I was standing outside the ditch and it [the dog] was in the - TopicsExpress

I was standing outside the ditch and it [the dog] was in the ditch,” the officer wrote. “I raised my duty weapon to the ready position pointed at the growling dog’s head. As soon as I lifted my pistol, the dog began coming up the hill, continuing to growl and display its teeth. The other dog began backing away. I fired three shots at it. It rolled back into the ditch and died. - Unnamed Officers Report. A righteous shooting? The police department says that the short video doesnt tell the whole story. Easy fix: Release the whole video. Why is that such a difficult concept? It is true, however, that the video is short. But what I see is a dog that is wagging its tail. (WARNING: Video shows the death of a dog.) From Rise of the Warrior Cop, Chapter 8, by Radley Balko: In 2012 a California police officer shot and killed a boxe3r puppy and pregnant chihuahua, claiming the boxer had threatened him. The chihuaha, he said, got caught in the crossfire. Police officers have also recently shot dogs that were chained, tied, or leashed, going so far as to kill pets while merely questioning neighbors about a crime in the area, cutting across private property while in pursuit of a suspect, and after responding to false burglar alarms. Some dogs are undoubtedly acting aggressively, especially when they see what they interpret not as the lawful execution of a no-knock raid but an intrusion onto their property by a stranger. In these cases, the shooting of a dog is, while tragic, probably justified. But there are numerous instances of dogs being killed in situations that do not merit a lethal response to the animal. Balko states that people were more disturbed that the ATF shot dogs at the Branch Davidian compound than they were about the death of the Davidians, even children, themselves. The shooting of dogs certainly doesnt help the publics opinion of police when even suspicious shootings arent punished.