Thursday, May 07, 2009

Dog Owner Upset After Police Shoot His Dog

The Bartlesville police department is taking heat from a dog owner whose pit bull was killed yesterday.

The owner says police shot and killed the dog as it was running away. Police disagree. And, finding out what really happened could be hard to do.

The only thing agreed upon about this story is that it's about a dead dog. Whether or not he should have wound up that way is highly debatable.

The sidewalk is still stained with a blood trail that leads straight to controversy. Police Chief Tom Holland and dog owner Demetrius Morales have a tale of one dog from two different views.

Moose was a five-month-old pit bull, similar in color to one of Demetrius's other pits. Yesterday, Moose got out of the house, after which cops were called.

"Several neighbors were yelling be careful, he's vicious," Chief Holland says.

"My neighbors over here told them that dog's not aggressive, we play with him every day," says Demetrius.

Holland says the dog turned and came at both of the responding officers.

"Out of concern for their own safety, officers drew their weapons and the officer shot the dog in the shoulder," Holland says.

"Do you believe the officer?"

"No, I do not believe that officer," Morales said. "I have never showed my dogs how to be aggressive and they're not aggressive."

Holland says the department believes no police procedures were violated. But now, the controversial death of Moose might end up in court, where two views of what's right will be argued next.

"Get this officer either disciplined or he's gonna at least admit 'Okay I was wrong'," says Morales.

"Both of these are good officers," Holland says. "They did the right thing."

The controversy doesn't end there. Morales is upset that his dog's body was taken to the landfill. He says he wanted to bury his dog himself.

No comments: