We’ve told the story of drug war canicide – dog murder – before here on the Stash. From the LAPD dog killing during dispensary raids to the Buffalo man who pleaded with cops to let him put his beloved pets in another room before cops gunned them down, and even the mayor of a town in Maryland forced to sit handcuffed near a pool of his slaughtered black labs’ blood during a SWAT raid that turned out to be in error.
Don't be scared, Roscoe, I'll protect you from cop canicide!
This incident in Missouri happened in February and is just one of the 100-150 militaristic raids on homes every day in America, most often to serve narcotics warrants, which usually means marijuana, the substance involved in almost half of all drug arrests. But never before have we brought you actual video of law enforcement protecting us from adults smoking a bowl in their own home and serving us by executing family pets in front of small children.
(Warning: if you love your dog as much as I love Roscoe P. Coltrane, my Jack Russell terrier, scratch its belly and get to your serenity place before you view this. It is very disturbing.)
If you notice toward the end of the video you can see what appears to be a small bong on the coffee table. The Columbia, Missouri SWAT team sure took down a big-time drug kingpin while he slept peacefully with his wife and seven-year-old child, huh?
(Columbia Daily-Tribune) Police discovered a grinder, a pipe and a small amount of marijuana, Haden said. Because the SWAT team acts on the most updated information available, the team wanted to enter the house before marijuana believed to be at the location could be distributed, she said.
“If you let too much time go by, then the drugs are not there,” she said.
Drug distributors traditionally have a history with firearms, which is why the SWAT team is used when executing such warrants, [police spokeswoman Officer Jessie] Haden said. If the SWAT team believed they could have executed the warrant successfully during the daytime when the wife and child were not present, they would have, she said.
Well, the “drugs” weren’t there, now, were they? But let’s pretend they were. Let’s say the man was holding enough marijuana to qualify for a felony charge in Missouri (over 35 grams). Are we to understand that holding any more than an ounce and a quarter in Missouri is justification enough to send SWAT to burst into a man’s home late at night and start firing weapons and slaughtering his pets and terrorizing his wife and children?
A Welsh Corgi - the most feared ankle-biting vicious canine the Missouri SWAT have ever seen!
And what exactly is it that made the SWAT team believe it couldn’t execute a successful warrant in the daytime? The presence of his pit bull and corgi (yes, these cops shot a corgi) or that his wife and child would be away so he wouldn’t mind going down guns blazing to protect his lucrative marijuana empire? And if he had enough pot to have a lucrative marijuana empire worth shooting cops over, how exactly did he manage to get rid of it all in the few hours between daytime and that night?
No, folks, the justification is simple: shock and awe. These cops are taught that “druggies” are dangerous armed hostile mentally deranged lunatics who all emulate Tony Montana from Scarface. Then they are taught how to dominate and intimidate and that one of the quickest ways you can do so is to show them you have the power of life and death. And they do this as a message to all the other “druggies” out there that they are not safe and that they are serious about engaging the “enemy” and winning the “war”.
Radley Balko at Reason’s Hit and Run (a top libertarian blog) has been following the story and promises an update from the victim’s mother, who was present at the raid. Jane Hamsher at FireDogLake (a top progressive blog which has recently begun a new campaign for legalization), Scott Morgan at Drug War Chronicle, and Pete Guither at DrugWarRant have also been following the story.
In the end the victim pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor charge of possession of drug paraphernalia in exchange for dropping the charges of misdemeanor marijuana possession and second-degree child endangerment. Yes, you read that right: the police burst into this man’s home, shooting weapons in his home and killing his dog with his seven-year-old sleeping in the next room and he’s the one who was endangering his child by smoking pot in his own home.
P.S. You’d think the ASPCA or PETA would be all over this, wouldn’t you? I did, but found no reference to any police-shooting-dog stories on either of their websites. I once got in contact with people in their organizations but got no interest from them on addressing these clear cases of cruel and unethical treatment of animals. I even tried contacting Bill Maher, a high-profile PETA supporter and marijuana legalization supporter to spotlight the topic, but I’ve never received any response. None of these animal rights supporters seem to think a family pet has a right to be protected from police brutality if the owner is thought to be a “druggie”.
P.P.S. Paul Armentano reminds me that in 2004, seven in ten Columbia, Missouri residents voted for the “arrest, prosecution, punishment, or sanction” citizens for their medical use of marijuana, and six in ten voted for the decriminalization of marijuana for personal use. So the dog was murdered and the family terrorized over something only 30%-40% of residents believe is a crime.
