Dog Dies During Traffic Stop

I just wondered what anybody thinks of this story.

Even though I know it's wrong, I probably wouldn't have stopped. I'd rather risk the ticket to save my dog's life. I can imagine myself as a crazed lunatic and thinking of only my dog's safety.

What the officer said to him is the most insensitive and rudest comment I've ever heard.


Officer "Insensitive" as Dog Dies During Traffic Stop
KTLA News

August 19, 2008, 7:43 AM PDT

AUSTIN, Texas -- A San Marcos police officer has been reprimanded for his actions during a traffic stop where a dog died.

Officer Paul Stephens recently pulled over a speeding SUV, which was apparently going up to 100 miles per hour. Dash camera video shows a frantic man get of the driver's seat and tell the officer that his dog is choking to death in the back seat. He said they were trying to get the animal to a veterinarian for emergency care.

Officer Stephens is heard telling the man, "It's just a dog, you can get another one."

He's also heard asking the man "what are you on, man?". When he answers, "I'm bipolar", the officer responds, "I can tell. You need to calm down, sir."

Officer Stephens then asks for the man's driver's license and proceeds to write him a speeding ticket.

The dog died in the back seat.

The man says he can understand why he was pulled over for speeding, but adds that the officer was insensitive and never apologized.

Officer Stephens was reprimanded for his actions but was not suspended.

That really stinks. I can't imagine what kind of person , cop or no cop, would let a dog die . He could have escorted the owner to the vet clinic and given him the ticket once the dog got help if he felt it was so justified. Wonder what that cop would have done if a woman was in the back seat in labour?

I agree. What if it were his child? The victim's dog is his child. I just watched the video of the incident but I don't know how to link it here. It's very disturbing to me to listen to the way the officer is treating this poor guy who obviosly loves his dog very much.

I too probably wouldn´t stop...

and if I did stopped to explain the situation and go tthat for an answer... I would´ve just take off.... "it´s just a ticket, you can give it to me later"......

I soooo want to smack that guy.....poor dog and so sorry for his owner

:mad:

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Originally Posted by shepgirl

He could have escorted the owner to the vet clinic and given him the ticket once the dog got help if he felt it was so justified.

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I agree with this 100%, but I wouldn't have stopped in the first place. That cop would have had to deal with the matter AFTER I got to the vet clinic! What an insensitive jerk - he needs his backside kicked and I imagine that there would be a whole lot of people willing to stand in line to do just that. I was outraged when I first heard this story. Those poor people and that poor little dog - how unnnecessary that this had to happen!:mad:

:( OMG thats so sad.. I prob would have just kept driving.. Poor wittle puppy.. RIP baby & may the RB Angels have taken you up to RB.. Now for that sorry piece of shith officer.. Lets put him in a back seat chocking & say its just another officer..

Uhh I don't know what I would have done in a situation like that. I think I may have been in panic mode that I probally would not have stopped at all or I would call 911 and tell the operater why I am not stopping.

The police officer was soo rude, when my grandfather was a police officer I know for a fact my grandpa would allow him to go ahead.

Such a sad story. :( RIP Doggie I know my grandpa has welcomed you at the bridge.

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Originally Posted by Flatcoatluver

Uhh I don't know what I would have done in a situation like that. I think I may have been in panic mode that I probally would not have stopped at all or I would call 911 and tell the operater why I am not stopping.

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Exactly what I was thinking. I think I would have called 911 or dispatch and told them why I wasn't stopping. But then I am sitting here at my desk, not in a panic mode, so who knows. Even if I did stop, I would have expected the officer to help me not ask me what I am on. :mad:

OMG! I watched the video. Here is the link.

That officer is an a$$. I was in tears watching it. The officer even says "I don't give a damn about your dog". He said something about it better have been a child dying, not a dog.

I mean, I can see what the officer means about the man putting other drivers lives in danger with speeding. But to be so insensitive about the dog. :mad: Then at the end he says "I'm going to let you slide because I am a little sympathetic. And I understand you felt it was an emergency".

Also you can hear a female voice in the car screaming and crying. I would have been a raging lunatic if it had been me. He probably would have had to take me to jail.

RIP poor doggie. :(

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Originally Posted by Ginger's Mom

I think I would have called 911 or dispatch and told them why I wasn't stopping.

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That would have been the best thing to do, but I heard that the guy that was driving was already on his cell phone talking with a vet at the clinic.

