If the officer looked in the yard and saw a large dog , and the property was locked up , Why not contact the property owner and ASK for permission to enter ? There was no info that this guy was a suspect . No threat of the missing child being in danger at this property . But the officer acted as if he had to enter immediately . Why not just view and note that the child doesnt appear to be in the back yard -- why enter it ?

I'm not sure he broke a law by looking in that backyard. If it's proven he did I would agree with you somewhat. I am of the belief he didn't need to get 20 warrants to search the backyards including fenced ones. However if it was my child I would hope he broke said law to search a neighboring yard.

 

He didn't just "look" in the backyard. He entered the private property without permission.

 

At the end of the day, I agree with AJG's earlier post. The officer shouldn't lose his job or anything like that, his past shows he's a good police officer, but he screwed up and should be held accountable for it. Just like any other profession, if you mess up, you bear responsibility and have to face the consequences.

You might as well have checked every treetop and opened every garage in the area, if you ask me. Ridiculous to just assume the child was maybe in a FENCED IN back yard. Why is it so hard to just yell the child's name before climbing the fence. That way you can check for a dog and the child at the same time.

 

Or just hop the fence and shoot the dog in the head. That seems like the best option huh?

 

Salt Lake City police Sgt. Robin Heiden said the 3-year-old boy, described as non-verbal and unresponsive to his name being called, was reported by his parents to be missing about 3:30 p.m. Wednesday from his home near 2500 South and Fillmore Street (1400 East).

 

 

That prompted a door-to-door neighborhood search by officers.

 

Salt Lake police shoot, kill dog in backyard during search for child | The Salt Lake Tribune

 

B/c calling his name wouldn't work...

He didn't just "look" in the backyard. He entered the private property without permission.

 

At the end of the day, I agree with AJG's earlier post. The officer shouldn't lose his job or anything like that, his past shows he's a good police officer, but he screwed up and should be held accountable for it. Just like any other profession, if you mess up, you bear responsibility and have to face the consequences.

 

I agree with all of that too. I think he probably did mess up. I'm saying if it was my child I would hope an officer was willing to make that mistake. I guarantee you he wasn't hoping to shoot a dog dead looking for that child.

Pets are considered property by law, correct? Are we comfortable with police destroying properly "stored" or "contained" personal property within the confines of our legal residence when we have done nothing to warrant police presence? What if it was an inanimate object? A door kicked in, windows broken, locks cut...

I'm not sure he broke a law by looking in that backyard. If it's proven he did I would agree with you somewhat. I am of the belief he didn't need to get 20 warrants to search the backyards including fenced ones. However if it was my child I would hope he broke said law to search a neighboring yard.

 

According to the Supreme Court he did unless exigent circumstances warranted entering the yard or he had probable cause to believe that the child was there. Open yards are one thing but fenced in, gated yards are different. The case given even included a garage in which the door was raised a couple of feet. He can look in there but he is not supposed to enter without a warrant. I made a point several pages back that if all protections are off when a someone goes missing what is to prevent the police from searching anywhere they please--including inside of houses? The yards are protected for a reason. Let's say that this was in a bad part of town and there had been a house that the police had been wanting to search for awhile because of suspected drug activity but they couldn't get a warrant. What would stop them from kicking in the door because they were just looking for a child?

 

If this were a house that had a chain link fence that a little one might get over or through or if the fence had holes in it or under it I'd understand a little bit better. However, this fence was between 4-6 feet high, wooden with brick posts. Why not look over the fence and call the homeowner if you're worried about the dog? They took the time to call him AFTER they killed it.

Pets are considered property by law, correct? Are we comfortable with police destroying properly "stored" or "contained" personal property within the confines of our legal residence when we have done nothing to warrant police presence? What if it was an inanimate object? A door kicked in, windows broken, locks cut...

 

It is certainly a slippery slope but I wouldn't care if an officer broke my fence or a gate to my yard if he was looking for a missing neighborhood toddler, and I certainly wouldn't care if he jumped my fence. Kicking in a door to a house or breaking a window to me is different. I can however see why people think it's the same.

It is certainly a slippery slope but I wouldn't care if an officer broke my fence or a gate to my yard if he was looking for a missing neighborhood toddler, and I certainly wouldn't care if he jumped my fence. Kicking in a door to a house or breaking a window to me is different. I can however see why people think it's the same.

 

And if that's all he did, this wouldn't be an issue. He then took it upon himself to murder an innocent dog.

 

And people think those things are the same, because they are. He entered private property without permission.

According to the Supreme Court he did unless exigent circumstances warranted entering the yard or he had probable cause to believe that the child was there. Open yards are one thing but fenced in, gated yards are different. The case given even included a garage in which the door was raised a couple of feet. He can look in there but he is not supposed to enter without a warrant. I made a point several pages back that if all protections are off when a someone goes missing what is to prevent the police from searching anywhere they please--including inside of houses? The yards are protected for a reason. Let's say that this was in a bad part of town and there had been a house that the police had been wanting to search for awhile because of suspected drug activity but they couldn't get a warrant. What would stop them from kicking in the door because they were just looking for a child?

 

If this were a house that had a chain link fence that a little one might get over or through or if the fence had holes in it or under it I'd understand a little bit better. However, this fence was between 4-6 feet high, wooden with brick posts. Why not look over the fence and call the homeowner if you're worried about the dog? They took the time to call him AFTER they killed it.

 

I'm not the best at interpreting laws or SC rulings. Can the SC offer a different ruling now depending on circumstances?

 

If a missing child doesn't give an officer the right to check a fenced yard the law should be changed. If he broke the law here he should be punished. Like I said though I would hope an officer was willing to look in a gated yard for my child if he was missing.

And if that's all he did, this wouldn't be an issue. He then took it upon himself to murder an innocent dog.

 

And people think those things are the same, because they are. He entered private property without permission.

 

Murder as in shot for fun and pre-meditated? Or killed protecting himself?

So if my kid goes missing, and I go into a police officer's back yard looking for my kid, I "feel threatened" and kill his dog, what happens to me?

Murder as in shot for fun and pre-meditated? Or killed protecting himself?

 

How about option #3: Unnecessarily killed a dog who was doing what dogs are supposed to do when intruders are on their property when they aren't supposed to be?

How about option #3: Unnecessarily killed a dog who was doing what dogs are supposed to do when intruders are on their property when they aren't supposed to be?

 

I think looking for a lost 3 year old makes it ok to search the yard and you don't. We can leave it at that.

I think looking for a lost 3 year old makes it ok to search the yard and you don't. We can leave it at that.

 

Nothing makes it okay to violate another's constitutional rights.

So if my kid goes missing, and I go into a police officer's back yard looking for my kid, I "feel threatened" and kill his dog, what happens to me?

 

You get arrested.......