starve, fight or otherwise abuse their dogs in an effort to
make them as mean as possible.
When I had a district drug enforcement unit under my command, the
unit's sergeant used a very controlled response for conducting raids where
large dogs were known, or suspected, to be present. One officer would be
armed with a 12 gauge shotgun, and he would be the designated shooter.
Two officers would carry the heavy bullet proof shields. The shields would
be utilized to force the dog(s) into an area where they could be confined.
While a few dogs, all of them Pit Bulls, had to be shot, the system for
confinement proved to be enormously successful.
If you're really lucky, you'll never have to fire your service pistol outside
the range. If you have an irrational fear of dogs, start working on
resolving that fear. If you ever have to shoot a dog, make certain it's
really necessary.
I always found lack of fear and my nightstick to be my best defenses
against biting dogs. In fact, most dogs can be intimidated; however,
nothing is ever absolute. Just remember to treat dogs with deadly force as
you would anything else -- a response of last resort.
were so badly injured that shooting the animal would be a humane use of
deadly force. While some rural police departments may still allow the use
of deadly force to humanely dispatch an animal, I doubt you'll find many,
if any, urban or metropolitan police departments still permitting the
practice.
The overriding reason for not shooting animals is simple and logical.
Bullets have a way of going places where they're not intended to go.
Today, animal control officers are available, or police departments have
other humane means available...most commonly lethal injection.
There may come a time during your career where you'll be forced to use
deadly force to protect yourself or others from a dangerous animal. For
those of you who join police departments where encountering bears,
mountain lions, alligators or crocodiles may just be part of the job, I'm
certain your department will give you plenty of training in handling those
encounters.
No matter what part of the country you're policing, you will encounter
dogs...some friendly and some not so friendly. If you're an animal lover,
as I am, you'll be amazed how many police officers are deathly afraid of
dogs:
You're going to work with an officer who doesn't seem to be afraid of
anything. Then...one day that officer will be confronted by a growling 27
pound Poodle, and the officer will act in an uncharacteristic fashion.
While this story has all the elements of courage, irrational fear, luck and
stupidity, there may come a time during your career when you'll be
confronted by a really dangerous dog. Drug dealers like to keep large
breed dogs with a particular preference for the Pit Bull. These bottom
feeders will starve, fight or otherwise abuse their dogs in an effort to
make them as mean as possible.
When I had a district drug enforcement unit under my command, the
unit's sergeant used a very controlled response for conducting raids where
large dogs were known, or suspected, to be present. One officer would be
armed with a 12 gauge shotgun, and he would be the designated shooter.
Two officers would carry the heavy bullet proof shields. The shields would
be utilized to force the dog(s) into an area where they could be confined.
While a few dogs, all of them Pit Bulls, had to be shot, the system for
confinement proved to be enormously successful.
If you're really lucky, you'll never have to fire your service pistol outside
the range. If you have an irrational fear of dogs, start working on
resolving that fear. If you ever have to shoot a dog, make certain it's
really necessary.
I always found lack of fear and my nightstick to be my best defenses
against biting dogs. In fact, most dogs can be intimidated; however,
nothing is ever absolute. Just remember to treat dogs with deadly force as
you would anything else -- a response of last resort.
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Definition of Cynophobia (Webster's New World Medical Dictionary)
Cynophobia: An abnormal and persistent fear of dogs. Sufferers from
cynophobia experience anxiety even though they realize that most
dogs pose no threat. To avoid dogs, they may barricade yards or
refuse to travel except in an enclosed vehicle.
"Cynophobia" is derived from the Greek "kyon" (dog) and
"phobos"(fear).
Cynophobia: An abnormal and persistent fear of dogs. Sufferers from
cynophobia experience anxiety even though they realize that most
dogs pose no threat. To avoid dogs, they may barricade yards or
refuse to travel except in an enclosed vehicle.
"Cynophobia" is derived from the Greek "kyon" (dog) and
"phobos"(fear).
Three officers from my squad were chasing a suspect on foot
when the suspect entered the front door of a dwelling. The
officers were in hot pursuit, so they naturally entered right
behind him. One officer ran to the second floor while the second
officer stayed inside the front door. The third officer took up a
position outside the rear of the house to prevent the suspect's
escape through the back door.
When the first officer checked the second floor master bedroom,
he observed a woman lying on her bed reading a book. Lying
beside the woman was her pet Poodle. The officer startled the
woman who'd not heard anyone entering her house. Before they
could exchange any words, the Poodle was off the bed and
attached to the officer's pants leg. This officer had no fear of
dogs, and he simply kicked the dog away. The dog landed at the
top of the stairway and tumbled down a few steps.
As the dog recovered his footing, he saw the second officer
standing at the bottom of the stairway. The Poodle growled his
intentions and charged forward. To be fair, the second officer did
try to back through the closed screen door, before he fired his
service pistol.
Miraculously, the officer's shot struck the small target in his left
front leg. Needless to say, the dog was disoriented as he ran past
the officer into the living room on his way to the kitchen at the
rear of the house. Remember the third officer guarding the rear
of the house? Yes, another brave police officer not lacking
courage as he charged through the back door upon hearing the
gunfire from inside.
