Another pit bull shot by police in D.C.
Blue
A Washington D.C. resident says one of several police officers chasing a man on a bicycle shot her dog twice without provocation.
Blue, a three-year-old male pit bull, was shot in the shoulder and hip.
“This is wrong. This is animal cruelty, this is excessive”, his owner, Tiffany Reynolds, told ABC7.
Last week’s shooting comes nearly a year after a pit bull mix was pushed or thrown into a stairwell by a D.C. police officer trying to break up an altercation between dogs during a street festival. The officer said the dog was charging toward him when he fatally shot him.
Parrot
That dog, named Parrot, was being fostered while awaiting adoption through Lucky Dog Animal Rescue.
In last week’s incident, Reynolds said an officer came up an alley, near the 900 Block of Crittenden Street, NW. His gun was drawn, and he told her to grab her dog, who wasn’t on a leash.
She said she was reaching for her dog when the officer fired what neighbors say was five shots: “As I’m grabbing him,” she said. “The officer could’ve shot me. I’m grabbing toward toward the dog and he’s shooting my dog.”
Thursday night, an police spokesman confirmed that an officer did fire his weapon, that a dog was shot, and that an internal investigation is underway.
Blue ran off, and was discovered by a neighbor several blocks away. He was treated at an animal clinic and is expected to survive.
Reynolds was issued a citation and faces a $100 fine for not having her dog on a leash.
Posted by jwoestendiek September 6th, 2011 under Muttsblog.
Tags: animals, blue, dc, dog, dogs, investigation, lucky dog animal rescue, mpd, officer, parrot, pets, pit bull, pitbull, police, shoot, shooting, shot, tiffany reynolds, washington
Comments
Comment from vida
Time September 6, 2011 at 5:51 pm
This has become so common, this kind of blatant cruelty by police toward both people and dogs. There has got to be some accountability for the police, you’d hope the more reasonable, honorable police would demand it, if nothing else. It gives them all a bad name.
Comment from Betty
Time September 6, 2011 at 7:47 pm
IT WAS A PITBULL THAT ALL IT TAKE EVEN IN THE LAW
Comment from Sean
Time September 8, 2011 at 10:59 am
My take is I’m a dog lover but as a owner of a dog you need to do the proper things especially with a pitbull. If a pitbull is loose and it runs towards you 80 percent of people are going to run hop on a car to avoid getting bit. Police are not taught run but engage so if a pitbull charges them they are going get shot so owners of dogs keep you dog on a leash.
Comment from smoketoomuch
Time September 8, 2011 at 3:55 pm
@Betty – Assuming that I understand what you have written above (which isn’t easy by the way), are you really telling us that it’s legal for the DC police to shoot “pit bulls” on sight just because the ARE pit bulls?
If so, please site the specific legislation.
If, on the other hand, you are merely expressing an opinion, may I suggest that you visit this page: http://www.dontbullymybreed.com
It’s just possible that you might learn a few things.
Comment from brian
Time September 8, 2011 at 10:56 pm
Lease your dogs people idiots!
Comment from smoketoomuch
Time September 20, 2011 at 8:57 am
@Brian
WHo’d want to rent a dog?? But you’re right people ARE idiots, at least some people are, anyway.
However, not all dogs require being Leashed. there are those who know how to behave among people without being tethered to their human, BUT regardless, not being leashed is (or at least, should not be) grounds for being shot by the police, especially in such close proximity to human citizens. That “officer” should have been fired at the very lest, and probably charged with a crime as well.
Comment from nancy
Time November 1, 2011 at 7:24 pm
This officer should be tried for murder. I’m sick of people thinking that just because it’s a pit bull that it is dangerous. That isn’t the case as many pit bull owners will attest to. Of course people with the bent to distrust don’t believe anything an owner says. What happened to the German Shepherds, the Rottwilers, the Doberman Pinchers? They use to be considered super dangerous and now, miraculously they are gentle giants
Comment from Gary
Time September 6, 2011 at 11:37 am
Hey we as individuals have encounters with dogs all the time. Think of the meter readers, the termite inspectors etc. I haven’t heard of them getting into any dog altercations, they should put the pig on a lease and what is the difference in him carrying a gun as the ones I mentioned above.