Contact your elected representatives and urge them to 'Stop Arresting Marijuana Smokers'. 
[...] any help from the National Rifle Association. They’ll be as receptive to getting involved as PETA was when the Missouri cops were shooting a man’s pet dog in his home during a raid. Left or right, liberal or conservative, from the NRA to PETA your [...]
[...] armor and flash bang grenades, the tear gas and automatic weapons pointed at 13 year old girls, shooting dogs and hand cuffing people and having them sit in their dog’s blood while they interrogate them [...]
[...] There’s also a blog entry on norml.org about this case. [...]
All that for drug use?
And shooting the dogs in front of a little kid is iresponsible.
There was no need for that its just uncalled for I mean those dogs did nothing wrong.
That situation could have ben handled in so many other ways that didn’t have to cause the lives of two inocent animals One cop would have ben fine not the whole stupid swat team.
The one cop could have just gave them a fine a day or two in jail.
That would have ben a way better way to handle the situation.
What Happend to go to cops theyll protect you.
yeah right if there so good then why shoot a dog with a child present thats just stupid I mean what are they trying to do tramatize the kid
The dogs were posing no threat what so ever.
and a courgi is like a foot tall or less yeah thats threting.
I mean I have a chocolate labrador retriver named Hershey who I consider my family.
and if any thing happend to her I would die insideI I got for christmas 4 yrs ago when I was 11 and now at
14 I cant imagine life with out her.
we have also have a german shorthair named baby who I love verry much.
And if anyone shot my dogs cop or no cop then I would shove that gun down there throtes
If those cops shot my dog I’d shove that gun threw there ears or up there nose
I have a chocolate labrador retriver named Hershey who I consider my family and if any thing happend to her I would die inside.
Because shes my best friend.
Ive had her for four years since I was eleven years and now at fourteen I cant imagine life without her
And for those cops to shoot those dogs was just cruel and in front of a child I mean what the heck you tryin to do tramutize the kid.
I think those cops should be shot. like they shot those poor dogs
This video is sad I hate those cops
For the cop to shoot the dogs was just cruel and stupid.
I mean all the dogs were doing was barking they wernt attacking.
If the dogs were strays with rabbies and were attacking them then okay I can understand that.
so basicaly those dogs died for protecting and loving there family.
And you know the cops are gonna make up some excusse like the dogs lunged at them to make it look okay but I waltched this video and the dogs did noting that required the cops to shoot them,
I mean they could have asked the owners to put the dogs outside or in another room.
But to shoot them was just wrong I think theses morrans should be aresseted for animal crulety.
And I hope they read these comments so they can how low they are.
I mean to take somthing they love I mean they have some nerve its not always a matter of having the heart to do something but having the heart not too.
I would never shoot a dog unless I absolutly had too like if the dog was about to kill me.
And to the cops who shot those poor Inocent dogs I hope you butt heads get fired.
But I guess they give the badge to any crack headed morran
For the cop to shoot the dogs was just cruel and stupid.
I mean all the dogs were doing was barking they wernt attacking.
If the dogs were strays with rabbies and were attacking them then okay I can understand that.
so basicaly those dogs died for protecting and loving there family.
And you know the cops are gonna make up some excusse like the dogs lunged at them to make it look okay but I waltched this video and the dogs did noting that required the cops to shoot them,
I mean they could have asked the owners to put the dogs outside or in another room.
But to shoot them was just wrong I think theses morrans should be aresseted for animal crulety.
And I hope they read these comments so they can how low they are.
I mean to take somthing they love I mean they have some nerve its not always a matter of having the heart to do something but having the heart not too.
I would never shoot a dog unless I absolutly had too like if the dog was about to kill me.
And to the cops who shot those poor Inocent dogs I hope you butt heads get fired.
You dont deserve that badge but I guess they give the badge to any crack headed morran out there
they get all mad and sad when someone shoots there k9 dog but its okay for them shoot are dogs.
I guess they think its okay if its not there dog or the dog isn’t certified if its just a house pet.
Cops abuse there power they think that were below them and that they can do what ever just because they have a badge and gun.
I mean didn’t they take and oath to protect the people of the city?
I dont rember there being a shoot peoples pet for reason in there
I think shooting the dogs was uncalled for I mean four big strange guys with guns barge in threw the door how do you think the dog should react ?
And to shoot the dogs in front of a little kid.
thats just stupid I mean what are they trying to do tramutize the kid.
