This one is gonna stir up some crap

[BarryBobPosthole]

I have no idea what the law is concerning defending one's self against a police k9, but according to this story (and you know how THOSE go) this guy appears to have been shot and killed while stabbing a police dog. I'm having trouble figuring out where the officer is using deadly force because of threats to himself or his partners. This one will be interesting.

BKB



GOLDSBY — A Sunday night high-speed chase through two counties ended with one man shot dead and a police dog critically injured and sent to emergency surgery, Oklahoma City police reported.

About 8:45 p.m., police were called to a business at 7233 S Air Depot Blvd. in reference to a burglary. When officers arrived, they saw a man run into a vehicle and drive away.

The officers pursued the vehicle from there, and Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers joined and led the pursuit when the driver was speeding southbound on Interstate 35 in Norman, Oklahoma City police Capt. Dexter Nelson said.

Troopers used tactics to end the pursuit, and the vehicle’s tires blew out near the Goldsby exit on I-35, causing the vehicle to drive into ditch west of the highway, Nelson said.

Oklahoma City K9 officers and gang unit officers stayed back with troopers until the driver got out of the vehicle and started running southbound near the service road. A K9 officer let the police dog go after the driver and saw the police dog apprehend the driver behind a nearby business, Nelson said.

While the K9 officer was running to police dog and the driver, he saw the driver had a knife and was stabbing the police dog. The officer fatally shot the man, and the police dog was taken to a veterinarian for emergency surgery, Nelson said.

The K9 officer has been placed on paid administrative leave pending the investigation.

Southbound traffic on Interstate 35 near Goldsby was restricted to one lane while Oklahoma City police officers waited for the state medical examiner’s office to arrive.

Oklahoma City homicide detectives and internal affairs detectives are investigating the shooting. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol is investigating the pursuit, Nelson said.

No names were released.

[Thumper]

I don't know if it's the standard, but down here a police dog is considered a "police officer" and the shooting would be completely justified.

[BarryBobPosthole]

I did not know that. I wonder if that's the case here too? If that's the case, I wonder why they don't have police bears instead of dogs?

BKB

[Thumper]

And robo-cops instead of humanoids! ;)

Your post does bring up another question that I'm not sure of the correct answer. It sounds like the dog lived. Now if the perp had lived also, could he be brought up on charges of attempted murder? (actually, attempted murder of a law enforcement officer?) Or would it just be assault charges? I'm not really sure. How 'bout it youse LEOs around here?

[Thumper]

Well dang, I've been digging around the net and it seems the laws are pretty inconsistent, even varying between departments. In some departments, K-9's are simply considered a law enforcement "tool" legally and in others, they can be "sworn officers". I don't know if State laws cover stuff like that or if it's left up to local community law enforcement.

You're right ... depending on the laws where that happened, it "could" get sticky. I do believe that killing a police dog is a felony almost anywhere, I'm just not sure what the charges would be. Down here, if a police dog is killed in the line of duty, he gets a full funeral service just like a human officer ... even a motorcade.

[Arty]

What thump said. I don't know this for a fact (haven't looked up the law) but I've always been told that a police dog is an officer.

Police bears are a good idea.
Also police kittens. They could be trained to sit on the officers shoulder.
Hey Thump! - there's a side job idea for you!

[Thumper]

I'm surrounded! Sigh .....

[LJ3]

kitteeze wif widdle poweece hats izz cutez!

[Trav]

As far as I am concerned it's justified, hell for that mater if I saw somebody stabbing my dog I would put a few rounds in them as well and she isn't a police dog.

[Buckrub]

Didja get that off the internet??? :biggrin

[LJ3]

Emotionally - I think he should be charged with attempted homicide on a police officer.

Logically - for that to be fair you'd have to be just as willing to send a human cop after him in the same situation and they weren't. So Dog cop life < human cop life.

Personally - shoot the bastard in the leg and then ask him what he was doing.

[Thumper]

Personally - shoot the bastard in the leg and then ask him what he was doing.

I think that's only done in the movies.

[BarryBobPosthole]

I had a cop friend tell me once to never shoot to wound somebody. First off you never know when one of them is going to stick that gun up yer ass and secondly dead people can't sue you.

and I got it off the Daily Oklahoman, a newspaper written by a bunch of welfare Republicans in Okie City.

BKB

[Thumper]

I think that's where the term "shoot to kill" comes from.

[Buckrub]

I had a cop friend tell me once to never shoot to wound somebody. First off you never know when one of them is going to stick that gun up yer ass and secondly dead people can't sue you.

and I got it off the Daily Oklahoman, a newspaper written by a bunch of welfare Republicans in Okie City.

BKB

Oh.

So these are people that don't actually exist. OK. I always believe that group!

[BarryBobPosthole]

No they exist here. We're the reddest state you ever seen. And we've got more people on welfare than you can shake a stick at and most of them will slap you with a hunk of commodity cheese if you dare mention a Democrat.

But that's neither here nor there. We have two major papers in the state: The one in Oklahoma City, The Oklahoman, would suck an oil man's dick and regularly do. So you'd prolly like 'em. The Tulsa World isn't smart enough to have a position. They take a pretty wishy washy editorial opinion that doesn't please anybody. so we ain't got a lot of choices.

