Disturbing Trend: Police on Dog Violence
Cisco, Chloe, Kincaid, Sassy, Ziggy, Chase and Payton – this is a story about family dogs and the people who love them. This is also a story about the law enforcement officers who killed them.
On April 14, 2012, a domestic disturbance call went out to the Austin, Texas police department. Police responding to the call saw Michael Paxton come from his backyard into the driveway, where he was immediately told to stop while a gun was drawn on him and he was held at gunpoint. Within moments, Cisco, an Australian Cattle Dog, came around the corner from the backyard to be with his owner. Cisco responded, as most dogs will when someone is on their property, and barked at the officer – who, without hesitation – shot Cisco dead, in front of his owner.
That domestic disturbance call? Police were at the wrong address. They not only responded to the incorrect address, they held an innocent man at gunpoint and killed his pet.
This is not the first time law enforcement has shown up at the wrong doorstep and left dead dogs in the wake of their mistake. In late July 2008, a Maryland SWAT team invaded the home of the then Mayor of Berwyn Heights, Cheye Calvo in what looked like a scene out of a Hollywood blockbuster. They threw his mother-in-law (who was making spaghetti sauce at the time) on the floor, cuffed them both and shot Calvo’s two black Labradors. When SWAT team members entered the home by crashing through the door, one sleeping dog got up to see what was going on and was shot dead. The other dog was trying to run away and was shot three times. Blood was everywhere, Calvo was distraught and the answer to their grief amid intimidating interrogation was to have an officer cover up their dead bodies with dog beds until animal control could come to get them.
Just this week, in Adams County Colorado, Ziggy, a 35-pound blue heeler/border collie mix was gunned down by local law enforcement when they mistakenly forced entry into a workshop business while responding to an alarm. Ziggy ran past the police, out the front door; while headed back to his owner, Jeff Fischer, Ziggy was shot on the way back inside. Fischer alleges that Ziggy was at least 15 feet away from the officer when shot and displayed no aggression during the episode. This is the second such incident of its kind in Adams County and citizens are outraged. Police Officer Robert Price has been charged by the Adams County District Attorney with aggravated cruelty to animals in the first incident which killed a dog named Chloe. A video of the event, taken by a neighbor and posted online, helped to secure the charges.
On New Year’s Day, according to reports, Baltimore City police chased a suspect through a neighborhood. The suspect ran down an alleyway, jumped a fence into a yard and down the outside basement steps of a third party home in an effort to evade police. The officer drew the gun on the suspect, who was at the bottom of the stairs. Kincaid, in his own yard, came off the front porch to investigate the commotion, as he was doing so, he barked. Just as Edward Augustine, resident of the home, went to reach for Kincaid’s harness, the officer – who had yelled for Augustine to restrain the dog—reportedly fired six shots, three of which hit Kincaid, killing him. Witnesses say the officer put Augustine in danger as well, nearly missing him with the shots. The officer had not yet detained, cuffed or searched the detainee before any of this happened.
Baltimore City’s Northeast District police will not comment on the shooting. Owner of Kincaid, Stacy Fields, tells FUROCIOUS “The officer told Ed to get Kincaid and as he [Augustine] reached to grab his harness, the officer turned from the suspect and fired 6 shots. He missed Kincaid 3 times and hit him 3 times.”
As someone raised in a law enforcement family, the members of which were, and are, ‘expert’ level marksmen, I can tell you there is more than one thing wrong with a statement that a police officer, who is required to carry a gun every day, fires six shots and connects with only three at close range – especially if he contends the animal was charging him. But, I digress. Stacy and her family have yet to receive an apology. She awaits the scheduling of a meeting that Major Richard Worley has suggested and she intends to file a civil suit. She has received no communication from anyone officially from city government - including one from the Mayor’s Anti-Animal Abuse Commission, which, according to Stacy, parroted the statement on the police department’s Facebook page. She contends that Kincaid had no history of violence. A peaceful vigil last Saturday morning outside the Northeast District headquarters attracted about 40 individuals.
