I watched the video. Based on @Clyde's continual defense and I honestly expected to see a lot more. The dog was on the ground and was making no motion towards jumping and attacking. At worst, the cop avoided getting bit in the ankle.

 

Charge him...

I watched the video. Based on @Clyde's continual defense I honestly expected to see a lot more. The dog was on the ground and was making no motion towards jumping and attacking. At worst' date=' the cop avoided getting bit in the ankle. Charge him...[/quote']

 

What did you see? I saw a dog jumping towards the officer.

How many times should an officer allow a dog to bite them before it's ok to shot the dog?

 

What did you see? I saw a dog jumping towards the officer.

 

If you saw a dog jumping, you're watching a different video.

What did you see? I saw a dog jumping towards the officer.

Are we talking about the video in the original post? That dog definitely does not jump.

I feel sad for people who have irrational or even rational fear of things they cannot control. However, that sympathy stops when these same people seek to exert influence over other's ability to have or hold these things....pick it: guns, dogs, etc.

 

I believe dogs should be under control in some way at all times. I wouldn't risk my dogs this way. However, in the event they do get loose, I think it is reasonable to expect that a "trained" officer of the law would have more tools at his/her disposal than point/shoot.

 

No wonder we have so many problems!

So, I watched the video. What I can't tell is whether the dog was barking prior to the door opening. I can see why he felt the dog was aggressive.

 

I will say this:

 

I've never been able to successfully train my dogs from charging out the door when someone they don't know is at the door. That's on me. I always look out the window to see who it is, and if I can't see them, I'll holler and ask who they are before opening the door. My dogs are not fond at all of deliverymen, postal workers and the like. There's not much I can do about that, since most of that activity happens when I'm not home. And we rarely have anyone knock on our door, because we don't get visitors. So, in short, I always either put my dogs in another room and close the door before I open the front door, or I restrain them as I open the door. But there have been occasions where I opened the door and one or both got out of my grasp.

 

I don't know what the answer that Clyde wants is. But I do know that neither of my dogs bite, and never have bitten. However, they will corner you and bark aggressively at you until friends can be made. If either of my dogs were shot by anyone, I'd be furious. And I don't feel that anyone has a right to shoot them in their own homes, or on the property they feel is their territory. I don't care if you're a cop or not. My pets are my family members.

 

So, scathing replies are expected. But I'm not wavering on this.

The fact of the matter if I shot a dog that was running near/towards me without actually being attacked, I would have a hard time beating that case in court.

 

It depends on the breed of dog!

It depends on the breed of dog!

 

True.

So if the lady had come barging out the door to close the car door, the policeman would have been justified in shooting her.....

 

1) There was insufficient time to determine her intention.

2) This would have been threatening to the officer.

3) He was already armed and prepared to shoot.

 

The lady might have bitten him.:ohbrother:

 

The fact is a dog is armed at all times as long as he has his teeth. If the lady charged out with a knife in her hand screaming, even if she was on her way to shut the door, he would be justified in shooting her. Or would she have to stab him first.

I already know that the response is that the officer's safety is paramount. I promise I am not ignoring or minimizing this consideration. I also have never had to make split second decision with a gun in my hand. But, are we ignoring the fact that this officer was at the door, not on a call that would provide any sort of threat, but only to relay a message, yet had his hand at the ready while facing the front door of a home where someone is answering the door? I get it, anything can happen in a split second, but this is a house in a residential area, in the middle of the day, with no threat of a crime to set him extraordinarily of his toes. Some of you are really ok with this?

 

You think I wouldn't be charged in that situation? I certainly think I would be.

 

You thinking something doesn't make it fact.

Why the officer was at the door is irrelevant IMO

Why the officer was at the door is irrelevant IMO

 

Are you talking legally or your personal opinion, or are they always the same?

 

Personally, I think his actions were at least negligent.

 

Legally, isn't this an objective test of reasonableness judging by the totality of circumstances? In that case, why he was there absolutely matters. This is a far cry from knocking on the door of a known drug dealer with pits. I mean the dog ran out of the door and he shot it. This is crazy.

Does the scenario change if it is a pit bull? There are many threads on here wanting to ban the breed and talking about how unpredictable pit bulls can be, is it ok to let a pit bull charge you?

 

I am a huge animal lover and have fostered/rescued many dogs. I would be very upset if that was my dog in the original video that was shot. I also think the police have a right to defend themselves before they get bit. I don't have a problem with the officer having his hand on his gun after he knocks on the door. I think of it the same as if he's walking up to your car window, he doesn't know what he is going to encounter. There was a car on the street with a door wide open and nobody around, he could have been thinking domestic dispute.