The miniature Dachshund's name was Killer, but he was far from that. Killer was 11 years old and, according to his owner, had never attacked anyone.
So why did a police officer in Danville, Va., shoot and kill the small dog last week?
Because he thought Killer had rabies. So he fired his weapon, he said, in self-defense.
I had to read this story several times before it finally sank in. But even now, I have to wonder if the officer, Murrill McLean, acted too quickly and without giving thoughtful consideration to the situation.
At a news conference last Thursday, Danville Police Chief Philip Broadfoot said he regretted that the dog was killed, but he stood by McLean's decision to shoot him.
"The fact of the matter is that the dog was running loose, that it placed officer McLean in a precarious situation, and that officer McLean made a judgment decision in a fraction of a second that cannot be re-versed," Broadfoot said. "I'm not expressing regret over the decision."
Here's what happened: McLean was attempting to serve a warrant at a nearby house when he was approached by Killer, who bared his teeth and growled. Because that type of behavior is associated with rabies, McLean believed he was in danger.
When Killer lunged at him, according to McLean's report, the officer drew his gun and fired.
OK, he felt threatened. But did he act recklessly? Could he have used his foot or nightstick to fend off the dog? Could he have tried to scare the dog by shouting at him? Could he have called out to the owner, who might have heard him and retrieved Killer?
Were his actions overly rash?
A Dachshund is a small, non-threatening dog. They're biters, too, but I can't help but believe the officer in this case could have chosen another course of action. Maybe a swift kick would have turned Killer away and kept McLean from shooting him. But we'll never know.
One more thing: Killer's owner, Angela Harper, said her dog didn't have rabies.
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Anonymous
June 17, 2009, 10:36 am
I personally feel this officer overreacted. Small dogs, especially dachshunds, can be overly protective but shooting to kill while serving a warrant is over the top.
Anonymous
June 17, 2009, 6:22 pm
Burn in hell blue devil!
Anonymous
June 18, 2009, 9:39 am
All you have to do is kick it away, how can someone be afraid of a dashund? The are tiny...What's it going to do tear your leg off? The idea that the officer though the dog had rabies is a ridiculous excuse.
Anonymous
June 19, 2009, 7:23 pm
You are always responsible for the control of your dog. Life isn't what you see in the movies. What has been said of this dog is like saying an officer should deal with a man coming at him with a knife by shooting him in the hand. Ridiculous. The owner saying the dog did not have rabies after the incident means nothing. Blame the owner not the officer. Where were they?
Their negligence got their dog killed.
This attitude of some dog owners really makes me angry. I had 20 animals destroyed by a loose dog, and could not stop the dog other than shooting it. The owner came to my home and threatened me over the situation. Also, a couple I know HAD 2 beautiful dogs, which they left loose and knew they were hunting other animals. One day, only one came home, with a gunshot wound. Actually, Dauchshunds are bred to kill small animals. It is their instinct to do this.What if a kid had been the one that the dog ended up biting? That is where this was going to end up. Ever see what a dog does to a child's face? A bite from even a small dog is disfiguring.
Anonymous
June 20, 2009, 3:56 pm
A miniature dachsund is bred for animals up to the size of rabbits. The comment about dachsunds the previous poster left about dachsunds being bred for killing small animals didn't say how small those animals were. Just thought I'd fill folks in on that. Now a full size dachsund is a different story, as they were bred to fight badgers in the badgers burough. A full size dachsund weighs in at 20 to 30 lbs though. A little more menacing than the 9 to 12 of a miniature. I own a miniature dachsund and he barks and might bite someone he doesn't know as long as that person shows some kind of fear, but if you jump toward him and yell he'd back down and pee on himself. Another note here, There are no known instances of a miniature dachsund actually attacking an adult person and killing them. Bottom line, yes the owner was wrong for not leashing the dog properly, but the officer was also wrong thinking the gun is his first option in this situation. Shame on both for this happening!
