High Power wrote:I would disagree. It looked like the dog was poised to attack. When a dog, that is mostly black, comes at you from behind, in the dark, and is barking like that it is pretty unnerving.
It looks like the video exonerates the police officer. Whether or not the dog DID attack is irrelevant. It definitely looked like the dog WAS GOING to attack.
Also read the entire article. The officers responded to a 911 call from the mother stating that the husband put a gun to his mouth. Even though he was outside with his hands up when the officers arrived, the officers still have no idea what else is going on inside the house.
A violent dog that looks like it is going to attack is going to startle anyone. It was also big enough to cause some serious damage if it got its jaws on the officer.
If I were on the jury, I would vote for acquittal.
I'm not sure who it is that you disagree with, me or the people who decided to prosecute him. I never said or implied that I thought he wasn't
legally justified, or that I agree with the decision to charge him. I wasn't impressed with his shooting results, but apparently the flash and noise of the gun was
in this case enough to keep the cop from getting bit. The gun light could've been a factor in stopping the dogs potential attack also, IDK. Whether he would've hit the dog or not, I suppose a piece of a bullet could've still potentially fractured off the concrete floor and hit the girl anyway.
As far as the dog being poised to attack, it appeared that way to me also. Almost every dog that I've ever encountered
for the first time and that is barking at me appears
poised to attack including the large ugly one down the street that now keeps escorting me when I do exercise walks. (The neighbors must've forgotten to put new batteries in his shock collar.
) When I first encountered the dog I was startled, and thought I was going to have to either pepper spray or shoot him.
When A neighbor of mine once saw the dog walking alongside me he stopped his truck and rolled down the drivers side window. The dog's body tensed up, sat down a little like he was poised to attack, (like when he first saw me on the road) and growled. I told him to relax, it's okay, etc, and the dog calmed down like he was my dog or something.
In fact the neighbor said "Your dog is awfully protective of you."
Here are some still shots from the video. The next to the last is just before the moment of firing, and the last one is during the firing of the weapon at some point. (Not sure if shot 1 or 2)