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A Precious Pit Bull Gets Shot Down

Thursday, October 19, 2006

JoeI woke up this morning to read about an incident that happened last month, where a man's dog was shot and killed by a park police officer.

To sum it up, a homeless man named Joe and his pit bull named "Precious" were in a park in Washington DC. The dog was not on leash. The police officer yelled out to Joe and asked him to put Precious on a leash. The officer claims that Precious charged at him with teeth blaring. Other witnesses said the dog was chasing a squirrel and happened to be running in his direction.

In any case, the officer pulled out his gun and shot her.

Why aren't police officers trained to handle dogs without the use of deadly force?

If a man charged at an officer, holding no other weapon other than his teeth, would officers still resort to shooting them? I suppose the answer could be "yes" in some cases, and "no" in others. But why does a police officer feel so much fear from a pit bull? Aren't they supposed to be among our nation's "bravest and finest"?

Yes, Joe should have had Precious on a leash. But it's not his fault that the dog was shot and killed. Killing her was unnecessary.

Today, Joe still walks the same park, but without his faithful companion. By virtue of her own name, I'm sure he loved Precious very much.

3 Comments:

  • That really pisses me off. That effin sucks. That poor guy lost his loyal friend over an officer who didn't seemed TRAINED ENOUGH to handle situtations without using a lethal weapon. Don't police officer's carry mase? My dog has an interest for squirrels, he has never hurt one but loves to chase them. I don't understand this what so ever.

    By Anonymous Joselyn, at 12:47 PM, October 19, 2006  

  • Unless you have total control of your dog it is irresponsible to let it off-leash, especially in an urban situation. Total control means you can recall your dog on command, regardless of the situation. That dog could have just as easily 'chased a squirrel' into the street and been killed by a car. The officer may have overreacted but if the owner had control of the dog the problem could have be averted.

    By Anonymous PEZ, at 2:48 PM, October 19, 2006  

  • I am sorry this mad lost his best friend. I have a pit bull/lab mix and I never let her off her leash. She lives in a 2 bedroom trailer with my husband, me and six cats. As for the officer who shot the dog I am disappointed in him. I am a criminal justice major and hope to be a deputy after graduation. Before I shoot an animal I will try pepper spray first. I love animals and have a strong connection with them. I can get within 6 feet of a wild fox that I feed in my yard. I have respect for ALL life.

    By Anonymous Mary Pickett, at 7:01 PM, October 20, 2006  

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