Reason.com - Free Minds and Free Markets
Reason logo Reason logo
  • Latest
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Subscribe
    • Crossword
  • Video
  • Podcasts
    • All Shows
    • The Reason Roundtable
    • The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie
    • The Soho Forum Debates
    • Just Asking Questions
    • The Best of Reason Magazine
    • Why We Can't Have Nice Things
  • Volokh
  • Newsletters
  • Donate
    • Donate Online
    • Donate Crypto
    • Ways To Give To Reason Foundation
    • Torchbearer Society
    • Planned Giving
  • Subscribe
    • Reason Plus Subscription
    • Print Subscription
    • Gift Subscriptions
    • Subscriber Support

Login Form

Create new account
Forgot password

K-9 Death Squad

Jacob Sullum | 5.3.2004 12:52 PM

Share on FacebookShare on XShare on RedditShare by emailPrint friendly versionCopy page URL
Media Contact & Reprint Requests

Last week police in Muskego, Wisconsin, went to the wrong house in response to a burglar alarm. Since there was no burglar to arrest there, they shot and killed the family dog instead.

Start your day with Reason. Get a daily brief of the most important stories and trends every weekday morning when you subscribe to Reason Roundup.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

NEXT: In Defense of Gmail

Jacob Sullum is a senior editor at Reason.

Share on FacebookShare on XShare on RedditShare by emailPrint friendly versionCopy page URL
Media Contact & Reprint Requests

Hide Comments (21)

Editor's Note: As of February 29, 2024, commenting privileges on reason.com posts are limited to Reason Plus subscribers. Past commenters are grandfathered in for a temporary period. Subscribe here to preserve your ability to comment. Your Reason Plus subscription also gives you an ad-free version of reason.com, along with full access to the digital edition and archives of Reason magazine. We request that comments be civil and on-topic. We do not moderate or assume any responsibility for comments, which are owned by the readers who post them. Comments do not represent the views of reason.com or Reason Foundation. We reserve the right to delete any comment and ban commenters for any reason at any time. Comments may only be edited within 5 minutes of posting. Report abuses.

  1. Karl Kraus   21 years ago

    No it is OK: for the dog was an Afghan Hound.

    wau-wau,
    KK

  2. the dog's owner   21 years ago

    I said "Put the dog out", not "Put the dog down"!

  3. Mark S.   21 years ago

    Hey! I live in Muskego! As a matter of fact, I was working the "night desk" at the Waukesha Freeman that day and part of my job is to call the local PDs in Waukesha County and find out if anything went on. I called Muskego and was told by the shift commander that nothing of importance occured that day.

    Typical...

  4. MB   21 years ago

    Mr. Sullum, this is wildly unfair. Do you hate our boys in blue? Do you hate America? This shooting was clearly an isolated incident, the guilty will be punished, and, anyway, the victim was a dog, after all. This was clearly a case of preemptive action, as dogs have been known to bite. They also hate our freedom. The family involved should thank the police for sparing them from any future attacks the dog might have launched.

  5. joe   21 years ago

    On the upside, that's one less demonic temptress to endanger the soul of Senator Santorum.

  6. Jennifer   21 years ago

    I read another version of this story which offers more detail. The cops are claiming that they shot the dog in self-defense (Jimbo from 'South Park:' "Shoot it! It's comin' right for us!") but the owner pointed out that, contrary to the cops' story, the dog was shot in the side of the head.

  7. thoreau   21 years ago

    On the upside, that's one less demonic temptress to endanger the soul of Senator Santorum.

    Hah!

    I'm originally from Milwaukee, and I'd still take the Muskego PD over the Milwaukee PD any day. They may not have their own Rafael Perez, but they aren't exactly Officer Friendly either.

  8. Gen. Janis Karpinski   21 years ago

    Saddam Hussein treated Iraqui dogs much worse than this.

  9. heh2k   21 years ago

    you guys are sick. :p

    that's way f'ed up. if that happened to me, i probably be arrested for assaulting that cop. what an f'ing idiot. did he think the thief brought his own dog with him to break into houses? even if it WAS the right house, would shooting the dog have done any good? why is it shoot first, ask later when it comes to dogs? most dogs are not mean. if the dog was mauling him, i might understand the shooting, but that's not the case. there was no reason to shoot the dog.

  10. Madog   21 years ago

    I guess the cop was a cat person.

  11. not really rick james   21 years ago

    Is the whole country beginning to model it's behavior after skits on the Chapelle show?

    "I'm Rick James, bitch!"

