Kill 3 people and get part of a page on BGP.

 

Kill a person's dog and all heck breaks loose.

 

Yep. As a society we have become numb to humans killing other humans.

That's like 3 years ago...it seems!

 

I just wanted it known for the record that I answered your question already.

I have seen no evidence that the dog was threatening to attack. What we know is that Officer Olsen felt threatened and that Chief Burbank said the dog was in close proximity to the officer. In this case, I would rely more on the owner of the Weimaraner as to its demeanor rather than base this solely on what the police say. The owner lamented that he lost his hiking buddy, so that indicates the dog was socialized to some extent.

I've never once heard an owner of a dog that attacks someone say "my dog was freaking crazy and was just a matter of time". They all say he was so loving with the family. And again, thanks for dodging my question. I forgot what a waste of time it is to debate with you.

Kill 3 people and get part of a page on BGP.

 

Kill a person's dog and all heck breaks loose.

 

I don't agree at all. If the policeman shot a person he would be facing charges. The animal and it's owner have NO rights it would seem. That's the point of it.

All the stuff police carry on them and you want to add a paddle?

 

IF they plan on invading a person's yard where there is a dog. Otherwise the suggestion was to call animal control.

What if a judge had signed a search warrant and the officer had jumped the fence and felt threatened by the dog...Everyone seems to be caught up on saying he had no right to be there, so what if he did via a signed warrant?

 

I think that does make a difference. If he had a signed warrant it would be reasonable to assume that there was strong evidence that the child was in the yard. Once there if he felt threatened then he should deal with the threat. That being said, as was suggested by the Salt Lake PD, I think officers might need more training as to how to deal with an aggressive dog. I don't think the first response should be to shoot it, especially when it is in its own yard. Over the past 50 years there are no documented cases of an officer being killed by a dog. Other professions have learned to deal with them without having to shoot them--especially a breed like a Weimaraner.

 

Since your exploring different scenarios how about this one: It's night. The officer knocks on the door and gets no response. He then decides to take a look in the back yard and jumps the fence just like in this case. He then decides to look around on the back porch. While the officer is conducting his search he knocks over a chair. The homeowner, who was asleep when the officer knocked hears the noise, retrieves his gun and then fires on the officer before realizing it is a police officer--no one is injured. Should he be charged? Now should he be charged if he hits the officer?

We had a somewhat scary incident at my house last fall while I was traveling. I arrived in Europe at 6:30 AM, and when I turned on my phone, I noticed our alarm system had triggered and sent me a message. Worried, especially knowing it was 12:30AM at home, I called home and thankfully my wife answered. She had set the alarm, but did not fully latch the front door. During the night, the wind blew the door open. At the time, we only had one inside alarm, and with the bedroom door closed, she did not hear it. The alarm company called her, but her phone was in the other end of the house. So the police were called. The officer got to the front door, saw it opened called out apparently and entered. This triggered the dogs to go crazy, but luckily they were secured in the bedroom, but he had his gun drawn. Thankfully, this awoke my wife who met the officer. I would never want my dogs shot, but this would be a situation, where an officer, responding to a call, in a residence, could be understood if an angry dog attacked him, and he had to defend himself...and it is likely one of my dogs would have in this circumstance.

 

So there are all kinds of scenarios that can be explored, but the one at the beginning of this thread was avoidable.

I think that does make a difference. If he had a signed warrant it would be reasonable to assume that there was strong evidence that the child was in the yard. Once there if he felt threatened then he should deal with the threat. That being said, as was suggested by the Salt Lake PD, I think officers might need more training as to how to deal with an aggressive dog. I don't think the first response should be to shoot it, especially when it is in its own yard. Over the past 50 years there are no documented cases of an officer being killed by a dog. Other professions have learned to deal with them without having to shoot them--especially a breed like a Weimaraner.

 

Since your exploring different scenarios how about this one: It's night. The officer knocks on the door and gets no response. He then decides to take a look in the back yard and jumps the fence just like in this case. He then decides to look around on the back porch. While the officer is conducting his search he knocks over a chair. The homeowner, who was asleep when the officer knocked hears the noise, retrieves his gun and then fires on the officer before realizing it is a police officer--no one is injured. Should he be charged? Now should he be charged if he hits the officer?

If the officer was outside the house then yes, the homeowner should be charged.

If the officer was outside the house then yes, the homeowner should be charged.

 

How about in Kentucky where the porches are considered part of the home?

Man people seriously love animals too much. I understand it and I've had them most of my life, but why is it lost on people they were looking for what they thought was a missing child? They didn't (illegally) hop in this guys back yard b/c they suspected he was growing marijuana. Yeah the cop probably made a mistake but he did it trying to locate a missing kid which is much much more important than the life of any animal. It totally sucks and he may get in trouble for it, but would all these people crying out the cop was wrong not want officers doing everything they could to locate their own child or family member?

How about in Kentucky where the porches are considered part of the home?

If that is the case then he obviously wouldn't be. However if that is the case I disagree with it.

Man people seriously love animals too much. I understand it and I've had them most of my life, but why is it lost on people they were looking for what they thought was a missing child? They didn't (illegally) hop in this guys back yard b/c they suspected he was growing marijuana. Yeah the cop probably made a mistake but he did it trying to locate a missing kid which is much much more important than the life of any animal. It totally sucks and he may get in trouble for it, but would all these people crying out the cop was wrong not want officers doing everything they could to locate their own child or family member?

 

Maybe they should've looked in the child's own home before hoping fences? :idunno:

I don't agree at all. If the policeman shot a person he would be facing charges. The animal and it's owner have NO rights it would seem. That's the point of it.

are you suggesting that animals should be viewed the same as humans by the law?

Maybe they should've looked in the child's own home before hoping fences? :idunno:

My guess , and it's speculation, when the ugh called and said he child was missing the police either assumed or asked and he said that the child was not in the house.

Man people seriously love animals too much. I understand it and I've had them most of my life, but why is it lost on people they were looking for what they thought was a missing child? They didn't (illegally) hop in this guys back yard b/c they suspected he was growing marijuana. Yeah the cop probably made a mistake but he did it trying to locate a missing kid which is much much more important than the life of any animal. It totally sucks and he may get in trouble for it, but would all these people crying out the cop was wrong not want officers doing everything they could to locate their own child or family member?

 

Yes, but I'd want them to look some place that the 3 year old child might actually be. Not on the other side of a 4-6 foot high privacy fence with brick posts. That is my biggest problem with the officer being in the yard--it really didn't make much sense to believe that the child could be in the yard. If you make an error in judgment you should be responsible for your actions. I'm not really for this officer being fired or prosecuted for this, but he should face some kind of discipline and the homeowner should be compensated for the loss of his dog.

 

A quick note on the officer in question: Brett Olsen was one of the officers that helped take down Sulejman Talović, who opened fire in Trolley Square Mall back in 2007 and killed 5 bystanders. He was decorated for that action and while his poor judgment in this case should be addressed I don't think it should cost him his career. I don't think he did this maliciously, I think poor training is as much to blame as anything, but I do think it was wrong.