Thanks for posting that link, Cindy. ABC has another video with Elizabeth Vargas talking to the couple. They show alot of pictures of the little doggie. It's so sad. If anybody wants to see that, I Googled, "Dog dies during traffic stop", and, it came up. Sorry I can't link it here. I tried everything and nothing worked.
There is a place on the ABC site where you can make comments. I put one there. They have over 1300 comments to the story. It's pretty interesting.

Here is the ABC link. What a cute doggie. :(

RIP Missy

Thanks again Cindy. I was reading through the comments and a couple of them made me mad so I typed out another huge comment. Something happened and I lost it. Maybe I'll feel like doing it again or maybe I should be quiet. It was a comment to the poster called, Realitycheck. I think most of the comments are in favor of the couple and the doggie. However, some people are getting it all wrong and moving off the topic and point.

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Originally Posted by shepgirl

That really stinks. I can't imagine what kind of person , cop or no cop, would let a dog die . He could have escorted the owner to the vet clinic and given him the ticket once the dog got help if he felt it was so justified. Wonder what that cop would have done if a woman was in the back seat in labour?

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I agree

You know I asked my husband this when i was pregnant. what would he do if we were on the way to the hospital and he got caught for speeding... would he keep driving or stop.

he said that he would stop and tell the cop I was in labor and ask for an escort... if the cop refused he would drive away and face the consequences later.

TOTALLY insensitive. I cannot believe a cop would do this. Isn't this in some way against animal cruelty laws? Don't they promote getting an animal vet attention when it is needed? seems that it was this cops job to ensure that happened and then deal with the owner.

I would have gladly paid double the ticket price to get my pet to the vet.

Apparently he didn't stop right away and other units were called in. The vet was approx. 8 to 10 miles from their home. Not sure how far from home they were.
AND, there was only a little over 2 min of video, but they said they were there for 20 minutes. Why does it take 20 minutes to give a speeding ticket?? I've had a few in my time and they didn't take 20 flippin' minutes.

I just can't believe poor Missy died in her mom's lap. :( And the girl said another cop was at her door saying "the dog is already dead" when she was still alive (barely).

Since there were other units there, if I were the second person in the car I would have asked another officer to take me and the dog to the ER vet. I would have left the driver there to deal with the a-hole officer. Sorry Honey, but I'm going to save our dog.

I'm not sure if I would have stopped or not. When Maxie had a stroke last year at 2am, I drove 100mph in the middle of a snowstorm. There were not that many cars on the road. To be honest, I was more worried about Maxie and the only thing I thought of hitting was a deer or something. I could have easily of been stopped, but luckily I wasn't.

I just think the cop showed a lack of sensitivity. This cop is a rookie. If he is acting this way early in his career, how will he be in 10 years - a complete a$$?

http://www.kxan.com/Global/story.asp...6&nav=0s3dW97j

Residents decry cop's role in dog death

Posted: Sep 25, 2008 01:15 PM
Updated: Sep 25, 2008 07:00 PM

SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) -- Letters sent to the San Marcos mayor and City Council this summer reveal anger and sadness over a late-night traffic stop that led to the death of a beloved family pet.

Officer Paul Stephens pulled over Krystal Hernandez and Michael Gonzales for speeding in the early hours of August 5, as the couple rushed to a 24-hour vet hospital to tend to their dog Missy. When Stephens brushed off the couple's concern for their dog, the couple blamed the dog's death on Stephens. Mayor Susan Narvaiz eventually apologized for Stephens' remarks.

At the time, Narvaiz said plenty of hate mail had been filed with the city. Through an open records request, Austin News viewed that correspondence. The mail included emails, typed letters and handwritten notes. Those who took the time to contact the city, city leaders and the police chief said almost the same thing. The writers felt Officer Paul Stephens was wrong for his actions that early August morning.

The whole scene was caught on Officer Stephens' dashcam video. When that video was shown, it sparked angry emails to the city.


Excerpts from another article (link to is is on page linked above)

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Mayor Narvaiz also spoke about the actions of a backup officer who tried to revive the dog.

"Officer Joyce Bender took the dog in her hands, tried to clear its airway and tried to get it breathing again," said Narvaiz. "She was unsuccessful and Officer Bender believed that dog was already dead."

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He says Officer Joyce Bender did use that extra care during the stop when she rushed to the side of the hysterical passenger. Her tone was soothing while Gonzales' girlfriend was crying hysterically. At one point, Officer Bender tries to revive the puppy who police say was already dead.

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:mad:Oh-My-Gosh. I am so pissed right now. I cannot BELIEVE this a$$ officer... how completly insensitive, inconsiderate, and cruel. RIP, sweet little Missy... so sad that you had to go this way...:(