Title: Kansas Cop Kills Army Veteran’s Service Dog, then Issues him Two Citations Source:
Photography Is Not a Crime URL Source:https://photographyisnotacrime.com/ ... 0Army%20Veteran%27s%20Service% Published:Apr 18, 2017 Author:Ben Keller Post Date:2017-04-19 10:51:28 by Deckard Keywords:None Views:15776 Comments:131
A Kansas cop shot and killed the service dog of an army veteran who suffers from PTSD on Thursday, according to the Daily Haze.
Augusta police officer Devon Keith says he was forced to shoot Alan Fitzgeralds dog Midnite claiming the dog charged an animal control officer after ramming a door until it opened making the animal control officer fear for his life.
But Fitzgerald said his dog didnt do anything wrong and officer Keith shot him for no reason.
Alan Fitzgerald and his service dog, Midnite, before a cop shot and killed it.
Neighbors who witnessed the shooting said the animal control officer was the one who opened the door and began acting aggressively towards the dog before shooting it.
Augusta police, along with animal control, showed up at Fitzgeralds house Thursday afternoon after a neighbor called to complain about a German Shepard.
Fitzgerald said Midnite got out on Thursday, presumably chasing rabbits and cats as he often did. Midnite ended up several mobile homes down from his home, hovering over a neighbors small dog.
Its how he plays, Fitzgerald explained.
Fitzgerald talked to the small dogs owner, who said the smaller dog wasnt hurt, just shaken up from Midnite towering over it.
Things settled and Fitzgerald returned home and was in the shower when he heard Midnite bark and then gunshots.
All of a sudden, I heard this pound pound pound on the screen door, Fitzgerald recalled.
And I heard Midnite barking, obviously hes going to bark because hes guarding the house. All of a sudden then I heard shots fired and I heard my dog screaming in agony.
Fitzgerald came out to see what was going on only to have a gun pointed at him inside of his own house.
I got halfway out the door, and about right here where this crack is, theres an officer standing with his gun pointed at me. I said what are you guys doing here, why did you kill my dog? he said, Get on the ground, I said, Im not gonna get on the ground so I went inside and slammed the door, he told KSN.
August Police Chief Tyler Brewer defended officer Keith.
The animal control officer felt in fear for his life, the chief said.
These officers feel horrible for having to do that.
According to chief Brewer, when the animal control officer knocked on the door, Midnite answered.
The front door was open but the glass screen door was shut, Brewer explained. The dog rushed and hit the glass of the screen door and startled the animal control officer.
Officer Keith was forced to shoot Midnite when the animal control officer fell off the porch, hitting his head, trying to bite the officer, according to Brewer.
Midnite
But Fitzgeralds neighbor Charmin Drake says the dog got out because the animal control officer actually opened the door, not Midnite, then entered without a warrant and began kicking and even hitting Midnite with a baton.
After beating the dog, officers went outside and shot Midnite. Then they issued Fitzgerald two citations for having a vicious animal.
Fitzgerald rescued Midnight in 2015 and obtained an ADA service dog certificate, which required the dog to pass behavioral tests without showing signs of aggression, and said he had Midnite for his PTSD.
Whenever I was having some sort of episode of oncoming anxiety, he knew what to do. Hed come up and nudge me or do something silly. Hed turn over on his back and give that little smile, you know, that dogs give. Im just going to miss all of that.
Check out the Daily Haze interview with Alan Fitzgerald below.
Poster Comment:
The animal control officer felt in fear for his life, the chief said.
Fitzgerald rescued Midnight in 2015 and obtained an ADA service dog certificate, which required the dog to pass behavioral tests without showing signs of aggression, and said he had Midnite for his PTSD.
Sounds like he was aggressive with that little dog down the street. And maybe with the cop, maybe not.
The animal control officer felt in fear for his life, the chief said.
If an animal control officer can't actually control the most common animal species subject to local laws, what good is he?
If he thought the dog was hostile, he should have been prepared to take it into custody. Unless their policy is just to have a cop shoot any dog that makes them nervous.
If they had to open the door to shoot the dog or they shot it through the door, that seems very unsafe and unlawful. It sounds like the dog just ran over and jumped up on the glass door to look them over.
Every dog owner always insists their dog is just being playful or was just "defending" themselves.
Cops don't understand the difference between playful and aggressive.
That's very weak as an argument.
The better question is why the cops shot the dog through the door when it was not posing a threat to anyone. Why couldn't they wait for the owner to get out of the shower, etc.?
The better question is why the cops shot the dog through the door when it was not posing a threat to anyone. Why couldn't they wait for the owner to get out of the shower, etc.?
An even better question is how do you know the cops shot the dog through the door when it was not posing a threat to anyone?
It was reported in the local newspaper that: Neither Fitzgerald or his mother were in the front of the residence when the shooting happened. And it was also reported: Multiple neighbors who witnessed the shooting claim to have seen Officer Devon Keith enter Fitzgeralds home, without permission.
So was the dog inside the house or maybe outside .were the cops inside the house or outside .did the cops shoot the dog through the door .or not.