Dog murdering cops at it again

A South Buffalo family wants answers after police shot and killed two of their dogs during a raid Saturday, leaving blood puddled on a living-room carpet and speckled on the wall.

Her father pleaded with police not to shoot the dogs, but they wouldn’t allow him to grab the dogs and put them in another room, Patterson said.

One of the officers started firing a shotgun at the two dogs, one a pit bull and the other a pit bull-boxer mix.

One of the dogs was shot three times: once in the throat, once in the back and the last time in the leg while trying to run away, Rita Patterson said.

The other dog was cowering behind a table. Neither was a threat to the police, the residents said.

Police, who were looking for a drug suspect and narcotics, left the Indian Church Road home without finding any evidence or arresting anyone, according to residents of the house.

via – The Buffalo News “Police shoot, kill two dogs during raid”

What the hell is the problem with police and killing pets? A police spokesman in this case said that officers never know what they’ll find behind a door. In this case, they found nothing and decided to murder the family’s pets. Isn’t this funny, President Obama?

[Well, you get all that training, all that adrenaline pumping to go bust the evil drug kingpins, and why have shotguns if you're not going to use them?  This no accident, folks, these drug war stormtroopers are taught to kill the dogs as part of the "shock and awe" aspect of the raid.  "I can kill your dog and there's nothing you can do about it."  It's about dominance, not protection - I mean, really, they're going in with Kevlar body armor, thick uniforms, helments, and goggles, and they're worried about a couple of dogs?

The police should be held to the same standard of shooting a pet as they do a human.  Self defense is perfectly valid, but unless those dogs are charging and attacking, there is no justifiable reason to kill them. -- "R"R]

[UPDATE - more coverage -- "R"R]

The incident has left the family distraught and angry over the loss of the dogs, Essy and Moosey.

“It was just the most traumatizing, horrible thing,” said Rita M. Patterson, 27, who lives in the house with her 68-year-old father, Daniel J. Patterson.

When police stormed the house on Indian Church Road, near Seneca Street, at about 5:30 p. m. Saturday, Daniel Patterson was on the couch, watching the news.

“They shot the dogs for no reason at all,” he told The Buffalo News on Sunday.

Rita Patterson said she was cooking dinner in the kitchen when she heard loud noises at the side door.  Before she knew what was happening, police wearing masks and helmets and carrying automatic weapons had broken through the door. They tied her hands with a zip tie and put her on the floor.

Her father pleaded with police not to shoot the dogs, but they wouldn’t allow him to grab the dogs and put them in another room, Patterson said.

Rita Patterson said she will be talking with a lawyer today.

“There’s not even a word to describe the pain I feel,” she said.

[Buffalo police spokesman Michael J. DeGeorge], said the Pattersons have a right to request an investigation through the department’s Professional Standards Division.

DeGeorge did point to the inherent danger police generally face when raiding a home.

“Executing a search warrant, police never know what they’re going to find on the other side of that door,” DeGeorge said. “In most cases, these can be life and death situations.”

…because you guys are bursting into people’s homes with automatic weapons!  Why is it that these task forces want to arrest these allegedly violent well-armed criminals in the very place where they are likely to be well-armed, the place they are most familiar with where to hide and defend themselves from police arrest?  And sometimes it can just be innocent people and their pets relaxing in their home.  Can someone explain to me why police can’t just surround a place, knock on a door, announce their warrant, call on people inside to restrain their dogs, and serve the warrant with the assumption that people are innocent until proven guilty?

Here’s another thing I want to know: why are they not using Tasers on these dogs?