These days, much is made about fatal or near-fatal encounters between police officers and civilians — and rightly so. However, there are other stories that don’t get as much publicity. These are the stories about the lethal or near-lethal encounters between police officers and “dangerous” dogs.
Most — but not all — of these encounters tend to occur when the officer is on or approaching someone’s property. Sadly, these stories usually end badly — for the dogs.
For example, as reported by Red Alert Politics, a Minnesota police officer recently shot two family pets, both of which are also emotional support animals. The officer allegedly shot one of the dogs, a Staffordshire terrier, in the face, causing serious injuries.
“Jennifer LeMay, the dogs’ owner, released security footage of the shooting. The video shows an officer climbing over a seven-foot tall fence and entering the yard housing two Staffordshire terriers,” according to media accounts.
“The officer backpedaled and drew his gun as Circo ran towards him. The dog stopped about five feet in front of the man, then, wagging his tail, slowly approached the officer. The officer shot the first dog in the face, which fell and fled, and then shot multiple times at the second dog, Rocko, which briefly ran into the camera footage.”
Police claim the dog “charged” at the officer, prompting the use of force.
LeMay emphatically refutes that claim, however.
“He was wagging his tail,” LeMay said about Ciroc. “My dog wasn’t even moving, lunging toward him or anything.”
“My dogs were doing their job on my property,” she continued. “We have a right to be safe in our yard.”
In a Facebook post following the incident, the Minneapolis police chief called for an investigation and said the department “will be implementing updated mandatory training specifically for officers identifying effective tools and tactical strategies with police and dog encounters.”
Meanwhile, the LeMay family is faced with thousands in veterinary bills stemming from the injuries to both dogs. LeMay is reportedly pursuing legal recourse.
But there is hope. Another article tells another story. In this case, the officer did the right thing.
In Brief Legal Writing Services 