But they cover the stories accurately enough. I just thought it odd that an attack on a k9 would be considered a justified use of deadly force.

BKB

[Buckrub]

Oh come on. "Welfare Republicans"?? No matter what you and Chilly Willy say, they are figments!! :)

As for police dogs, they should be treated as policemen.

[BarryBobPosthole]

Man, this makes me sad. But there's some further explanation of the law here regarding police dogs.
BKB



An Oklahoma City police dog stabbed by a man who led authorities on a pursuit Sunday night died Monday, police said.

Kye, a 3-year-old German shepherd who was involved in the pursuit, suffered multiple stab wounds Sunday night and had emergency surgery. He experienced complications after surgery and died about 3:30 p.m. Monday, police said.

Kye had about two years of service with the Oklahoma City Police Department.

The man who stabbed Kye was fatally shot by the dog’s handler, Sgt. Ryan Stark. The name of the man was not released Monday. Stark, who has 13 years of service, was put on administrative leave pending the outcome of standard criminal and administrative investigations by the police department.

The incident occurred about 8:45 p.m. Sunday when police were called to a business burglary at 7233 S Air Depot Blvd. Officers saw a man drive away and pursued. Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers joined the pursuit as the driver sped southbound on Interstate 35 near Main Street in Norman, Oklahoma City police Capt. Dexter Nelson said.

Troopers used tactics to end the pursuit near the Goldsby exit on I-35, where the vehicle hit a ditch west of the highway, Nelson said.

The driver got out of his vehicle and started running south near the service road. Stark let Kye chase the driver, and Kye apprehended the driver as he ran behind a business, police said.

Stark arrived behind the business and found the man armed with a knife, stabbing Kye, police said. Stark tried to separate the man from the dog before drawing his gun and fatally shooting the man, police said.

Nelson said a police officer could not shoot a person solely for attacking a police dog, but officers are trained that they can use lethal force when they are within 21 to 25 feet of a person with a knife if the situation warrants.

Fatal shootings

Sunday’s shooting was the seventh officer-involved shooting involving Oklahoma City police this year. Four of those shootings were fatal.

From a legal standpoint, a K-9 is considered a tool that an officer uses, Nelson said. However, police officers view them as partners, he said.

Stark was featured in a February story in The Oklahoman about the Oklahoma City Police Department’s K-9 unit. He showed off some of Kye’s police skills and talked about the bonds he formed with his canine partners. Kye was Stark’s second police dog.

“Obviously, we couldn’t do the job that we do without them,” Stark told The Oklahoman in February. “They don’t show any signs of fear. They don’t care what the guy has done — whether he was armed with a gun or shot people or whatever the case — they just go in full force and take us to the problem.”

K-9 dogs live with their K-9 handlers and work together eight days in a row in 10-hour shifts, police said.

“During those eight days, I spend more time with my dog than I do with my wife or my children,” Stark said. “You rely on these dogs for everything. I rely on him to keep me alive and send me home at the end of the night.”

Police dogs face a variety of dangers on the job. In the past, dogs have been injured from falling while chasing suspects, as well as from being shot, punched, kicked and cut with a box knife, Nelson said.

[Trav]

The bastard who was shot got what he deserved, I would trade a dozen of him for one Kye.

[LJ3]

It is sad. Hard for me to say but I think "the dogs are a tool that police use" is really the truth there. I mean, we're all some serious dog lovers here, as are most outdoors people.

Whether or not the guy deserved to be shot is a tough call. Sounds like that cop may get in pretty big trouble if the legalese behind it all defines the dog as a tool.

[Thumper]

Yep, I still don't know how much the law varies from state to state, or even between cities and communities. I "believe" in some areas, a police dogs is considered a "sworn" officer. I think here they even have their own badges pinned to their bullet proof vests. I just don't know how far their legal standings go. I've always been told a police dog here is a "police officer" ... not a tool. But again, that's what I've heard ... not what I know.

Where are all our law-dogs here? I've been awaiting their input.

[Niner]

If he was that close to the perp who was wielding the knife, then according to the article, he was justified in shooting him.

I know from stuff that I've read and watched, that an attacker with a knife can close 20' in less time than most folks can react...even with a gun.


Stark arrived behind the business and found the man armed with a knife, stabbing Kye, police said. Stark tried to separate the man from the dog before drawing his gun and fatally shooting the man, police said.

Nelson said a police officer could not shoot a person solely for attacking a police dog, but officers are trained that they can use lethal force when they are within 21 to 25 feet of a person with a knife if the situation warrants.

[LW]

I say bury that asshole in the same manner you would a dog and make the bastards family pay the vet bill. Sorry, I fell to typically find anybody that has as virtuous of a life as dog does.

[DeputyDog]

I can't speak for any other state, but in Indiana, police animals are covered under the animal cruelty laws. The penalties are a little harsher than for a non-police animal. I can't say if this was a good or bad shoot without knowing the details, but the bad guy had shown his intention to resist physically and he was armed. I know that 20 feet seems like a long ways, but a person will be all sliced up before he could react if the bad guy came at him. Even with his weapon drawn, the bad guy would still be on top of him before he would get any rounds off. Given what I've seen on this I'd call it a good shoot, but you never know what a jury will say.