Demand Investigation of Dog’s Shooting by Police! BY ROBERT MOREAU Target: Gregory Baker, Village of South Holland Chief of Police Goal: Investigate unwarranted shooting of dog by officers Recently, a resident of Chicago’s South Holland suburb filed suit in federal court accusing officers of shooting his dog without cause. Randy Green claims that last year, Officer Chad Barden and an unnamed fellow policeman allegedly shot his Cane Corso, Grady, after responding to a complaint filed by another resident about an unleashed dog in the neighborhood. According to Alternet in a recent article, Green has stated that video footage recorded from his home showed that there was no aggressive action taken by Grady towards the officers. Green also claimed that no effort was made by police to use poles to catch the dog. This incident is significant because it shows an ongoing lack of consideration for dogs and other animals by police across the nation. Real Clear Politics recently noted “both state laws and departmental policies seem to let police officers use deadly force as a first resort against family pets that present little or no threat.” The lack of a true established and enforced protocol towards dealing with animals considered by owners to be a part of the family is a situation that should be remedied. The South Holland police department can help ensure such an incident does not happen again both by conducting an internal review of the events and administering discipline if necessary, as well as taking steps to ensure adequate department-level training of officers in matters involving pets. Please help press for change through signing this petition. PETITION LETTER: To South Holland Chief of Police Gregory Baker, It was recently reported that a resident of South Holland is suing department officers due to a claimed unprovoked shooting of his dog. Randy Green alleged that Officer Chad Barden and another policeman shot his Cane Corso, Grady, after coming to the house in response to a call of a dog running around without a leash and then standing at the house for about twenty minutes while observing no aggressive behavior from the pet. If true, this is concerning because it is part of a nationwide trend of police officers shooting family pets as a first option. The need to adequately respond to complaints while also ensuring the safety of animals that may be seen by their owners as a member of the family must be a top priority for your department as well as others. The South Holland Police Department can contribute to a solution both by internally investigating the alleged claims and administering discipline if necessary, as well as ensuring adequate protocols for responding to incidents involving pets. Sincerely, [Your Name Here] Photo Credit: Diesel40 via Wikimedia Commons forcechange/69051/demand-investigation-of-dogs-shooting-by-police/
Posted on: Thu, 18 Jul 2013 08:01:54 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015