Carefull playing with your dog in La Marque

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Just heard this on the news, perhaps some remedial training is in order?

http://www.click2houston.com/news/21236395/detail.html

LA MARQUE, Texas -- A police officer shot a woman and the dog she was playing with when the officer thought the dog was attacking the woman, witnesses told KPRC Local 2.[align=right] [/align]

Witnesses said a La Marque police officer was driving along 5th Avenue near Walnut Street at about 7:15 p.m. Wednesday, after she helped a person around the corner.The officer heard people playing and screaming, witnesses said. A 23-year-old woman and her friend were playing with a pit bull named Sugar.Witnesses said the officer got out of the car and fired several shots toward the dog."The young lady started hollering and just at that time a police officer was coming down and thought the dog was attacking the lady," witness Dennis Wallace said. "I can't say that I would do anything different. The (officer) drew down and started shooting. I couldn't say I wouldn't have done that."The woman's parents said one of the bullets hit the ground and fragments ricocheted, wounding her in the upper body. She was taken by helicopter to Memorial Hermann Hospital, treated and released.Sugar was also wounded. The dog's owner took Sugar to a vet and it is expected to recover.La Marque police declined to comment about the shooting, but said the 30-year-old officer has been with the department for about a year and a half.The Galveston County District Attorney's Office and the Galveston County Sheriff's Office are investigating.

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I wasn't there, but I can't imagine just jumping out of a car and shooting without having a better grasp of the situation.

No retraining is in order. Revoke his commision and charge him with reckless endangerment.

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The officer was a she, not a he.

And we down here (La Marque is not too far from Galveston and is in Galveston County) still haven't heardFOR SUREwhether the dog was just playing or actually attacking...so the facts still aren't completely known.

But the papers did say with that particular officer temporarily out on leave as the investigatin continues, and 3 other La Marque officers not on duty for otherreasons, the La Marque PDis short-handed and have asked the Sheriff's Dept. for manpower help to patrol the city.

-- John D.

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The officer was a she, for sure. From all the accounts, the dog was just playing (it was a pit bull) with a young lady; theofficer jumped out of her car, drew her weapon and fired.

This officer doesn't need to be on the streets, but the other three from the taser incident do (and will be back very soon, they were cleared of any wrong-doing.)

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She sounds like another gun-happy cop. We don't need those kind and she should be fired, and filed on... but we know that won't happen in the "Just-us" system.

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I guess if you have a badge to go along with your pistol a good old fashioned kick to the dog's stomach doesn't seem like a reasonable solution. Nevermind yelling a warning, or the fact that a human being is a possible target beyond your actual target. Firearm safety rules, bah, who needs 'em.



-Gruu

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Seems the officer gave no thought to anything but glory. "I saved someone from a pit." She didn't take into account if the animal was playing or the possible of collateral damage. That is rediculous.

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The officer should have taken a second to assess the situation a little better, making sure if it was an actual attack. The officer, being a police officer of all people, should have made sure of exactly where his bullets and shots were going. Just opening fire on a dog with people around is unsafe, and he or she should have known for sure if it was an attack before drawing the weapon and firing shots.

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TehGruu wrote:

I guess if you have a badge to go along with your pistol a good old fashioned kick to the dog's stomach doesn't seem like a reasonable solution. Nevermind yelling a warning, or the fact that a human being is a possible target beyond your actual target. Firearm safety rules, bah, who needs 'em.

-Gruu

Click to expand...

Kicking a Pit Bull is asking for trouble.

Unless you're a kicker for the Dallas Cowboys, kicking a pit bull will only cause it to laugh at you, before it proceeds to rip your leg off.