They get sad and all upset when some robber shoots there k9 dog cop but then they go and shoot someone elses dog for no aparent reason I guess they think its okay if the dog isnt certified . cops abuse there power they think that eveybodys below them and that they can just do what ever they want just becuase they have a badge and gun. They are not above the law
I mean didnt they take an oath to protect the people I dont remember there being a shoot the family pet part
Its terrorism plain and simple. Anyone can be a terrorist, if you use terror to gain political advantage you are a terrorist. That means that police can use terror as a tactic, soldiers, scientists, anyone. The greatest terrorist threat on planet earth is the US missile arsenal which threatens the extinction of all life, a few rag tag rebels are a laughable threat by compared to that. In history the vast majority of terrorist action is taken by ones own government against some singled out minority, Far more people die at the hands of thier own military and police than at the hands of another nations military or police. This is a fact. These tactics are pure terrorism, the message as seen on the news by the public at large is drug users and their associates and even children should be executed in the field, forget a trial, in Missouri lynching now has official sanction, rights are an alien concept there
I just don’t understand…why shoot a corgi!? I have a 10 year old PWC…that I would NOT trade for the world. Sure he has his moments where he’s annoying as hell, but he would never intentionally hurt someone–unless he thought I was being harmed. Corgis are HERDERS not “Hurters”
And for them to do it in front of the child….I just have no words.
My fiance sent me a link to the video and it made me cry. I mean just the thought “what if that were us” scares the hell out of me. Who can you trust if you can’t trust the cops? Isn’t that what we’re tought from childhood…”Go to the cops, you’ll be safe” I’ll be damned if I teach my kids that.
[...] from one of our loyal followers who contacted PETA about the Missouri SWAT Dog Shooting: Thank you for contacting [...]
[...] of the Missouri SWAT raid and the video has gone viral and the Columbia Police Department is scrambling to put the spin on [...]
[...] Click here to view the embedded video. [...]
This is the most outrageous thing I’ve seen in quite awhile, and I see plenty of them on the site that provided this link; Care2. I wish I hadn’t watched the video Russ; it is a a literal nightmare. Because I love my animal friends as you do, the video was VERY painful to see. What jerks, these “big strong men” in swat suits and boots, to kill scared dogs trying to protect their people and home. Pointless and cruel, obviously. Especially considering the “crime”, God help us if these kind of people are our “protectors”!!! The lack of a real “crime” isn’t even so relevant; they didn’t need to kill the dog or dogs whatever the supposed crime was.
This military style raid with firearms discharge and murder of family pets is an outrage. There is no excuse for lethal force against pets in a home with children. There is no rational defense for not having tased the dogs.
There must be some legal protection or consequence that L.E.O. should face for such acts as ending the lives of family pets. Clearly a taser would have put everyone, including the officers themselves at much less risk.
TO open fire in a domestic home that has not even been cleared in all rooms is ridiculous, there is no tactical rational for this.
Is a search warrant alone a license to kill family pets? Can not this very tactic be taken out of the tool box of the police? Can an officers right to avoid a physical confrontation with an animal allow it to kill without reservation? Is it not a severe crime to cause harm to a police dog? How can a police dog be protected by LAW and a home owners animal not enjoy the same protection?
I wish the officers that perpetrate this heinous crime against this family would in turn suffer the same trauma. TO hear the sound of their beloved companions yelping in pain before the sound of the three successive shots that would end their lives. Perhaps that sound would echo in the hollows of their heart where human compassion used to be found, forever.
This only estranges the general population from Law Enforcement. The children (as well as adults) in that house – and virtually any cannabis user that watches this video, will never call the police to help them again.
I’m ashamed to be calling these terrorists fellow ‘americans’ – I think it’s stretching to call them human. They should all resign in shame.
Our country has forsaken it’s citizens.
Larry S. Talley
USN, Ret
LEAP Speaker
NORML Supporter
cfo@dfwnorml.org
Here’s some simple activism we can all do. When you see an outrage like this one, post it to a social media network. Some people might say it’s “slacktivism” (not real labor) but, in reality, it’s important that everyone know what’s going on in the name of the War on Drugs.
I posted this on reddit, in the subboards /r/marijuana and /r/drugs.
The more people see this type of cruelty, the fewer will support these sorts of police atrocities.
I am absolutely outraged beyond words by this video.
Do you think the SWAT team’s actions in the MO raid were appropriate? http://www.columbiatribune.com/polls/2010/may/do-you-tink-swat-actions-were-appropriate/results/