Quote Originally Posted by LilacDragon
So let me understand this.

A POLICE OFFICER lets his dog out unattended, the dog wanders a quarter of a mile from the officer's home and you people are mad at the guy with the GUN because he felt the need to defend his child from a dog he didn't recognize that was in his yard!?!

Just for fun - would you be mad if the neighbor owned a large, powerful dog that got loose and wandered into the officer's yard and the officer shot it? Or would the neighbor still be an idiot - but this time because he left his dog out unattended?
1) Flip wasn't just "let out, unattended" ...
He was turned out into his FENCED YARD - standard practice for the two Police Dogs *I* know.

2) Guy with gun "defending his child" ...
The "child" was quite SAFE - since he was still IN the car - not the yard ...

"Sheriff Mike Heldman said the man indicated the dog was not acting aggressively when he shot him.

"He said the reason he shot him was because he was concerned for the safety of his son, who was still in the vehicle," Heldman said."


HARDLY a situation requiring deadly force:

3) "Large, powerful, dog ..."
A Belgian Malinois is a relatively SMALL dog as compared to a German Shepherd "Police Dog" ...
A Belgian Malinois is a rather "friendly looking" dog - and unless acting under
Direct Command of his handler - would NOT have been acting in an agressive fashion ... the local State Park's BM Police Dog acts like a frisky pup when she's off-leash and having "play time".

4) Treece said it appears Saturday's incident could have been handled differently.
"There appear to have been better options," he said.

How true ... how sadly true.



/s/ Phred