I haven’t seen anything quite like it ever, that said, I’m willing to bet that the video below is going to leave you just as stunned, bedazzled (not in a good way) and just plain outraged that police officers can be this stupid, aggressive or just trigger happy.
Here’s the backdrop. According to one witness, Johnny Rodgriguez who was nearby when the whole thing went off, it all occured when a man walking with his pit bull, Star experienced a seizure on the side of the footpath. At that stage, Johnny and three other individuals alert nearby police officers that the owner of the dog (who by now is getting real agitated) is in danger of being hit by traffic.
As the responding officers came to the aid of the man, the dog began growling. Offers Johnny:
“I told one of the cops, ‘Hey, that dog is growling, be careful,’ because they were getting pretty close,” Rodriguez says. “I used to have a pit bull and that’s just how they are, they protect their owners.” Rodriguez thought that one woman had placed herself too closely behind the man as she was observing what was happening. “It grabbed her pants, but it didn’t bite her, then the dog starts running at the cop.”
That’s when the shit went down and the officers inexplicably start shooting at it and eventually striking it and from there the dog fell, writhing in pain. It was at this stage that the dog was also now maced (offers Doug Halsey, the director of Ready for Rescue, a non profit animal rescue group. “Pepper spray in no way would ever be effective in subduing a dog. I only see this as heightening the animal’s aggression. This was an ignorant and irresponsible approach on these officers’ part.”).
If you want to scream out of frustration, go for it (the people in the video who witnessed the shooting certainly didn’t hold back). Whatever happened to calm rational decision making, as opposed to the macho aggressive responses we’re so used to seeing from wanna be action hero police officers?
“It’s a tragedy, but I may have done the same thing that the cop did. If you got a pit bull coming at you, I don’t know if you stand there and get bit or use your gun,” Rodriguez says. “The dog was protecting the owner, that’s what it does.”
Star is still alive and remains in the care of the Animal Care & Control facility on East 110th Street. Attempts to locate Star’s owner have been unsuccessful so far. The Local East Village spoke to friends of the dog’s owner, who police identify as Lech Stankiewicz, and they said that Star has a history of being overprotective of Stankiewicz.
And then there was this comment that caught my attention too:
Everybody is crying and screaming about the pitbull dog that went after the Officer and got shot — but not one person attempts to help the *Human-Being* overdosing and dying on the sidewalk.
Go figure.
New Yorkers are just plain fucked in the head. But if I lived in a backasswards bizarro world cesspit of a Nanny-City/State long enough – I suppose it’s possible that I might be the same way too.
I’d like to think pepper spray would work just fine. They make it for bears.. works for that application and obviously, works on humans. More than likely if you spray a dog, they’ll run off.. just my guess.
I’m from China and this news is broadcast to our country. I just have one simple question. Is there any veterinarian or zoo in State? At least contacting a vet to anesthetize animal with proper gun is standard protocol in China.
Policeman is a very serious job, same as a brain surgery doctor, they can decide your live or death, and make huge and long impact to your family. If anything is out of expectation or in a sudden, that means he/she is not prepared for the job.
You American should to build a strong country with democracy and freedom, but not this scene in Syria.
I am a retired NYPD officer – by the time ESU would come the aided may have died – since no one knew the condition of the aided. Number one is to protect life – the life of a human. So realistically speaking – you actually are an idiot. Your latter statements of a court who determines whether or not the animal is dangerous – once again you’re wrong. Under the purview of the NYS CPL and the NYPD Patrol Guide – the officer conducted himself in the appropriate manner.
Sorry FU – Pepper Spray and Taser would agitate the animal who does not have the ability to reason. So you think that if pepper spray or a taser would be used, the dog would then comply with an order by the cop to stop attacking? Do you see how STUPID your comment sounds now?
What should have the cop done? Should he have allowed the dog to remain there attacking anyone that came near the aided on the ground? So if the aided dies due to the inability of a first responder getting in there due to the dog, and continued to bite anyone that got near that circle – you would agree that by the cop not taking action it was okay the person died? You’re full of it. Not only is this a clean shoot, and under the NYPD Patrol Guide and within the purview of NYS Criminal Procedure Law pertaining to the use of deadly physical force, the video substantiates the officers defense and just may have saved the life of the aided; who in the end was found to be a habitual drug user!
“Brutally”? You’re a joke! This is a good shoot. I hope you get mauled!
The only real idiot is you, because they are supposed to have special trained officers to come and deal with the dog, until they can reach the area they are not supposed to even be close enough to the dog as they were. If they felt like they were in danger they should have just moved. So the only idiot here is you if you don’t believe me look it up its in the statues under animal laws in dangerous dogs. Only a court can justify if the act of a dog was dangerous or harmful. The dog never ever bite anyone it only bite clothing. So you my friend are an ignorant FUCK who shouldn’t even be able to vote yet be a citizen of this country.
What i see is:The dog is watch and wait its owner to die , and reject anyone to save its owner .
that shiz is crazy, my wig almost fell off when i watched it. i hate scallywag but i read his site when i clean my wig
It called a taser, or pepper spray, not shooting the dog when it’s obviously frightened and is just doing what it thinks is right: protecting the owner.
The massive irony of your finally statement after the triple threat of overly simplistic assertions in your post is delicious.
The main post is woefully ignorant of how dangerous these dogs are. How easy it must be to be an armchair cop.
Maybe try having a modicum of journalistic integrity and actually do some research (I know, sooooo difficult right?) before you smear officers who put their ass on the line for your safety.
Here’s a post about five, yes five, officers in the UK who were mauled after being unable to subdue a Pitbull. They had to wait for an armed officer (only specialist police carry guns in the UK) to come and shoot the animal because it couldn’t be subdued.
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/03/22/pit-bull-type-dog-attacks-police-officers-five_n_1372452.html
You’re an idiot and that’s why your not a cop. I would of shot the dog twice.
If I was a cop and I had witnessed this, I WOULDN’t have shoot the animal. It’s definitely heartless. He could have used something other than a gun!
This country, especially new york, is out of fucking hand. You don’t shoot a dog like that, it is obvious it was protective of its owner who was in a bad spot. There are better ways to deal with that situation. Cop should be penalized.
“Everybody is crying and screaming about the pitbull dog that went
after the Officer and got shot — but not one person attempts to help the
*Human-Being* overdosing and dying on the sidewalk.”
1) Did the bystanders have medical degrees?
2) Did the asshole cops allow anyone to approach man or dog? Answer: No
3) Did the man get shot? Answer: No. That is why the crowd was outraged. The dog death was caused by the cops. You can’t get mad at cops or anyone because a man overdosed or had a seizure.
“New Yorkers are just plain fucked in the head. But if I lived in a
backasswards bizarro world cesspit of a Nanny-City/State long enough – I
suppose it’s possible that I might be the same way too.”
If you lived here, perhaps you’d understand nuance and not make over-simplistic assertions.