Racine Cops Shoot Inoffensive Dog Repeatedly, Racine-alize Their Actions

[XLFD]

Kim Polk of Racine, Wisconsin, just across the lake from Ludington, allegedly witnessed her neighbor's dog defecate on her lawn and insisted on him cleaning up the mess.  The neighbor promptly came over and kicked the excrement to the street.  She then indicates that the neighbor was upset about being inconvenienced, and indicated that he was going to shoot Ms. Polk's dog with a bow and arrow, and made some threat to her husband involving a machete. 

 

Police scanner reports indicate that about noon Saturday, November 1, a man in the 4000 block of Victory Avenue was threatening neighbors with a knife after chasing someone walking a dog. When officers arrived, the man refused to come out of the house and a perimeter was established by a tactical team (SWAT). 

 

Racine Police Chief Art Howell said the man made threats against police, including shooting them with a cross bow, and those comments prompted the tactical response. Police blocked off the area and residents were advised to stay in their homes.  For reasons unknown, the man let his dog out of the house, and then this happened...

 

 

 

After shooting the dog who started the whole bizarre episode by relieving himself on the neighbor's lawn, police stormed the house and took the man into custody.

 

On Sunday, a group of about a dozen upset over the dog being shot stood outside the Racine Police Department.  They were demanding that something be done in the case.

 

Racine Police Chief Art Howell reviewed the tapes and issued this statement on Sunday night:

 

“On a personal level, I am saddened over the loss of a domestic pet that more than likely, had no malice against anyone. As more information is released however, members of the public will have a better understanding of nature of the dilemma officers faced as this incident unfolded.

“During this standoff, the dog owner threatened to use a body armor piercing crossbow to kill officers, and this subject threatened to use his dog as a weapon against officers as well. After several hours of dialogue with crisis negotiators, the barricaded subject ultimately made good on his threat to introduce the dog into the active standoff.

“After the dog was released, the dynamics of this encounter changed. Officers, who for over three hours were focused on peacefully resolving this crisis through dialogue, were now forced to deal with the distraction and unpredictability of having the subject’s dog moving through the scene of this active encounter at a critical time.

“Additional review is in order; however, judgment relative to the actions taken should be reserved until the matter has been thoroughly reviewed and all facts are known and considered.

“Please know that our policy is such that, all use of force incidents are reviewed internally. In the event our review process exposes misconduct, or if we find that additional training could have resulted in a better outcome, we will take appropriate action as dictated by our findings.”

In an odd sort of karma, the man who threatened to shoot the neighbor's dog with an arrow, has his own dog get shot by a horde of trigger-happy police officers.  If this man had actually shot at his neighbor's dog with an arrow, he would likely be facing at least misdemeanor charges.  The officers that fired their guns at a retreating dog that day, making an angel out of Angel, will likely be facing a bunch of supportive co-workers.

[AQUAMAN]

I would hope we all try to hold officers in high respect. Sorry, I can't in this case, not at all. Cowards that shoot a small helpless animal like this need the same execution themselves imho. Needless to say, the Chief and internal affairs will back them all to the limits, and find them all innocent of any wrongdoing. That simply was a small non-threatening canine that needed to pee, not a threatening guard dog out to harm or attack anyone. Good thing for video, they can't escape the truth to everyone else. Why didn't they just calm down and let the dog pee, or else let the German Shepherd dog loose on the littler dog? Anything is better than what happened! Sorry, I'm a Big Dog Lover, and any dog I've had is more worthy than any of those SWAT officers imho. 

[Willy]

From the neighbor's reactions the dog seemed to be liked by them. As I watch the police cross the street it appears they are moving in formation and are ready to do battle before they have all the information. Typical SWAT action. Why didn't the police simply call the dog over to them instead of acting like a bunch of paranoid fools. This military style of police work is causing a lot of over reaction by the cops in a lot of communities. I wonder what training techniques and manuals they are using.