Cop shoots dog in the head on camera

As you might have heard, True/Slant has been acquired by Forbes and should be integrated with the company by July. I have about 10 days to post whatever the hell I want, so I will try to post at least once a day and, finish all the posts I started but never completed. First up on the agenda:

The below video is making the rounds on the internet (somewhat graphic, be warned):

[youtubevid id="tNyhyrNDOJ4"]

Video from part of the incident later was posted on YouTube, but it shows fewer than 10 minutes of the 68 minutes that Howell and Officer Jason Powell were on the scene.

LaGrange dog owner vows to fight for law changes via Hannibal.net

The video is approximately 7 minutes long, so here is a summary. Two cops show up, and try to put a nuzzle on a dog hesitantly. The dog is afraid of the cops and their long stick, so runs around to the best of its ability (it is chained up) in an effort to avoid the strange cops. When the cops leave the dog alone for a while, the dog lays down.  The dog does not bark, or make threatening motions. The only time the dog tries to bite is when the pole is attached to its neck and it tries to bite the pole.

Near the end of the video, the cops succeed in getting the noose on, and instead of using their electro-shock weapons, decide to shoot the dog. Whether or not the dog should have been put down, for growling at passerby or chasing away people  (a guard dog doing that? unheard of!), these two police officers are royal idiots.

First and foremost, you never ever approach an animal while being nervous or hesitant. Animals can read your body language and will react aggressively. If you are frightened, they think there is something to be frightened of. I am willing to bet that if any of these officers walked up to the dog is a firm, steady and nonchalant manner, they could have easily put the noose on the dogs head.

Second, why were these cops so frightened of a dog already restrained, that they had to shoot it twice? In the head? This dog showed no signs of rabies. Dogs don’t just vocalize/growl when they want to kill you, they also do it when they are scared or excited. The dog obviously cannot bite any of the officers with the noose on its neck, so this excessive use of force just shows how utterly inept the officers are.

Third, why didn’t these police officers wait for animal control to arrive? Last I checked, police should only use their weapons when their lives are in danger. I didn’t see an officer down with an angry dog tearing at his  neck, or an officer bitten.

Fourth, don’t waste taxpayer money on “dog training” :

McNelly said his department is working with the Humane Society of Missouri on additional training in dealing with unruly dogs.

LaGrange dog owner vows to fight for law changes via Hannibal.net

A single class will do. If I can approach large  guard dogs that are loose, restrain them to check their tags, and hold them while I call their owners, then a large male with a gun and a taser should be able to do it too. Or do these officers need some confidence and common sense training?