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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.
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.
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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.
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.
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