  12. Mrs. Santorum (D-PA)   21 years ago

    Don't look now, folks, but my hubby is in mourning.

  13. Douglas Fletcher   21 years ago

    Who let the cops out?

  14. thoreau   21 years ago

    Doug-

    That was hilarious! I can just see some morning DJ in Milwaukee actually doing that. "Who let the cops out? hoo, hoo-hoo-hoo!"

  15. Linda   21 years ago

    "To make matters worse, Davida watched the would-be burglar escape but, terrified after seeing his dog shot, didn't say anything to police."

    Show up at the right house next time!

  16. Tutor   21 years ago

    "...a 100-pound Mastiff, St. Bernard and German shepherd mix..."

    Shit, I would have tossed a grenade.

  17. John   21 years ago

    I would be in jail for beating the cop. What a moron. You can tell when a dog means to bite you and I can bet you a dollar to a doughnut that the dog did nothing of the sort. The fact is everytime you fire a weapon in public you put people in danger. You should only do it if its absolutely necessary. If the cop is too stupid and too panicy not to be able to keep himself from shooting the dog, he is not safe with a weapon and needs to be fired.

  18. s.a.m.   21 years ago

    Apparently Muskego cops treat dogs like NYPD cops treat black folk. Shoot first and say "oops" later.

  19. kevrob   21 years ago

    Mr. Davida was interviewed on local radio on Tuesday. His account and the officer's version differ. See:
    http://www.jsonline.com/news/wauk/may04/226877.asp

    Muskego officials are pushing a line that the dog attacked the officer, and pushed him back several feet. Mr. Davida denies this.

    This will wind up in the courts, as Mr. Davida answered some questions with "my lawyer advises me not to speak to that."

    Wrestling a mastiff-mix that is a stranger to me is not duty that I would care for.

    Kevin

  20. Bongos Family   21 years ago

    Check out this story everyone, follow the link. Apparently it is a trend in Muskego for law enforcement officers to go to the wrong house!

    http://www.mapinc.org/newscsdp/v01/n288/a10.html

    By the way, Jacob Davida is my brother. The police are, unsurprisingly, lying about what happened, probably to protect themselves and their reputation. Thus the differing stories. Anyone who ever met Bongo (including his lifelong vet) will vouch that he was the sweetest, most gentle dog, and not once did he EVER "lunge" at anyone in his whole life.
    This whole situation just makes me sick, absolutely sick. On top of it all now, the police don't even have the decency to own up to their grievous error.

  21. fast and furious 3   21 years ago

    fast and furious 3 http://fastandfurious.order.gb.com on Thursday 09 September 2004 02:17:02 by Buy http://buy.order.gb.com

Please log in to post comments

Mute this user?

  • Mute User
  • Cancel

Ban this user?

  • Ban User
  • Cancel

Un-ban this user?

  • Un-ban User
  • Cancel

Nuke this user?

  • Nuke User
  • Cancel

Un-nuke this user?

  • Un-nuke User
  • Cancel

Flag this comment?

  • Flag Comment
  • Cancel

Un-flag this comment?

  • Un-flag Comment
  • Cancel

Latest

Is the Supreme Court Really That Divided? The Facts Say No.

Billy Binion | 6.5.2025 5:21 PM

Milton Friedman Disproved Trump's Argument for Tariffs Decades Ago

Joe Lancaster | 6.5.2025 4:35 PM

If Viewers Love PBS So Much, Let Them Pay for It

Robby Soave | 6.5.2025 3:20 PM

Florida Woman Fined $165,000 for Trivial Code Violations Takes Her Case to the Florida Supreme Court

Autumn Billings | 6.5.2025 3:05 PM

Nathan Fielder's 737 Stunt Involved Elaborate Workaround of Ridiculous 1,500-Hour Rule

Christian Britschgi | 6.5.2025 2:50 PM

Recommended

  • About
  • Browse Topics
  • Events
  • Staff
  • Jobs
  • Donate
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
  • Media
  • Shop
  • Amazon
Reason Facebook@reason on XReason InstagramReason TikTokReason YoutubeApple PodcastsReason on FlipboardReason RSS

© 2024 Reason Foundation | Accessibility | Privacy Policy | Terms Of Use

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

r

Do you care about free minds and free markets? Sign up to get the biggest stories from Reason in your inbox every afternoon.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

This modal will close in 10

Reason Plus

Special Offer!

  • Full digital edition access
  • No ads
  • Commenting privileges

Just $25 per year

Join Today!