Make no mistake. FUROCIOUS understands, more than most from personal experience, the sacrifices that families in law enforcement, and officers on duty, make every day. We understand that police are not infallible and that they also make mistakes. We agree that it is an officer’s right to protect themselves, and acknowledge it is their duty to the community to do so as well. FUROCIOUS is often upset by news reports of suspects who do not obey officer commands to stand down, often which result in a suspect being shot and, sometimes, killed. Members of our law enforcement community must expect cooperation in the act of apprehending someone, criminal or not, for those who do not comply, are perceived as hostile and dangerous.
But police officers are also members of our communities. They are trained professionals from whom we seek protection, advice and counsel. We hope to have conversations with them as they drive and walk our streets, we hope they will become familiar with our neighborhoods and businesses so they might notice when something is out of place or appears suspicious. In effect, this is a relationship.
We do not expect to have sheriffs’ deputies or police officers entering our property unlawfully, or with a warrant, and shooting our dogs dead. Certainly, if a dog is in the act of attacking (ready to lunge, teeth and gums exposed, biting), we understand a shot to injure, or kill, may be an appropriate response. However, if a dog owner is attending to the pet, attempting to move the dog out of an escalating situation, we expect to have everyone come out of that situation alive – including the dog.
Questions need to be asked and an honest dialogue needs to begin about why deadly force is being used preemptively. Is this a lack of an appropriate assessment of situational awareness? Are officers operating under more stress and therefore not able to determine a ‘real’ vs. ‘perceived’ threat? Or are some officers just, quite honestly, afraid of dogs, which could stem from a childhood incident or family influences when it comes to domestic animals?
This is not to relieve dog parents of their responsibilities either. However, in the aforementioned cases, I am unsure as to what those dog owners could have done differently which would have resulted in a better ending.
FUROCIOUS hopes that in the case of the Baltimore shooting, the Mayor’s Anti-Animal Abuse Advisory Commission will use this as an opportunity to create a public, practical, meaningful, productive discussion with the Baltimore City Police. We need to learn how we can avoid future incidents of this kind and if that, in fact, translates into more police training and community awareness. Baltimoreans already know that when called to the scene of a ‘vicious dog’ report in Baltimore last spring, Officer Dan Waskiewicz and his astute assessment of a pitbull at the scene, had a much better ending than all of these other stories. The pitbull, having been chased and pummeled with bottles by neighborhood kids approached Officer Waskiewicz with his tail between his legs. He determined the dog was not a threat - which, days later, ultimately resulted in the officer adopting the dog he now calls “Bo.” For his appropriate response, Officer Waskiewicz was honored by the Baltimore Humane Society.
In April of 2012, the law firm Joseph, Greenwald & Laake (JGL) announced in a press release that “a Maryland jury returned a $620,000 verdict against two Frederick County Sheriff’s Deputies for violating the constitutional rights of a Frederick County family” which resulted in the seriously wounding their chocolate Labrador, who will now need lifelong medical care and treatment. The dog, a the time of the shooting incident, was never more than three feet near the deputies and had ceased barking prior to when the deputy pulled the trigger. According to this release (http://news.yahoo.com/620-000-verdict-frederick-county-maryland-police-dog-070850853.html) the incident was caught on video.
Carey J. Hansel of Joseph, Greenwald & Laake, one of two attorneys representing the victims in this case said “The verdict makes it clear that Maryland citizens will not tolerate the killing and maiming of innocent family pets by those in positions of power. The jury valiantly defended our constitutional rights to be secure from this violence on our property and to be safe in our own homes. This is a victory for the constitution and for all Maryland citizens.”
So, message to Baltimore – the citizens do not have to accept this behavior from law enforcement. The maiming and killing of our pets does not serve to build bridges, but rather disintegrate them. These are our neighborhoods, these are members of our family, let’s work together.
