DogMurderers

http://www.examiner.com/article/maryland-family-awarded-compensation-police-shoot-dog-case

Maryland family awarded compensation in police shoot dog case

September 19, 2012
By: Penny Eims

A Montgomery County judge has awarded a Frederick, Md. family significant compensation for pain and suffering, in addition to veterinary costs, following a police versus dog shooting incident which took place in 2010.

According to Wednesday’s publication of the SF Gate, Roger and Sandi Jenkins of Frederick, Md. will receive $600,000 for pain and suffering, in addition to $7,500 for veterinary expenses which resulted when their Labrador retriever was shot by a Frederick County sheriff’s deputy in January, 2010.

Back in April, a jury had determined that the Jenkins should receive $620,000 in compensation. The judge had to reduce the veterinary expense compensation from $20,000 to $7,500 due to a cap set forth by Maryland state law.

The Jenkins’ dog, a chocolate Labrador retriever named “Brandi,” was shot by Deputy Timothy Brooks when he and another officer came to the Jenkins home to deliver a civil warrant to the couple’s son, who no longer lived at the residence.

Deputy Brooks shot Brandi after she bounded out from the Jenkins’ home. The shooting incident was captured on video.

The dog survived the shooting, but was grievously wounded.

When the Jenkins rushed their injured dog to a veterinarian for care, the deputies illegally entered their home.

After the jury’s initial verdict, lawyer Cary Hansel of Joseph, Greenwald & Laake in Greenbelt, Maryland and Rebekah D. Lusk of the Thienel Law Firm, stated:

“The verdict makes it clear that Maryland citizens will not tolerate the killing and maiming of innocent family pets by those in positions of power. The jury valiantly defended our constitutional rights to be secure from this violence on our property and to be safe in our own homes. This is a victory for the constitution and for all Maryland citizens.”

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I am human, if you see a typo, please let me know. Questions, comments or story ideas can be emailed to Eims1@live.com.

http://azdailysun.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/section/eyewitness-officer-used-baton-boot-on-injured-dog/article_607b82ee-f160-11e1-9215-001a4bcf887a.html

Eyewitness: Officer used baton, boot on injured dog

August 28, 2012 4:00 pm • By ERIC BETZ Sun staff reporter

A Flagstaff police officer repeatedly struck an injured Sunnyside dog with a baton and stomped its head with his boot, according to an eyewitness who watched the incident at about 2:30 a.m. on August 19.

Police officials say an officer hit the loose dog with his patrol car when the animal darted out from behind a parked vehicle. However, the methods that the officer’s supervisor used to euthanize the dog have since come under scrutiny, triggering parallel criminal and internal affairs investigations.

Police Chief Kevin Treadway confirmed that Corporal John Tewes had been placed on administrative leave the day after the incident after another police supervisor brought the incident to light.

The Sunnyside resident, who has been interviewed by police, asked to remain anonymous to avoid the public attention that would arise from being identified. She says she watched the entire incident from her window as the injured dog was spotlighted in the street.

The woman told the Daily Sun that she and her husband heard their own dogs howling at about 2:30 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 19, and saw flashing lights outside.

Her husband went outside and saw their neighbor’s dog had been hit by a car and was sprawled out in the street. The witness said the dog couldn’t walk and was bleeding from its eyes and nose.

When the husband tried to tell the officer that the dog belonged to his neighbor and pointed to the home, he was told to go back inside.

“OK, sir. We’ll take care of it. Just go back to your house,” the police told her husband, according to the witness

Police officials told the Daily Sun the following Friday, Aug. 24, that they were unaware who owned the dog.

The woman said that the officer who hit the dog waited in the street with the animal for about 10 minutes until the second officer, later confirmed as Cpl. Tewes, showed up on scene.

The pair waited for another 10 to 15 minutes before the officers apparently attempted to euthanize the dog without using a firearm.

Police officials have said the officers did not want to use their firearms for public safety reasons.

The woman said she watched the supervisor extend his baton and then strike the dog in the head. She says she had to turn her head and look away, but continued to hear the thumping as the metal club impacted its skull.

“I saw him extend the baton and he raised it up and he struck the dog in the forehead,” the witness said.

“You could just hear the dog and then the dog got quiet,” she added. The dog started yelping again when the officer returned several minutes later and poked at it with the baton, she says.

More time went by and the officer placed his boot on the dog’s head and stood on it, then stomped down, apparently attempting to crush its skull.

The officer waited several more moments and then hit it with a baton, according to the witness.

“I turned my head and said, ‘Oh my god, I can’t believe he just did that,” the witness said. “I don’t know what he was thinking.”

Eventually, the witness said she watched the officer grab the dog by a leg and drag it to the patrol car.

