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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: 20206
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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#4. To: Deckard (#0)
Sounds like he was aggressive with that little dog down the street. And maybe with the cop, maybe not. 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.
More like "playful". And maybe with the cop, maybe not. Cops don't understand the difference between playful and aggressive.
#6. To: Deckard (#5)
Bullshit ...
Every dog owner always insists their dog is just being playful or was just "defending" themselves. 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.?
Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/LatestFitzgerald 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.
“The animal control officer felt in fear for his life,” the chief said.
#5. To: Tooconservative (#4)
Sounds like he was aggressive with that little dog down the street.
Replies to Comment # 5. Cops don't understand the difference between playful and aggressive.
#11. To: Deckard (#5)
More like "playful".
Cops don't understand the difference between playful and aggressive.
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