Trigger happy cop kills family dog at false alarm call
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Some might recognize part of my headline from an old joke... Something about a fine northern gentleman visiting the south who kills a family pet... the local news paper screams something like "Yankee kills family pet" (The point of the joke being a sarcastic look at newspaper sensationalism).
Anyway, today's Washington Post print edition had the below linked article in it that describes a case where an officer may have acted far too hastily. Unfortunately because of the death of the family pet, the family, who lives in a well known upper class neighborhood (which largely explains why they had a burglar alarm that was going off and caused the police to be there to begin with) will likely wind up suing the police department for a sizable amount of money, and depending upon the makeup of the jury (or the desire of the department to settle out of court quickly and avoid further embarrassment) will likely win plenty.
As an animal lover myself, I hate to hear that someone's beloved pet loses its life too early, but a reasonable person should be able to see that the officers were most likely defending themselves, or at least felt that they were doing so. Still, this is "America" (The U.S. of friggin' A.) and one thing 'mericans do well is sue.
Meanwhile, I do agree with the homeowner in her assertion that the shooting was probably a bit dangerous and that others in the neighborhood could have been injured -- including the homeowner. The funny thing is, though D.C. is still near the top for gun crime statistics, the only people in D.C. permitted to have guns are COPS. Police Officers. Ordinary citizenry isn't permitted to have guns, thanks to D.C. finding ways to ignore the constitution and the god given right to keep and bear arms that it includes.
Anyway, here's the story. Headline is linked. Comments welcome (as always).
'I Loved Peach Like She Was My Child'
D.C. Owners Weigh Legal Options After Police Fatally Shoot Dog
By Del Quentin Wilber
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, August 22, 2005; Page B01
The two police officers who had answered the burglar alarm were crouched in Palmer Graham's driveway, aiming their pistols at her barking dog. "She's friendly," an alarmed Graham yelled as she stood just a few feet from the officers and her dog, Peach. "She won't hurt you!"
One officer screamed that the animal was attacking them, and the other ordered Graham to get control of the Weimaraner, Graham said. But she was too frightened to step between Peach and the armed officers. A shot rang out. The female dog was struck in the face and died later at an animal hospital, Graham said, describing the Aug. 10 incident outside her Foxhall home in Northwest Washington.
Graham and her husband, Barry, said they are considering legal action and plan to file a complaint over the shooting. They said officers never should have opened fire in their neighborhood because they risked hitting Graham or even a child on a nearby playground.
"This could have been a bigger tragedy," Palmer Graham said. "I think this was wrong. I could have been killed if the bullet could have bounced off something and hit me. They never backed off toward their patrol cars, which were only about 15 or 20 feet away."
Police officials said they are investigating the shooting and identified the officer who fired as Arvette D. Parry, a 15-year department member. Parry did not respond to messages left at the 2nd Police District office. The other officer was identified as William J. Peterson, who joined the force in 2000.
Cmdr. Robert Contee of the 2nd District said: "The officer was in reasonable fear that she was being attacked by the dog. . . . She took the action to defend herself."
Police shootings of dogs in the District are rare, especially in Northwest. Last year, 10 dogs were shot at by police, records show. All were pit bulls, a breed with a reputation for aggressive behavior. None was in the 2nd District.
The Grahams moved to Washington in 1979 and have lived in the Foxhall neighborhood since 1988. Barry Graham is an intellectual property lawyer, and his wife is a former editor and writer for an interior design magazine. They bought their first Weimaraner 11 years ago. Worried that the dog, Georgie, was getting old, the Grahams bought Peach in 2001.
The Grahams said they viewed the dogs as family members.
... more at linked article
Anyway, today's Washington Post print edition had the below linked article in it that describes a case where an officer may have acted far too hastily. Unfortunately because of the death of the family pet, the family, who lives in a well known upper class neighborhood (which largely explains why they had a burglar alarm that was going off and caused the police to be there to begin with) will likely wind up suing the police department for a sizable amount of money, and depending upon the makeup of the jury (or the desire of the department to settle out of court quickly and avoid further embarrassment) will likely win plenty.
As an animal lover myself, I hate to hear that someone's beloved pet loses its life too early, but a reasonable person should be able to see that the officers were most likely defending themselves, or at least felt that they were doing so. Still, this is "America" (The U.S. of friggin' A.) and one thing 'mericans do well is sue.
Meanwhile, I do agree with the homeowner in her assertion that the shooting was probably a bit dangerous and that others in the neighborhood could have been injured -- including the homeowner. The funny thing is, though D.C. is still near the top for gun crime statistics, the only people in D.C. permitted to have guns are COPS. Police Officers. Ordinary citizenry isn't permitted to have guns, thanks to D.C. finding ways to ignore the constitution and the god given right to keep and bear arms that it includes.
Anyway, here's the story. Headline is linked. Comments welcome (as always).
'I Loved Peach Like She Was My Child'
D.C. Owners Weigh Legal Options After Police Fatally Shoot Dog
By Del Quentin Wilber
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, August 22, 2005; Page B01
The two police officers who had answered the burglar alarm were crouched in Palmer Graham's driveway, aiming their pistols at her barking dog. "She's friendly," an alarmed Graham yelled as she stood just a few feet from the officers and her dog, Peach. "She won't hurt you!"
One officer screamed that the animal was attacking them, and the other ordered Graham to get control of the Weimaraner, Graham said. But she was too frightened to step between Peach and the armed officers. A shot rang out. The female dog was struck in the face and died later at an animal hospital, Graham said, describing the Aug. 10 incident outside her Foxhall home in Northwest Washington.
Graham and her husband, Barry, said they are considering legal action and plan to file a complaint over the shooting. They said officers never should have opened fire in their neighborhood because they risked hitting Graham or even a child on a nearby playground.
"This could have been a bigger tragedy," Palmer Graham said. "I think this was wrong. I could have been killed if the bullet could have bounced off something and hit me. They never backed off toward their patrol cars, which were only about 15 or 20 feet away."
Police officials said they are investigating the shooting and identified the officer who fired as Arvette D. Parry, a 15-year department member. Parry did not respond to messages left at the 2nd Police District office. The other officer was identified as William J. Peterson, who joined the force in 2000.
Cmdr. Robert Contee of the 2nd District said: "The officer was in reasonable fear that she was being attacked by the dog. . . . She took the action to defend herself."
Police shootings of dogs in the District are rare, especially in Northwest. Last year, 10 dogs were shot at by police, records show. All were pit bulls, a breed with a reputation for aggressive behavior. None was in the 2nd District.
The Grahams moved to Washington in 1979 and have lived in the Foxhall neighborhood since 1988. Barry Graham is an intellectual property lawyer, and his wife is a former editor and writer for an interior design magazine. They bought their first Weimaraner 11 years ago. Worried that the dog, Georgie, was getting old, the Grahams bought Peach in 2001.
The Grahams said they viewed the dogs as family members.
... more at linked article
