Shooting Star: NYC police fire away at pit bull; Could this have been handled differently?

This video — and we warn that you might not want to watch it — shows New York City police shooting a pit bull that was seemingly trying to protect her owner, who was in the midst of a seizure.

It was an act that enraged many onlookers when it happened — on Aug. 13 –  and many more in the week since the video was posted on the Internet.

Most early reports about the incident were sketchy, and the facts — even 10 days later — still don’t seem to have fully come out. Other than these:

Lech Stankiewicz apparently suffered a seizure and ended up halfway on the sidewalk, halfway on the street. His dog Star stood by him.

As can be seen at the beginning of the video, a female bystander, apparently wanting to offer some assistance to the man, gets too close and is chased off by the dog. The dog then turns around and runs toward a police officer — one of at least two on the scene by then, both of whom had their guns drawn.

The first officer shoots the dog, and it appears the second one fires as well, leaving Star whimpering and writhing on the street.

The nine long minutes that follow are almost equally disturbing. No one goes to the aid of the dog, no one goes to the aid of the man, and police, whose numbers have swelled by then, seem concerned only with crowd control as both man and dog lay in the street.

Some websites were quick to report that Star had been “murdered” by police — like this outraged account on Gather.com – but she’s still alive.

Star was taken to Animal Care and Control (ACC) of NYC, but that organization saw fit, at least initially, to release no information.

The Lexus Project, which provides legal defense for dogs it thinks are being treated unfairly and is looking into the case, released a statement, but it didn’t say much either:

“We know that so many of you are concerned, worried and outraged about Star. This is an update and although I know you want more but please respect this is all we are permitted to say at this time. Star is very much alive and receiving medical care and holding her own. We will update as soon as we are permitted to. Thank you for your support and understanding.”

The video appeared on the Gothamist website and subsequently has been shown on many others.

Not to jump to too large a conclusion, but watching the video — and the inaction of authorities, other than shooting Star — suggests to me that police may need more  training for dealing with dogs, not to mention dealing with epileptic seizures.

Posted by jwoestendiek August 23rd, 2012 under Muttsblog, videos.
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Comments

Comment from Jonathan gilbert
Time August 23, 2012 at 9:28 am

First, I am a pit bull lover and found this very troubling. I can understand the shooting, not the lack of action for the man having the seizure and the writhing dog.

Comment from Amber
Time August 23, 2012 at 11:47 am

What an awful video. Dogs are extremely sensitive animals, it does not surprise me at all that she is trying to protect her owner while he is seizing. As far as she’s concerned, something is hurting him! The bystander that approached is understandable, but so is the dog’s reaction, and she did not touch the bystander. So why, when she charged the officer, did he shoot her? Clearly Star wasn’t going to make contact, she just wanted to keep people away from her owner. If this was a little chihuahua charging, would he have been shot? A greyhound? A standard poodle? Likely not.

I’m glad the dog and her person are all right, but those officers NEED more training on how to deal with injured or ill people AND their companions.

Comment from Raquel
Time August 23, 2012 at 1:04 pm

I don’t think Star is still alive. I believe that because of the publicity and evidence in this case, the truth is going to be concealed to us for obvious reasons. It is so sad and a shame that we are being manipulated and deceived by the media and the people who think they are in control. We are going from bad to worst in this country, there is no justice to the innocent. Despite so much freedom, people’s hands are tied today, more than in the past.

Comment from smoketoomuch
Time August 23, 2012 at 1:27 pm

Another cop coolly shoots another dog… Apparently, these clowns do not read the news. And as if the shooting of an innocent animal isn’t horrendous enough, the big bad self-important policemen, are so busy trying to shoo the witnesses away from a public street corner that they completely ignore both the seized man and his bleeding/dying pet. I hope he sues all of their asses for everything he can get! Come on cops, get with the program and stop automatically using lethal force against dogs as a knee-jerk reaction to their natural instincts. How many more of these incidents must there be before someone does something to put an end to it???!!

Comment from CHRIS
Time August 23, 2012 at 4:37 pm

The police should lose their jobs, if they cant do their jobs. “To protect and Serve” they dont do a very good job, and because they are officers of the law they tend to get away with everything, we need to start cracking down on our govt and police, instead of them cracking down on us!!!

Comment from PitiOwner
Time August 23, 2012 at 10:08 pm

The OFFICER approached a barking dog who was protecting his master. STUPID! If the officer didn’t apprach the dog, the dog would not have run towards the officer. Never did the dog jump up to bite the officer. This police department is a shame. They didn’t help Star or Lech, the owner, while they were both lying in the street. They let them lay there like trash. SHAME ON NYPD

Comment from Nunya
Time August 24, 2012 at 12:10 pm

DISGUSTING. There was NO REASON for this. Phucking cops

Comment from Julie Stack
Time August 24, 2012 at 10:41 pm

These officers are a disgrace and should be fired. They just simply shoot because it is the easiest thing to do . This dog did not attack the officers, it went up to the officer, but was not attacking anybody. Clearly these officers are not interested in listening to anything about handling dogs, they just want to kill any dog they come in contact with in their path.

Comment from GrayWolf
Time August 31, 2012 at 11:53 pm

I am a huge animal lover and my favorite breed is the pit bull, but that do DID charge the officer. I really don’t think they had any choice. I feel at least ONE of the cops should have tended to the guy on the ground, though.

Comment from tracie green
Time September 17, 2012 at 10:15 am

why are all cops trigger happy, why was the poor bloke who had the seizure, left with no medical attention, when it clearly shows in the video, after the poor dog was shoot, and the police were in no danger, they still left the poor bloke on the sidewalk, first of all all trigger happy cops need better training to deal with this with out there frigging guns and how to deal with the public, they are disgusting, they all need to be sacked, as not one of them had any ounce of compassion to the dog or the owner, they call them selves public servants to serve and protect, what a frigging joke, get real and sack all involved as they are not doing their jobs properly…..

Comment from Pits Need to die
Time January 8, 2013 at 5:31 am

I liked that the pit suffered so it knew how its victims felt, that said they should of eventually finished the dog off. It sickens me that this dog is still alive. I barely have money to get my dogs checked out each year and this monster gets free vet care? why because it attacked multiple people?

This beast was owned by a homeless 22yr old wanted felon. The homeless man was passed out from DRUGS. A fellow
homeless person went to help and was bitten by the dog. This dog put another friend in the hospital 6/19/12. The dog was seized and a rescue reunited the dog with its dead beat owner. Friend of dog said “The dog has bitten multiple people that we? know just because they were near him while he was sleeping.”

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