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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: 20161
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 Fitzgerald’s 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 didn’t 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 Fitzgerald’s 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 neighbor’s small dog. “It’s how he plays,” Fitzgerald explained. Fitzgerald talked to the small dog’s owner, who said the smaller dog wasn’t 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 he’s going to bark because he’s 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, there’s 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, ‘I’m 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 Fitzgerald’s 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. He’d come up and nudge me or do something silly. He’d turn over on his back and give that little smile, you know, that dogs give. I’m 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. Of course he did - the frigging sadistic coward.
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Begin Trace Mode for Comment # 43.
#1. To: Gatlin, misterwhite, Justified, cop worshipers (#0)
How many bees or cows were a dire threat to cause physical Place verything in proper perspective….right, Deckard? Always remember that….at least try to.
At least two of the killed cops - as opposed to zero, zilch, nada, bupkis cops killed by dogs. This was a service dog - they are trained to be non-aggressive. 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.
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. Passing behavioral tests one day is “suppose” to be an “indication” of what a dog “might do” the next day. However, that test is not, and can never be, an absolute guarantee of what a dog “will do” the next day. As soon as I saw the source of the article you posted, photographyisnotacrime.com…a warning immediately flashed through my mind to indicate that I am looking at another ad-driven agenda site on the same level as The Free Thought Project. After checking further, I knew that I definitely was. So you must understand that I cannot give any credence to your source or accept what some “undocumented Journalist” [you like that….I just coined it] named, “Ben Keller, who resides in Austin, Texas [a bastion of liberalism], where much of his activism centers around government accountability. He thinks the public should have more access to court rooms. [What?] He volunteers for Peaceful Streets Project as well as other groups [protests] who shine light on government corruption. He has no degree and only “studied” [attended a few classes in] English Literature and Philosophy at the University of Texas at Austin.” Hey, Bubba….your Ben Keller is a Matt Agorist [of TFTP] on steroids. Here are just a few of his recent articles. Not only is he prolific, he also has a fetish for capitals….which you cannot help but notice. That definitely indicates to me that he is no journalist. According to The Daily Blaze Sport, there is just not any factual data for me to either condemn or support this action by the officers, and I will be damned and gone to Hell before I would ever “convict” them on hearsay from Ben Keller, who was nowhere near Augusta and simply took a story form the local newspaper and fabricated spin for his own agenda driven hit piece. You of course can do that, convict the officers. Wait, you have already done that. You are complete biased idiot. There has never been an ounce of objectivity in your mind….and there never will be. Pathetic …
I think these stories are very incomplete on this particular dog shooting. More heat than light.
More heat than light. I agree....there is no way to decide right or wrong from this article. I feel that I established that the author has an agenda.
I found another article that seems to be the original source of this article (and some other clickbaity cop-hater stories on other sites). DailyHaze: Augusta Kansas Police shoot and kill Veteran’s service dog “Midnite” then issue him two citations They include photos of the broken door and the dead dog outside. Interesting to see more details here that fill out the picture. Without such detailed reporting, we all just fill in details and make assumptions on our own. Augusta Police exonerate officer who killed a veteran’s service dog
Hmmm...not only are the cops in that town encouraged to shoot non-aggressive service dogs, but it's also a place that does not allow freedom of assembly. Sounds like a place Gatlin would enjoy living in. Augusta Police exonerate officer who killed a veteran’s service dog. Of course they did. He used the magic words "I feared for my life".
Hmmm...not only are the cops in that town encouraged to shoot non-aggressive service dogs, but it's also a place that does not allow freedom of assembly. Sounds like a place Gatlin would enjoy living in. Most all cities do. Sounds to me like a bunch of libertarian assholes feel they can do whatever they want to and say “f**k you” to the city and all ordinances. That is the way you libertarians operate….right? Of course it’s right …
Some folks who want to hold a candlelight vigil to show their support for a man whose dog was killed by a sadistic cop - all libertarians? You need to get some help for your obsession with all things libertarian. ...say “f**k you” to the city... The city (by exonerating the sadistic cop) has said "fuck you" to the residents there. There was no investigation, they didn't even talk to any of the witnesses. As we have seen time and time again, cops can use the magic words "I feared for my life" and be cleared of any crime. Shoot a 5 pound dachshund? "I feared for my life". Shoot a kid holding a wii controller? "I feared for my life". Same shit, different day.
