[GutleNus]

The original article was posted in the Pit Bull News section on Tuesday.
NY: Pit bull trying to protect his master on Manhattan st gets shot in the head by police


I think the "general public" and their need to gawk and see what is going on caused the dog to escalate. How do you think the dog felt when all of a sudden a whole group of people are closing in on you and your person?

I just hope that the man and dog make full recoveries and are reunited.

[Kk21pwa9]

Not to mention the dog probably knew his owner was vulnerable and couldn't protect himself.

[KeettyGlots]

I watched the video up to 4 minutes and a half, and so far no cop or anybody else got close to the homeless guy in ground to assist....4 minutes for c*** sake the guy might be dying by then if they shot is because they were in a hurry to get to the endangered person on the ground no? If that fast gun i8s all to not provide help once the dog is removed from the situation they might as well stayed in their car and wait for AC and or and ambulance.
If this homeless had particularly vicious dog it would have been taken care before I believe, the guy is in the streets 24/7, other previous incident should have happenned and get the dog taken away or something like that, many many dogs can react like this if somebody comes straight at you (and the dog) with a fast pace and a certain attitude, for the bystander I havn't seen that part but could be recirecting, because you see the dog going back and forth, like a dog aroused behind a fence.
To sumarize if the cops would have got right away to the guy to assist maybe I could accept it, they didn't shot for nothing, they also could have taser it...why not it would probably be less harmful, i believe...unless the calibration of taser and weight of dog (less that average human) would make for a deadly voltage.


Eddy

Good good points.

[ProomoSam]

Bottom line, these are police officers, they have the right, and should defend themselves from humans and animals. The dog clearly lunged at the officer and maybe at one of the by-standers (I'm not quite certain), therefore the dog was a threat to the officers safety. I believe the dog was trying to protect his owner, but that does not negate the fact that the police officers were in danger. I truly hope they both make a full recover as well, and if the dog does not, that they euthanize the quickly.
I'm not sure if the police could shoot the dog again. Sometimes, police can only neutralize a clear and present threat, and a dog laying in the street bleeding is not categorized as such. However, I am only a mere second year law student (barely) and I am not familiar with such issues.
Honestly, I believe that the by-standers are partly to blame here. Notice the bus behind the policemen and the crowd behind the dog & victim.
Could the policemen done something different? Sure. But did they have adequate training to deal with such situations? I don't know.
Therefore, I commend the police officer for protecting himself. However, I wish there was a better outcome.

[LesLattis]

nevermind, getting conflicting info.


I agree that the dog was threatening, and something had to be done, though I would've preferred a tazer or mace, something to be used in its place.
Pit Bull Shot By Police "Showing Signs Of Slight Improvement": Gothamist

[DoctorGordanBens]

I don't argue that the cop has all the rights etc. etc. to shot.
From a law student I see where your idea comes from, but the fact that it is legal doesn't mean it's the intelligent or, dare I said, a moral thing to do.
There are plenty of cases of croocks, felons, etc. that get away not going to jail because a little mistake in the procedure or some loophole in the law, that does not make said criminals more lovable and/or outstanding citizens.

E.

[AgindyMinnife]

I watched the video - I guess my question is... even when there were no threats (from the dog) the officers still did NOT tend to the man laying on the ground looking dead! Also why in the world were they too busy telling everyone to stand back and not tending to the man looking dead? There were two cops.. neither one of them tended to the man after they shot his dog. NYPD at it's finest!!

Don't get me wrong, everyone has the right to defend themselves and it is true officers deal with so much that every time they are in the field.. they may not make it back home. BUT...how long was this whole ordeal going on for before someone finally started recording, and again I lead back to the question of why didn't they tend to the man after they shot his dog?

[Slonopotam845]

I agree, if they weren't going to help the man, they should have kept their distances and waited until animal control arrived to get the dog or something. If everyone would have stayed back out of the way, the dog may not have felt its owner was as threatened and it might have had a chance to calm down a little. Poor damn thing.. All it knew was its owner was in a helpless state, and its job was to protect him.