The couple assumed that the police department would have notified the dog owners and were nervous to talk to them about it all last week.

When the witness saw the story in the Daily Sun on Saturday, she approached police her neighbors.

The dog owner told the witness that she and her family spent all week trying to find their dog and eventually were asked to identify its body at the Coconino Humane Association. A police investigator came and told them what happened to their dog on Friday.

Police officials declined to confirm any details of the witness’ account, citing the ongoing investigation.

Soon after the investigations were launched, police officials learned that Tewes might have also separately made threats against his ex-wife. The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office is now investigating potential criminal charges for animal abuse and making threats.

Police officials told the Daily Sun last week that they would not elaborate on how the animal was killed, other than that a firearm was not used.

“This case is under both an administrative and criminal investigation,” Treadway said when asked today about the witness’ account. “A police officer or any other member of this community is entitled to due process and I’m prohibited by law from releasing information while this investigation is under way.”

However, Treadway says he’s personally been in contact with the dog owners and expressed the police department’s condolences.

“As the chief I want to assure the community that we are taking this situation very seriously and I will commit to … the community that once this investigation is complete we will share the entire investigation,” Treadway said.

http://www.examiner.com/article/sheriff-defends-deputy-who-responded-to-wrong-house-killed-tethered-dog

Sheriff defends deputy who responded to wrong house, killed tethered dog

Spartanburg County
August 30, 2012
By: Terese Seaberg

The Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office announced Thursday that it would not be pursuing disciplinary action against a deputy who fatally shot a tethered dog earlier this week.

Richard Woodruff was inside his Spartanburg, S.C. home Monday morning when he heard barking followed by a gunshot. The man rushed outside to check on his 8-year-old shepherd mix, Diamond, who had been playing out front while tethered to the porch railing.

“I ran outside and I see this guy standing over my dog holding a gun,” Woodruff told Channel 7 news. “‘I said, ‘Why did you shoot my dog?’ And his response to me was, ‘Sir, she tried to bite me.’ I said, ‘She tried to bite you? She can’t go any further to get you!’”

According to Woodruff, the dog was at the limit of her tether and could not advance any further when she was shot by plain-clothed deputy Eric Boutin. “All he had to do was take a couple of steps back and she could not have bitten him,” Woodruff said in the Channel 7 interview.

Woodruff also pointed out the “Beware of Dog” sign attached to an oak tree on his lawn. The man states that the deputy parked his car in front of the sign and then walked right past it.

Following Diamond’s shooting, Woodruff learned that the deputy had come to the property to serve child support papers on a man who did not live there. As a matter of fact, Woodruff says that he has lived in the home for five years and has no idea who the man is.

Spartanburg County Sheriff Chuck Wright has expressed remorse over the incident, but states that Deputy Boutin will not be punished for the shooting of Diamond. Wright justified the shooting by saying that there was a chance the tether could have slipped off which would have resulted in Boutin being bitten.

Diamond’s bereaved owner is not satisfied with the department’s response and does not believe that his tethered 35 pound dog posed a serious risk to the deputy. He plans on pursuing legal action against the department.

Father concerned after police shoot dog near son

http://www.wsvn.com/news/articles/local/21006799598266/father-concerned-after-police-shoot-dog-near-son/#ixzz1nYgAWZf4

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. (WSVN) — The family of a dog shot by police is glad their pet survived, but the father is concerned after officers opened fire so close to his son.

The Jones’ family dog “Baxter” is recovering but can barely move after being shot several times.

Friday night, Pembroke Pines Police were called out to the Jones’ house along Southwest 171st Terrace after reports that Baxter was on the loose.

Thirteen-year-old Cameron Jones witnessed everything as police arrived. “When I got outside they said get your dog or we are going to shoot him,” said Cameron. “They gave me two seconds and shot him six times.”

The family immediately rushed Baxter to an animal hospital. “It just felt like a movie, I was so traumatized. It didn’t feel right that they shot him six times,” said Cameron.

Paul Jones, Cameron’s father, says what worries him is that the entire incident happened in front of his teenager. “My biggest concern is that six shots were fired 17-feet from my son,” he said. “Only three landed in the dog. Did the officer have my son’s safety in mind?”

Police say Baxter bit one of the officer’s ankles, forcing them to fire. But a neighbor says that story is doubtful. “I said, ‘Show me the bite marks.’ He said, ‘Well I am not going to let a dog bite the officer and then shoot.’ I said, ‘OK well then you’re changing the story,’” said the neighbor.

Cameron says he is happy his dog survived.

Paul hopes other families do not have to go through this experience, especially young family members. “I want that this doesn’t happen to another family,” he said. “My son is traumatized.”

The Pembroke Pines Police Department said they do not have a comment at this time.