Wake County deputy shoots dog (Durham: gated, eat, retired)

[don6170]

Didn't see this on WTVD or in the N&O, but it generated a lot of comments on WRAL.

Wake deputy kills dog while searching for runaway teen :: WRAL.com

"A Wake County sheriff’s deputy shot and killed a couple’s 3-year-old dog Wednesday night while searching for a runaway teenager."

[adlnc07]

I understand how it could happen, but it still makes me very, very sad.

[static_g]

Wow, that is really awful. Family says the dog didn't make a sound, and the officers say he was barking and vicious. Someone's obviously lying.

[HS_DUDE]

Originally Posted by static_g

Wow, that is really awful. Family says the dog didn't make a sound, and the officers say he was barking and vicious. Someone's obviously lying.

Shot in the back of the head. Pretty sure I can figure out who's lying.

[North_Raleigh_Guy]

I wasn't there, but I doubt local police go around killing people's dogs just for kicks.

[steve54]

I can how a police officer would need to shoot an animal that is attacking him, no question about that.

I am concerned that the officer needed to employ lethal force immediately without considering other options. It feels that he is trigger happy.

I am more concerned that Harrison dismisses the matter with a simple
“Nobody wants to shoot a dog, but things like this are going to happen,”. The matter needs to be investigated properly to reassure the public.

I wonder how he would have felt if the dog owner, in an emotional state, had shot the deputy?

I'm a retired LEO from the UK ( and very pro LE) I've had dogs charge me on many occasions but have never needed to harm one

[boardjnky4]

Don't police officers carry pepper spray or stun guns/tazers? If they don't, then maybe they should. Seems way more reasonable.

[benthephysicist]

Originally Posted by boardjnky4

Don't police officers carry pepper spray or stun guns/tazers? If they don't, then maybe they should. Seems way more reasonable.

Tasers have one shot. Miss, and you have no shot #2.

Sprays arent effective on dogs, they will eat you through it...... They are also much faster at attacking than a human with respect to approach speeds.....

I love dogs, (have five miniature shar-pei's and a pomeranian) and would never wish anyones animal any harm.

[evaofnc]

This is an ongoing problem in this area. I think it was the IndyWeek that had a write-up on the rash of dog shootings in Durham recently by police. Some of the stories were really sad.

[Lisalrenee]

From WRAL: "...but things like this are going to happen,” Harrison said. “Please put yourself in the deputy’s position. If you had been standing there, what would you have thought when the dog comes out charging towards you?”

When a dog comes charging out at me, I would think, "Oh, here comes a dog", not "OH, let me KILL this dog." I'm so incredibly appalled at and by this situation. As a responsible dog owner (of a much maligned breed), this is one of my biggest fears.