Choking Dog Dies After Police Pull Owners Over

[bettagurl]

http://www.dailypress.com/video/?slug=dp-wn-choking-dog-dies-police

Yes, going over 100 is a bad thing, but the jerk could have at least helped out after he was pulled over..

[Morledzep]

nothing that happens in CA surprises me anymore.

[J double R]

it's a one-sided media story..

ie.. it means absolutely nothing and i can't believe a single thing from it.. except that maybe the dog did indeed die, and they did indeed get pulled over.

anything outside of that is speculation.

and please.. don't insult the officers of the law that keep you and i safe at night because he was more concerned for human safety than that of a pet.

i believe the officer was completely justified in his actions.

quote from the officer: "are you willing to crash into a family of 4, and kill them, for a dog?"

'nuff said.

[petluvr]

Ok so I understand that people get emotionally and Psychologically attached to animals and YES the officer may have acted a little less than kosher by cursing at the dude but the officers main job is to protect the PEOPLE not the animals and at the rate of 100mph the guy really could have killed himself, his girlfriend others on the road and the dog.

[tennesseemom]

I can't imagine an accident and people being killed because someone was too upset to drive, no matter what the reason. Someone driving at that rate of speed, not pulling over when lights and sirens were activated, the officers have no idea what to expect after they finally get him stopped, on a highway at night. It's lucky no one was killed because of some guys bad judgement.

[excuzzzeme]

:iagree: My sentiments exactly. Sorry, Public safety is far more needed than an animal. Yes, even if it was mine. No light, no siren, no training---- bad call on the motorist part.

[bettagurl]

What I think was after he pulled the guy over, he could have at least called animal control or gotten another officer to take it to a nearby vet, where is the danger in that?
I've seen good cops take animals to a vet before, I was watching Cops once and they took 2 pit bulls to a vet after they got in the way of some crazy man trying to shoot their owners.

[petluvr]

What I think was after he pulled the guy over, he could have at least called animal control or gotten another officer to take it to a nearby vet, where is the danger in that?
I've seen good cops take animals to a vet before, I was watching Cops once and they took 2 pit bulls to a vet after they got in the way of some crazy man trying to shoot their owners.
The thing you need to realize about cops is that they do things for the cameras. The officer was trying to assess the situation and calm down the assailant, who by his own admission is bipolar, this is the first thing an officer must do before anything else. We don't even know for sure from the video if there was even a dog in the vehicle, people have told worse lies than they have a dieing dog to get out of a ticket:)

[Star_Rider]

I spent 2 years in Law enforcement. Yes, a COP.
the officer was justified in what he did.
I'll bite my tongue regarding pulling an officer off the streets(when there are too few ofiicers as it is) to take a dog to the vet.

[crashlee916]

What I think was after he pulled the guy over, he could have at least called animal control or gotten another officer to take it to a nearby vet, where is the danger in that?
I've seen good cops take animals to a vet before, I was watching Cops once and they took 2 pit bulls to a vet after they got in the way of some crazy man trying to shoot their owners.

agreed. i understand what everyone is saying, but they should have cared a little more.

[J double R]

What I think was after he pulled the guy over, he could have at least called animal control or gotten another officer to take it to a nearby vet, where is the danger in that?
I've seen good cops take animals to a vet before, I was watching Cops once and they took 2 pit bulls to a vet after they got in the way of some crazy man trying to shoot their owners.


and ive seen good cops take a man off the street that was driving at breakneck speed while lacking good judgement.

[Hurley]

The officer was completely justified in pulling the guy over, the driver was putting a lot of people's lived in danger and I can understand the officer's reaction at first and I feel they too were completely justified. The guy was speeding, eluded police, and then jumped out of the car screaming and hysterical. The officer had no way of knowing what was going on in that mans mind or what he was capable of doing. The man could have been armed and coming after the officer. He just didn't know. Now, once he had assessed the situation, he could have easily discovered if the dog was indeed in distress, and escorted them to the vet hospital. At which point formalities and lectures could have been continued. I feel the "you can get another one comment" was unnecessary. For some people, for one reason or another, their pets are their children.

[The Zigman]

It all comes down to discretion.. What would any reasonable person do in the same situation? Yeah anyone driving 100Mph would be pulled over. After the stop, it is pretty much up to the officer to decide what to do next. There is no standard protocol for a situation like this, there is no law that says the cops HAVE to get Mittens out of that tree. As much as it stinks, not everyone is an animal lover. To create a dangerous situation, out of the results of an already dangerous situation is not a great idea, I sure wouldn't like to be killed in an accident where someone is driving like a nut while trying to get to the emergency vet, although I do love all animals.. (except for maybe possums!)

However,
If that was a police K9 they would run code and blow every red light along the way, sure the dog is a Police dog, but still its a dog...
Where's the pet ambulance services?