To keep up on the progress on Kincaid, you can “like” his Facebook page to follow the story more closely at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kincaid-Killed-by-Baltimore-City-Police/129570580537016.
Let us know what you think…
Lisa, thank you for writing this. People should also know that SWAT raids—often unwarranted—and killing of family pets happen in this country every day.
Every day. No, that’s not hyperbole.
There are several civil liberties organizations that track this police abuse. It started, or certainly got much worse, with the so-called “war on drugs.” Now we have the “war on terror.” Both are boondoggles that serve only to hype fear, line the pockets of security contractors, and violate our rights.
Hundreds of UNARMED Americans have been murdered by police in the past two years, and yet no press coverage of this disturbing trend has been forthcoming. Taken together with the thousands of unjustified killings of domestic dogs during that same time period, it would appear that there is a growing cancer within the law enforcement community that MUST be removed by whatever means necessary.
This is a national problem here in the U.S., and it’s only getting worse!! It’s high time we put a stop to it NOW! The list is way to long!! see facebook page Dogs shot by police. http://www.facebook.com/JusticeforBullyBossKahlua?ref=hl
Brilliant article,that says it all.Deadly force should only be used as a last resort,not a Police Officer’s 1st reaction when seeing a dog.These heartbreaking stories are making the general population afraid to call Police,for fear that the family pet will be gunned down,for barking,or running toward them,both actions are so normal for a dog when seeing a stranger on their territory.More education is required,so they know how to deal with family pets in a positive way,without bloodshed.
Thank you, all, for your kind comments and for taking the time to read about the lost lives of these innocent dogs. Earlier this evening I listened to a radio program out of the UK, which was on line, entitled Ask Sue. Sue had on various guests discussing this VERY issue. Had i known earlier that she would have been exploring this topic, I would have included it in the blog. I also found out about another incident in Rochester, NY and am including the link herein and hoping that you can access it, should you want to. We are all justifiably angry at the law enforcement officers who have done this - but it is also important to remember there are many other officers who have great sense, who think well under pressure and who wouldn’t dream of taking the life of a dog under similar circumstances. We have to applaud those people who do not get any credit for doing the right thing every day. It is up to them to lead by example in their precincts. I hope we will be able to have the opportunity to discuss this and to work with local law enforcement agencies nationwide in order to avoid these very sad stories. http://davyv.blogspot.com/2013/01/what-rochester-ny-police-chief-james.html
God puts people where He wants them to be and I truly believe He has given you the direction of being the voice for the voiceless. What you are doing here is making others aware of the senseless murdering of God’s precious creatures by those we are to trust to protect our families & our dogs are our family too! You are standing up for His good! God Bless You! You will make a difference in this world of horrors such as this.
Very well written article ~ it is long overdue that the citizens of the United States know what is going on. Until this happened to my neighbor dog (Justice for Rugar) I had NO idea that this was happening on a pretty regular, nation wide level. The needless shooting of family pets is happening WAY to often along with other crimes against animals. We have a new page https://www.facebook.com/pages/United-States-War-on-Family-Pets-Network-Info/400081023411291 and vow to do our part, hopefully with teamwork from a lot of other advocates to help bring change for 2013! Here are links to videos with just SOME of the MANY dogs that have been gunned down. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJikANNIPcg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36wHd8-QVic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-YZcBq5BJY The way these animals are being slaughtered in front of children, in homes, in gated yards when officers want to use THEIR yards, while chained, while greeting officers, etc. is a disgrace to this country.
Outstanding article! With all due respect to law enforcement-this behavior is seriously offensive. And to the “powers that be”...shame on you for not standing up for what’s right
Thank you Lisa, for carefully examining the pattern of callous and gratuitous shootings of dogs by law enforcement.
