Lancaster Police Officer Shoots Dog

[The Unknown 1087]

Lancaster Police Officer Shoots Dog
Dog Ignored Owner's Commands, Charged Officer, Police Say

LANCASTER, Pa. -- A Lancaster city police officer shot a dog over the weekend.

Lancaster Police Chief Keith Sadler believes the officer acted appropriately to what he perceived as a threat.
The dog's owner said the shooting was not necessary, but police tell a very different story.

Hector Torres is at home in Lancaster with his dog, Busa. His other pit bull, Haze, is in the veterinary hospital. Haze was shot in the face Sunday by Lancaster police Officer Mark Heiser.

The bullet struck Haze in the face, close to his left eye, came out of his jaw and lodged into his shoulder.

Torres admits that he had both dogs off-leash to play at Victory Field at McCaskey High School.

Police said Heiser tried several times to get Torres' attention, to get him to put his dogs on leashes. It is required by law to have dogs leashed at all times outdoors.

“The officer's account is the dog was running full speed toward him and was ignoring the owner's commands to stop,” said Lancaster Police Chief Keith Sadler.

Officer heiser's bullet struck the dog just next to the eye, exited through the jaw and lodged itself into the dog's shoulder.
But the accounts from Torres and police about what led to the shooting are vastly different.

“Not one point did he ever sprint off at the cop,” said Torres. “I remember seeing him trot off to police, that was it.”

According to Heiser, when the dog got approximately 10 to 15 feet away, he fired one round and struck the dog.

“I can understand the officer being scared, but the dog wasn't showing no signs of aggression. He wasn't growling, barking; he doesn't ever do that,” said Torres.

Sadler said it’s an unfortunate occurrence, but he believes the officer reacted properly.

“It was pretty obvious the dog did not respond to owner's command,” said Sadler. “At that point, it’s a dangerous animal.”

But Torres said he thinks the officer made his decision based on the dog’s breed.

“I think if it was a golden retriever or collie, he never would have shot him,” said Torres.

A veterinarian removed the bullet from haze's shoulder. He is expected to recover in 8 to 10 weeks.

http://www.wgal.com/news/19628657/detail.html


If the owners statement is true that he wasn't barking, growling ect. Then the officer is a douche bag (you can disagree with me).

My dogs coming running at people (granted when they are in the yard), they'll go up and lay down in front of people and want their belly rubbed. The owners dog could have been doing to do the same thing.

[Bigrepp61]

dude i completely agree with you.... we take our dogs to a dog park out here and everyone thinks they are pits.... do me a favor and google an american bulldog and then tell me its a pit.... and let me say that almost every time ive been there i personally have been attacked by husky's.... never once a pitt or a doberman or a boxer or a rotty.... ive been attacked by 2 labs a bunch of husky's and some other little ankle dogs.... makes me sick when i see shit like this....

[Bigrepp61]

apparently these 2 are something to be afraid of...

[normanvin]

Sure the dogs should have been on a leash. But the story does not say why the officer was at the park. Was he called there? Will there be an investigation into this shooting?

The whole this type of dog is bad thing gets old.

[ehidle]

I'm getting really sick of dog "breedism." Any dog, and I don't care what breed it is, has the potential to become violent. These are domesticated WILD animals. They have instincts to protect themselves when they feel threatened, and they are territorial.

I am also getting sick of irresponsible pet owners who don't understand this and don't follow the rules. Because ANY dog can become violent against someone, it is NEVER appropriate to allow them off lead in a place that is not confined or where other people are around.

[normanvin]

I'm getting really sick of dog "breedism." Any dog, and I don't care what breed it is, has the potential to become violent. These are domesticated WILD animals. They have instincts to protect themselves when they feel threatened, and they are territorial.

I am also getting sick of irresponsible pet owners who don't understand this and don't follow the rules. Because ANY dog can become violent against someone, it is NEVER appropriate to allow them off lead in a place that is not confined or where other people are around.

This is a little off topic but.

I was at the flea markit a few weeks ago. We had the two Saints and the Rotti. This woman comes up and praises how great our dogs were. She goes into triad about how pits are bad, BLAH , BLAH, BLAH.

I tell her that I believe that it has more to do with the owner and what they do with the dog. Maybe the dog was not even a pit.

She starts BLAH, BLAH BLAH, again. I point to the Rotti. I ask her didn't you just tell me how great he is. She says yes. I tell her that 15-20 years ago that the Rotti breed had the same reputation. She turned and walked away.

People come up with pre conceived notions based on what they hear and see in the media. Then they swear it to be fact.

Maybe this officer is one of those people. Maybe he is just afraid of dogs.

[camper]

I'm getting really sick of dog "breedism." Any dog, and I don't care what breed it is, has the potential to become violent. These are domesticated WILD animals. They have instincts to protect themselves when they feel threatened, and they are territorial.

I am also getting sick of irresponsible pet owners who don't understand this and don't follow the rules. Because ANY dog can become violent against someone, it is NEVER appropriate to allow them off lead in a place that is not confined or where other people are around.

Don't be silly, pit-bulls are obviously assault dogs and every dog that runs playfully up to a cop is a terrorist assault dog and deserves to be shot. On another note, Police are also training for what they've heard to be assault children, who also run playfully towards police officers and do not listen to their parents in the same parks. Police will be issued .50 calibur sniper rifles to deal with this large threat from a safer distance.

Seriously, I agree with you. Its rediculous. We had a rotty when they were 'evil' dogs, right after Dobermans had the rep and right before pit-bulls got it.

Besides, we all know from the media that the only people who own pit bulls are black drug dealers drinking their 'foties' in the inner cities; presence of multiple ho's optional but implied.

camper

[Exbiker]

If the owners statement is true that he wasn't barking, growling ect. Then the officer is a douche bag (you can disagree with me).

My dogs coming running at people (granted when they are in the yard), they'll go up and lay down in front of people and want their belly rubbed. The owners dog could have been doing to do the same thing.

Good shooting. If your dogs are off your property you are responsible for having them under control. Pa has no actual leash law but has an under control law. If a dog is heading toward me and is of a size that can do harm to me I would perhaps to the same thing. Now if the handler was close enough and perhaps yelled to me or indicated the dogs was friendly then I would likely back down but with caution. Your dog should not approach others without an invitation to do so.
People can defend pits all they want but there are a ton of pits out there with unstable temperaments due to faulty breeding and even more that have been mistreated. Sure there are some really nice ones but even I use caution around any bully breed.

[runningdeer]

I agree....if the dog is coming towards me I'm not waiting for him to bite me. Control your dog or someone else will

Good shooting. If your dogs are off your property you are responsible for having them under control. Pa has no actual leash law but has an under control law. If a dog is heading toward me and is of a size that can do harm to me I would perhaps to the same thing. Now if the handler was close enough and perhaps yelled to me or indicated the dogs was friendly then I would likely back down but with caution. Your dog should not approach others without an invitation to do so.
People can defend pits all they want but there are a ton of pits out there with unstable temperaments due to faulty breeding and even more that have been mistreated. Sure there are some really nice ones but even I use caution around any bully breed.

[Nic]

+1 to control your dog or someone else will... I don't care what breed you own. Had this dog been on a leash, and in complete control by it's owner, it would not have been shot.

I love taking my daughter to the park, but we have had numerous trips ruined because a dog was roaming leashless. The biggest problem I see with dog owners is that they think their dog is one of the family and couldn't possibly hurt someone.