[Morledzep]

i understand that the cop was doing his job and the man was driving far too fast and not safely. i got it.

but there are many things that cop could have done to HELP the CITIZEN with the dying dog. instead he chose to let the dog die.. wrong choice.

[unvmyplecos]

i think you guys should get over it. dozens of dogs die each day for dog fighters, and you guys are worried about this one dog that died in california......wow, i feel sorry too but its happened, nothing will change it.besides if the cop didnt pull him over the guy could have hit more dogs......then im sure you wsould start a riot.....i know i know post deleted....

[petluvr]

i understand that the cop was doing his job and the man was driving far too fast and not safely. i got it.

but there are many things that cop could have done to HELP the CITIZEN with the dying dog. instead he chose to let the dog die.. wrong choice.
As I have stated the first thing an officer must do when arriving to a scene is assess the situation, which he could not due to the irrational behavior of the owner. If the owner had been calmer and explained to the officer in clear speaking instead of screaming and crying at the top of his lungs then maybe something could have been done. The fault here lies with the driver NOT the officer.

[wataugachicken]

hmmm.

everyone in the situation could have acted better.

you don't need to be driving 100 mph.
you don't need to ignore the police lights and sirens.
you don't need to belittle or insult someone when they are undergoing what (to them) is a very traumatic experience.
you do not need to drag something out simply to make a point or play a power game.

i do understand the actions and reactions of both the driver and the main police officer. i can empathize with both of them.

however - did anyone else take 30 seconds to google? it is believed that the dog was already dead by the time the owner was pulled over. not only that. . . . how long do we think something lives after it has been choking and passed out? in people, you start to suffer brain damage after only 4 minutes without air. death is not far behind. this is why it's important to know the heimlich maneuver - you don't have enough time to wait for an ambulance to arrive.

depending on where the couple lived exactly, it would have taken them about 20 minutes (at the speed limit) just to get to the vet clinic. at 100 mph, it would still have been over 10 minutes until they got there.

does anyone think the dog would have made it?

[unvmyplecos]

no and i completely agree with you just like i sai nothing can be done

[Dangerdoll]

i think you guys should get over it. dozens of dogs die each day for dog fighters, and you guys are worried about this one dog that died in california......wow, i feel sorry too but its happened, nothing will change it.besides if the cop didnt pull him over the guy could have hit more dogs......then im sure you wsould start a riot.....i know i know post deleted....

I thought I saw it was in Texas...

note... I can see both ends of the situation as well, a little excessive on both parts. 100 mph is way excessive but then so is the way this officer spoke to the guy once the situation was assessed and under control.

Also, want to note, maybe if someone is so attached to their dog, they should try to learn the heimlich or other fairly simple fixes for common problems of their pets.... or by watching TV, the animal planet specifically, you could learn wonders... my sister's dog was choking on a bone or something a few years ago and she panicked, much like this guy. I came over (albeit was in the same house) and simply gave the heimlich maneuver to the dog, just as one would a person. Got behind her, held my hand in a fist under her rib cage and jumped in pressure. That bone came flying and left over was a happy dog and my sister who had almost passed out.

[petluvr]

Or you can watch your pets better and make sure they don't get a hold of anything they can swallow and choke on :)

[wataugachicken]

A family has filed multiple complaints after police mistakenly pulled them over as robbery suspects, then shot and killed their dog as it bounded from the car.

A tape released by authorities Wednesday documents the incident, which began when a Tennessee state trooper and three Cookeville police cars pulled over James Smoak and his family as they drove home Jan. 1 from a vacation.

The trooper suspected the Smoaks' dark green station wagon was connected to a robbery, Tennessee Highway Patrol officials said.

Troopers ordered the family out of the car, and the video shows James and Pamela Smoak and their 17-year-old son, Brandon, obeying. They came out with their hands up, got down and were handcuffed.

About a minute after the traffic stop, one of the dogs — a bulldog-boxer mix named Patton — jumped from the car and raced toward Cookeville police officer Eric Hall, who was holding a shotgun. The tape shows that Hall stepped back and fired just before Patton reached him.

The dog appeared to be wagging its tail as it ran toward the officer, the tape shows.

Patton died from the shotgun blast. And as it turns out, the Smoaks had not committed a crime at all.

Police had suspected them based on a report of money flying from their car as it sped down Interstate 40. They later discovered Smoak had simply left his wallet on the car while pumping gas.

Smoak, of Saluda, N.C., declined comment Wednesday. He said he is pursuing legal action and has been advised not to discuss the case. The Smoaks have filed complaints with all agencies involved in the stop.

Hall, the officer who shot the dog, has contended he had no choice when the animal charged him.