This is horrifying and the actions of these officers is inexcusable! If they were too hyped up on their adrenaline, they’re in the wrong line of work. They need to leave or be forced to leave. If they were at the wrong address and didn’t bother checking before they started shooting, they’re not smart enough to be police officers. They need to leave or be forced to leave. If they shot first and asked questions later, they’re dangerous and should not be allowed to carry a weapon. They should leave or be forced to leave. But none of them should be allowed to leave before being held culpable for their irresponsible actions that not only took innocent life, but sometimes threatened other innocent lives int he process. Our culture has become far too comfortable with the idea of shooting at the least provocation. I am a trained former law enforcement officer and still a gun owner, so this comment is not made lightly. How many more pets need to die before someone gets a grip on these dangerous people? Thanks for bringing so many of these tragic stories together so people can see that this is more than a problem of isolated events.
This is horrifying! Who the hell do you think you are coming to a home where a dog lives and killing him. You are a horrible, evil, monster! Your time will come and you will pay for what you did! You are a spawn of Satan!
The police have to make sure they are at the correct house first off. This is very unfair and inhumane to innocent animals who are protecting their owner and their property. Lord the dog was only barking not lunging at them. So where is the gun control now ???????? Just because they are the police does not give them any right to just pull their weapons and shoot innocent animals. They are not above the law in any way. They just now can’t say oops, my bad. They cause so much damage and heartache and they should be punished just like us normal citizens. They (police ) let their power go to their heads instead of practicing protecting the innocent. My God, this is such a sad sad world we live it. The police who shot this innocent dog should have to pay for their mistake and their cruelity.
I am so glad that someone is speaking out for these families and their pets. I am a proud mother to three pitbulls and I do believe that all of these families deserve why more then they are getting. I also believe that every officer needs some training on how to deal with the public instead of being jerks.
As a prior SPCA Investigator, I can tell you that this abuse of power, triggered by fear and ignorance, is completely uncalled for. All of these animals died for no reason, not to mention in some cases, humans could have been killed also. This complete lack or regard for anyone around in discharging a firearm 6 times( in Kinkaids case) with a human so close would be grounds for that officer to be suspended AT LEAST! The fact that he has not come foward to apologize shows the lack of character in that individual. I am praying you all get justice. 18 murders of pets in 1 month is NOT ACCEPTABLE!
Excellent article which summarized the problem well. There are 18 known killings of dogs by police in this country just in the first month of this year. That’s slightly more than one per day, an appalling statistic.
I would like to target the training schools or executives that are responsible for these attitudes and instructions.
Darlene,
I could have written an exhaustive posts on stories that are currently in the news about pet dogs being killed by police. Florida, Missouri and many other states are experiencing this rise in violent dog deaths by law enforcement. It is, indeed, such a shame. Thank you for weighing-in on the discussion. As an animal behaviorist, I hope that Baltimore will tune into what you are presenting and take it under careful consideration! Maybe they should hire you to come down and present classes! Thank you, again. FUROCIOUS
Thank you for this thoughtful and important blog post. In each of these cases that you’ve outlined it seems clear to me that the police officers (except for the really astute one who later adopted the dog) were having a knee-jerk reaction but why? Fear of dogs, as you suggest? Unfamiliar with dog body language? Too much adrenalin pumping because they were called out? Certainly being at the wrong address is inexcusable. But as a certified animal behavior consultant, my first reaction would be to have a special course the police must take in dog behavior and body language before going out on patrol and working among citizens and their pets. This would certainly be reassuring to pet owners who, in those areas where this has already occurred, must live in fear of their pets being killed. I also think the police, mayors, etc., must admit culpability and apologize publicly. The police should not be above the law. As for the officer who couldn’t shoot straight, what would have happened if he had hit a child? Another innocent citizen? The dog’s owner? And he had stopped doing his job (pursuing the suspect) in order to shoot an innocent man’s dog on the mans property and the dog’s territory. These incidents can’t simply be swept under the rug. They is wrong in so many ways. Thank you, again, for addressing this important issue. Please forgive me for rambling. It’s just startling to see so many of these cases listed and described in one blog post. I have to wonder how many more exist.
keep up with style