[MediconStop]

well they did say the man was having a seizure, maybe he was still seezing, couldn't tell on the video but it was not a close up of the guy so if he was then it could have been very dangerous for anyone to get near the guy and they might have a protocal on seizures to not go near and let the trained professionals do what they need to do when they get there...I am just giving the police the benefit of the dought, and as for as letting the dog suffer, in that crowd if they woulda shot it again I think they might have been over run and so they needed to think of the safety of everyone since the crowds emotions were really high.

[Grieryaliny]

My brother has seizures, there ARE things the "general public" can do to help stabilize someone while waiting for EMS. How about, maybe hold the guys head still so he doesn't thrash around? But from the looks of the video, the guy isn't even moving, which is why I was so shocked that none of the cops did anything! None even stood over near the guy.. amazing.

[quorceopporce]

My brother has seizures, there ARE things the "general public" can do to help stabilize someone while waiting for EMS. How about, maybe hold the guys head still so he doesn't thrash around? But from the looks of the video, the guy isn't even moving, which is why I was so shocked that none of the cops did anything! None even stood over near the guy.. amazing.

Please dont try and give medical advice if you dont know it.


Never touch anyone who is having a seizure because you could cause harm to yourself or the victim.

[allemnendup]

Please dont try and give medical advice if you dont know it.


Never touch anyone who is having a seizure because you could cause harm to yourself or the victim.

Uh huh. And how do you know I'm not capable of giving any type of advice? When I said "general public" (there was a reason I put it in quotes), I meant the police who were just standing there looking stupid. Having witnessed my brother have 3 seizures, and having been taught my my SIL who is a registered nurse on what to do, I do believe I know just a little about what I'm talking about. You don't just let someone in the middle of a seizure thrash around on the ground.

Plus, as I said, the guy wasn't even moving, and still no one did anything!

[CathBraun]

I feel the same way. A dog's life is never as important as a humans safety

I totally agree, however it was kind of a doomed situation for the dog. I'm sure it was already stressed due to its owner having a seizure, then someone stands aggressively over the owner (who is obviously in trouble) and starts kicking at him. The dog wasn't being protective to a neutral party...

While the officer was likely just acting in his own defense, I would say he spearheaded the problem by responding inappropriately from the start.

[Chooriwrocaxz]

That cop is a dumbass....as all cops are. There are a million other things he could've done. But he has a gun, so he has a hard on to use the gun. Just another brainwashed Pitbull hater.

[maonnjtip]

I watched the video.. very sad.

A. Why the hell did it take so long for them to tend to the man laying on the ground?!
B. IF you're going to shoot a dog, don't wound it and let it lie there on the ground for minutes suffering.

This is pretty much how I fell too. What was the point of shooting the dog if they were just going to keep on ignoring the DYING MAN in the street??

[Nakforappealp]

I guess everybody did what they had to do, the guy had a seizure, his dog protected him with his life ( love that dog ) and the cop protected himself.

It's bad and unfortunate but I can't find any one to blame. Although had I been that cop I might have tried my mace, tazer or used my club to hold out for the dog to grab.

[Karensmith]

Im totally biased because I LOVE dogs, but I would not have shot it if I was the cop. If anything I would have tazed it or kicked at it to keep him away.

I really hope the man and the dog make a full recovery and are reunited. I bet both of them really need eachother.

[OccumCymn]

What they don't show (and what has been reported) was that the cops were kicking and shaking him, trying to wake him up.

Here: http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/...icle-1.1135680

[Immerymopay]

What they don't show (and what has been reported) was that the cops were kicking and shaking him, trying to wake him up.

Here: http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/...icle-1.1135680

That's a new element to reinfoce my opinion, the dog was good to his master the cops acted like ass****s, and make it escalete.

Eddy

[Vemnagelignc]

*Nudging with a foot is not kicking!!