Cop vs. Dog
Unfortunately, part of a continuing series.
- D.C. police shoot and kill a dog during the middle of a street fair in the Adams Morgan neighborhood. Click through the links for detailed coverage from the DCist.
- Chicago Blue Island, Illinois police unilaterally decide to euthanize a sick 14-year-old dog with a bullet to the head. A neighbor had told the officer who found the dog where to find its owners, but the information apparently wasn't passed on when that officer was called away.
- Lexington, Kentucky police officer enters private, fenced-in yard with a posted "Beware of Dog" sign while pursuing a teen who fled from a nearby trailer park. The teen didn't live at the residence. The family dog defended its territory from an intruder, so the cop shot it.
Lexington police spokeswoman Sherelle Roberts said officer Greenleaf acted appropriately and, according to preliminary information, did not violate any policy.
"Neither the dog nor the officer did anything wrong. They both did what they had to do," Roberts said.
"The dog was protecting its property and the officer was protecting his safety." Roberts said Greenleaf "had a legal right to be there because he was pursuing a suspect."
My take on why police officers need more training in how to deal with dogs here.
MORE: Via the comments, here's another one from this weekend in St. Petersburg, Florida.