I called them libertarians because they feel they are above the law and don’t need a permit to demonstrate. That’s the libertarian creed….”fuck the law.”
The Supreme Court has held that it is constitutionally permissible that local governments require a permit to conduct a peaceful assembly. However, Augusta city officials are pushing that rule more than they should be. A permit is typically required if it is going to be a march or parade that does not stay on the sidewalk and other events that require blocking traffic or street closure, a large rally requiring the use of sound amplifying devices; or a rally at certain designated parks or plazas. The vigil for Midnite does not meet any of those basic guidelines. The City of Augusta was said to have stated they would not issue a permit for Midnite’s vigil. This alone is a problem. The Supreme Court has made it very clear that Government officials cannot prohibit a public assembly in their own discretion. While some permits can take weeks to obtain, the First Amendment prohibits such an advance notice requirement from being used to prevent rallies or demonstrations that are rapid responses to unforeseeable and recent events.
#49. To: Deckard (#43)
Suppose the dog owner had shot the cop. You think the city would have insisted that any candle vigils would have to have a permit or they would get ticketed? I don't. Seems kinda chickenshit to pull that permit business. Obviously, the city didn't want to get any more heat for this doggie shooting.
Yep, and the SCOTUS did not say that the City of Augusta could not pass an ordinance to require a permit for a public demonstration to assemble. Check it out….numerous cities have an ordinance requiring a permit and it has never been challenged in the SCOTUS. Another futile effort at spinning on your part….give it up.
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#2. To: Deckard (#1)
harm to police officers on duty over the past 50 years?
#7. To: Gatlin (#2)
How many bees or cows were a dire threat to cause physical harm to police officers on duty over the past 50 years?
#10. To: Deckard (#7)
(Edited)
This was a service dog - they are trained to be non-aggressive.
I don’t care what a dog was “trained” to do, I care what a dog did….as you should also.
Do you kinda get the theme of what Ben is all about and what his motives are. If not, then you are more stupid than I ever thought. Multiple neighbors who witnessed the shooting claim to have seen Officer Devon Keith enter Fitzgerald’s home, without permission, at which point he got into a confrontation with Midnite.
Maybe there is a way, but I fail to understand “multiple” how neighbors could have have seen this without being on the front porch with the police officer and the animal control officer. How did that know the Fitzgerald did not call from the back his home for the officers to come in? They did not. Neither Fitzgerald or his mother were in the front of the residence when the shooting happened. Multiple witnesses say they saw Keith kick Midnite multiple times before finally shooting the German Sheperd.
Fitzgerald and his mother could not possibly have know what happened since they were in the back of the house and saw nothing of the incident.
#12. To: Gatlin (#10)
#14. To: Tooconservative (#12)
I think these stories are very incomplete on this particular dog shooting.
#17. To: Gatlin, Deckard (#14)
(Edited)
More stories from the same source:
#30. To: Tooconservative, Gatlin, hondo68 (#17)
City of Augusta says arrests will be made for those who attend a candlelit vigil for a veteran’s service dog that was shot by an Augusta police officer last week
#35. To: Deckard (#30)
City of Augusta says arrests will be made for those who attend a candlelit vigil for a veteran’s service dog that was shot by an Augusta police officer last week
Nah, the city of Augusta requires an ordinance for a demonstration.
#40. To: Gatlin (#35)
(Edited)
Sounds to me like a bunch of libertarian assholes
#42. To: Deckard (#40)
#43. To: Gatlin (#42)
I called them libertarians because they feel they are above the law and don’t need a permit to demonstrate.
Replies to Comment # 43. The City of Augusta was said to have stated they would not issue a permit for Midnite’s vigil. This alone is a problem. The Supreme Court has made it very clear that Government officials cannot prohibit a public assembly in their own discretion.
#51. To: Deckard (#43)
The City of Augusta was said to have stated they would not issue a permit for Midnite’s vigil. This alone is a problem. The Supreme Court has made it very clear that Government officials cannot prohibit a public assembly in their own discretion.
End Trace Mode for Comment # 43.
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