He has been reassigned to administrative duties pending an independent review. But the Cookeville Police Department's internal investigation found that Hall did not use excessive force.

now that i can be very upset about. not only did the police misinterpret the calls they received, but they were told there were dogs in the car and let them out anyway. in my limited understanding, i think that when dealing with possible criminals, it would be procedure to wait for animal control to get the dogs rather than letting loose a potentially dangerous animal. i mean, if you thought it might harm someone (which seems to be the case as it was dead FOUR seconds after it was released from the car), then you should NOT let it out of the car. if you already have everyone of your suspects on the ground, kneeling and handcuffed, where is the urgency? why not take them into custody, call animal control to remove the dogs, and then continue on with the search of the car?

you can find the video on youtube - it is extremely disturbing, especially when you consider that ALL this family did wrong was leave their money on top of their car as they pulled out of a gas station. and the officer gets no punishment for his actions.

[The Zigman]

under the described circumstances,
I probably would have shot the dog too...

(cant see the video, company has blocked youtube...)

[petluvr]

The officer will gert of scott free since the same department he works for said that there was no wrong doing.

[austinpetemo]

the title says it all.... thats mess up.

[feemia]

Here's the rest of the story. This is from http://www.zootoo.com/petnews/copstopsspeederschokingdogdies

"Stephens initiated a routine traffic stop. Gonzalez pulled over. Immediately, Stephens asked the driver to move to the end of the overpass.
The car started towards the wider, safer shoulder, then suddenly, the vehicle jerked back onto the interstate. Cutting across lanes of traffic, Gonzalez sped off.
Stephens followed, calling for back-up. A three-mile, high-speed chase ensued, where Gonzalez cut in front of a tractor trailer, passed traffic on the right shoulder and finally pulled over for a second time."

"'I can understand the officer being hyped, but once he found out this was a life-threatening situation he should have cut it off, and been less confrontational,' said Williams after reviewing the patrol car's video of the traffic stop."

"Bender worked to dislodge the food from the poodle's throat and then performed canine CPR.
'The other officer did a much better job trying to calm the passenger down,' Williams said of Bender's actions. 'She tried to literally help the dog and revive the dog.'"

IMO, the 1st officer on the scene was an insensitive ***, but the dog's owner should not have been driving as he was clearly not it control of himself.

[H3D]

The driver was broke the law period. He got off light. He should have been arrested. End of Story.

[feemia]

The dog's owners were on Good Morning America this week.

http://rawstory.com/rawreplay/?p=1686

[J double R]

Here's the rest of the story. This is from http://www.zootoo.com/petnews/copstopsspeederschokingdogdies

"Stephens initiated a routine traffic stop. Gonzalez pulled over. Immediately, Stephens asked the driver to move to the end of the overpass.
The car started towards the wider, safer shoulder, then suddenly, the vehicle jerked back onto the interstate. Cutting across lanes of traffic, Gonzalez sped off.
Stephens followed, calling for back-up. A three-mile, high-speed chase ensued, where Gonzalez cut in front of a tractor trailer, passed traffic on the right shoulder and finally pulled over for a second time."

"'I can understand the officer being hyped, but once he found out this was a life-threatening situation he should have cut it off, and been less confrontational,' said Williams after reviewing the patrol car's video of the traffic stop."

"Bender worked to dislodge the food from the poodle's throat and then performed canine CPR.
'The other officer did a much better job trying to calm the passenger down,' Williams said of Bender's actions. 'She tried to literally help the dog and revive the dog.'"

IMO, the 1st officer on the scene was an insensitive ***, but the dog's owner should not have been driving as he was clearly not it control of himself.


so in other words, an officer DID try to help, to no avail.

and not only did the driver not pull over, he escalated the situation by evading the stop and driving recklessly?

i dont care if his dog was worth a million dollars. he should be prosecuted for that.

[J double R]

after watching the video..yet more typical one-sided media showing its face. note how nobody even mentioned the backup officer's actions? the focus was on the 'horrible' officer who conducted the stop.


"i believe he was abusing his power when he yelled at me"

i was not aware that a police officer yelling at a person directly after a high-speed pursuit was considered an abuse of power.

someone tell that guy it's "reprimand" not "reprimandation"....

[austinpetemo]

that cop is an ******* aperantly he doesnt have a dog of his own.

[catnipgal]

I got a speeding ticket for doing 35 in a 30 (hence the mugshot). I apologized to the office for speeding and said I sort of lost track, I have a very sick cat in my car. He saw the sick cat in the pet taxi, and then took his time writing me a citation. A 5 minute citation became a 15 minute one.

I think this police officer was a cat hater.

When I lived in Colorado, a cat was in a lot of pain and had to go to the animal hospital. Unfortunately this was right after the Denver Broncos won the superbowl and there was rioting in the streets. The street to the animal hospital was blocked off. I explained to the officer I had to get my very sick cat to the animal hospital. Not only did he let me through, but he gave me a police escort to the animal hospital.

The cat stayed the night. She had bladder crystals. With proper treatment she made a full recovery.

[J double R]

that cop is an ******* aperantly he doesnt have a dog of his own.


:rolleyes: kids..