Unfortunately, the third officer was as Cynophobic as the second
officer. He did try to escape from the Poodle by standing on top
of the kitchen table. As the wounded Poodle tried unsuccessfully
to reach the officer, he was met with more gunfire. Three shots
were fired this time. Fortunately, all missed, and the Poodle
decided he'd had enough. He ran back through the house to the
stairway and past the second officer who was now standing on the
other side of the front screen door. On his good three legs, he
continued up the stairway, past the first officer and into the
second floor bathroom.
When I arrived at the scene, that brave little guy was exhausted
and squeezed behind the toilet. Paramedics were called, and they
administered first aid by bandaging the Poodle's badly injured
leg. As we were about to transport the dog to a 24 hour animal
hospital, a television news crew arrived at the front of the house.
All the gunfire and radio traffic had alerted them to something
that my be newsworthy...if they'd only known?
The victim...er, the dog...was whisked out the back door atop a
pillow for his trip to the hospital. During his extraction from
behind the toilet and his treatment by the medics, he didn't
growl at anyone; however, as he sat proudly atop that pillow and
carried past the second officer, he managed one more toothy
growl.
Sadly, the leg had to be amputated, but his recovery was
otherwise complete. The woman, whose house had been invaded,
took everything a lot better than one might expect, and the
suspect, who started everything, was found hiding in the
basement of the house. The suspect didn't reside at the
dwelling; he'd just planned to run through the house; until, he
saw the officer in the alley.
As bad as things were, they could have been a lot worse. The
rounds fired by the third officer passed through the kitchen floor
and into the basement. Fortunately, the suspect was not hit. I
don't recall why the suspect was being chased, but he couldn't
have done anything to warrant his accidental execution.
Both shooters were subjected to loss of pay and remedial
firearms training.
when the suspect entered the front door of a dwelling. The
officers were in hot pursuit, so they naturally entered right
behind him. One officer ran to the second floor while the second
officer stayed inside the front door. The third officer took up a
position outside the rear of the house to prevent the suspect's
escape through the back door.
When the first officer checked the second floor master bedroom,
he observed a woman lying on her bed reading a book. Lying
beside the woman was her pet Poodle. The officer startled the
woman who'd not heard anyone entering her house. Before they
could exchange any words, the Poodle was off the bed and
attached to the officer's pants leg. This officer had no fear of
dogs, and he simply kicked the dog away. The dog landed at the
top of the stairway and tumbled down a few steps.
As the dog recovered his footing, he saw the second officer
standing at the bottom of the stairway. The Poodle growled his
intentions and charged forward. To be fair, the second officer did
try to back through the closed screen door, before he fired his
service pistol.
Miraculously, the officer's shot struck the small target in his left
front leg. Needless to say, the dog was disoriented as he ran past
the officer into the living room on his way to the kitchen at the
rear of the house. Remember the third officer guarding the rear
of the house? Yes, another brave police officer not lacking
courage as he charged through the back door upon hearing the
gunfire from inside.
Unfortunately, the third officer was as Cynophobic as the second
officer. He did try to escape from the Poodle by standing on top
of the kitchen table. As the wounded Poodle tried unsuccessfully
to reach the officer, he was met with more gunfire. Three shots
were fired this time. Fortunately, all missed, and the Poodle
decided he'd had enough. He ran back through the house to the
stairway and past the second officer who was now standing on the
other side of the front screen door. On his good three legs, he
continued up the stairway, past the first officer and into the
second floor bathroom.
When I arrived at the scene, that brave little guy was exhausted
and squeezed behind the toilet. Paramedics were called, and they
administered first aid by bandaging the Poodle's badly injured
leg. As we were about to transport the dog to a 24 hour animal
hospital, a television news crew arrived at the front of the house.
All the gunfire and radio traffic had alerted them to something
that my be newsworthy...if they'd only known?
The victim...er, the dog...was whisked out the back door atop a
pillow for his trip to the hospital. During his extraction from
behind the toilet and his treatment by the medics, he didn't
growl at anyone; however, as he sat proudly atop that pillow and
carried past the second officer, he managed one more toothy
growl.
Sadly, the leg had to be amputated, but his recovery was
otherwise complete. The woman, whose house had been invaded,
took everything a lot better than one might expect, and the
suspect, who started everything, was found hiding in the
basement of the house. The suspect didn't reside at the
dwelling; he'd just planned to run through the house; until, he
saw the officer in the alley.
As bad as things were, they could have been a lot worse. The
rounds fired by the third officer passed through the kitchen floor
and into the basement. Fortunately, the suspect was not hit. I
don't recall why the suspect was being chased, but he couldn't
have done anything to warrant his accidental execution.
Both shooters were subjected to loss of pay and remedial
firearms training.
A Baltimore police sergeant was attacked by a Pit Bull. The dog
bit the sergeant on his inner thigh and wouldn't let go. Even
though the pain was excruciating, the sergeant maintained his
presence of mind as he drew his pistol and aimed it at the dog's
head. He was careful to aim his shot so that he would not end up
shooting himself.
Remember when I mentioned that bullets don't always go where
they're supposed to go? In this instance, the bullet passed
through the entire length of the dog's body, exited and struck
the sergeant in his lower leg.
bit the sergeant on his inner thigh and wouldn't let go. Even
though the pain was excruciating, the sergeant maintained his
presence of mind as he drew his pistol and aimed it at the dog's
head. He was careful to aim his shot so that he would not end up
shooting himself.
Remember when I mentioned that bullets don't always go where
they're supposed to go? In this instance, the bullet passed
through the entire length of the dog's body, exited and struck
the sergeant in his lower leg.
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