AUSTIN, Texas (AP) ? The fatal shooting of a family dog by an Austin police officer arriving at the wrong address has department officials reviewing their policies governing deadly force against animals.
Cisco, a blue heeler owned by Michael Paxton, was shot Saturday by an officer responding to a domestic disturbance call. Officer Thomas Griffin arrived at the wrong address by mistake and says he shot the dog after it charged at him, but Paxton denies that his dog charged at the officer.
Assistant Police Chief David Carter says the department has received a flood of angry emails and telephone calls, some from abroad, and promises that "every aspect of the incident" is being reviewed.
It is terrible, but who's fault is it? The cop was just doing his job. The dog's owner was just walking with his dog. The caller thought they were giving the correct address. The dog?
It is terrible, but who's fault is it? The cop was just doing his job. The dog's owner was just walking with his dog. The caller thought they were giving the correct address. The dog?
Actually the incident was at the address not while the owner was walking the dog. But that's a mute point. The officer had the right to protect himself. I can't fault the officer. Bad situation, bad information, bad outcome for all.
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"Never forget that everything Hitler did in Germany was legal. Never forget that everything the Founding Fathers did was not." Martin Luther King, Jr.
Yeah, I saw the cop cam and it looked like the cop shot the dog from the sidewalk, and the owner failed to control a loose dog. If there is no fence and was in the front yard open to the public, then the laws may apply. I might be wrong though. It really doesn't matter what I think, this is horrible and would hate to be anyone involved in this incident.
Putting a different spin on this, as a bicyclist, owners need to control their dogs at all times. On a leash, in a fenced yard or an open and unfenced area, it doesn't matter. Sometimes I wish I could shoot the owner.
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"Never forget that everything Hitler did in Germany was legal. Never forget that everything the Founding Fathers did was not." Martin Luther King, Jr.