Anonymous
June 20, 2009, 9:28 pm
a lot of men drawn to police work are notoriously macho to cover up deep insecurities in their manhood. you hear about this quite a lot, killing pets -especially dogs -- out of sheer malice & an excuse to wield power. may they rot in hell.
Anonymous
June 30, 2009, 8:43 am
It was dark, the dog came up from behind him.. there are none of you who make perfect decisions all the time.
Ultimately, it was up to the idiot who owned this dog.. Killer ran loose throughout the neighborhood and had aggression issues in the past. None of you were there.. and probably none of you would have the guts to stand on someone's doorstep serving a warrant... the officer is at high risk during these moments.. I'd do what I had to do.
Had the dog been in control as per the law, he would be alive today.
I hope this family never gets another dog.. they don't deserve one. This makes me ill.
sheri
July 4, 2009, 10:07 am
Fredericktown, PA
what a sad and unfortunate situation for dog, owner and officer. police have a job to do that is very dangerous, and i praise MOST, but not all. There are too many cops out there that when you put a gun in there hands they decide they are super cops and its a shoot first ask questions later. i really do feel that officers need more training on how to handle situations like this one. because some idiots decided to train pitbulls to fight, ALL pitbulls now have a reputation as dangerous animals and are illegal to own in some states (talk about prejudice) My point is i guess is that the officer did not think, he acted. Why was this dog out running around in the neighborhood, and if i read this right, had an agressive nature? Shame on the owner and shame on the cop.
Anonymous
July 10, 2009, 4:35 pm
Yes, the dog's owners were negligent in letting their dog run loose. It might have been a threat to a small child or a cat. But to a huge, armed police officer? Give me a break. This particular cop was a coward - plain and simple.
Anonymous
July 11, 2009, 9:52 am
The officer has been fired, in case you all did not know by now, but I still say the Danville police dept. needs to be cleaned out from the top to the bottom. He was not the only sorry cop there.
Anonymous
July 12, 2009, 1:36 pm
One small dachshund come on ten maybe but one tiny weeny dog the cop really saved the day. I would have shouted at it.
kamicaccamise
October 7, 2009, 4:22 pm
you have a very cute dogs email me at kamicaccamise@yahoo.com thank yo i need to talk to you!!!!!!!!!very impotant thanks
kamicaccamise
October 7, 2009, 4:25 pm
you are very protective for your dogs i love them to death you take great care of the im glad you can help dogs it breaks my heart when people abuse dogs im a dog lover you email me kamicaccamise@yahoo.com
kamicaccamise
October 7, 2009, 4:26 pm
i think it is horrible about what the officer did to the cute little dog god bless him
jdeisme
October 9, 2009, 12:32 am
I see a lot of you on here are corrupt cop lovers instead of animal lovers. I am not a big person but if a Dachshund bared his teeth at me, at first I would smile how brave a dog this is. I don't condone kicking dogs but if he was advancing on the cop, a small kick would be enough to send the dog away. A big kick would have killed the dog as to where placed. That is why I condone kicking a dog. This cop was a coward and corrupt to begin with. I don't have to know him to know he was corrupt. In any police force there is at least 75% corruption. When one cop messes up, every other cop stands up for him and the cop gets off clean most of the time. May all animals go to heaven and cops and politicians go to hell so the lawyers won't be lonely.
jdeisme
October 9, 2009, 12:40 am
Oops. I messed up in the third sentence where I said I don't codone kicking a dog. The word don't shouldn't have been there.
One more thing to add to my previous story. Cops are known to like to kill dogs anyway. I have seen it too often. I have a German Shepherd that would take your hand off if you stuck it thru his fence, but he is just protecting his property but once he gets out, he wouldn't do anything but lick a child in the face. Someone will call the cops and I have to catch him quick or they will shoot him because of the nature of HOW THEY TRAIN German Shepherds. Mine is trained by me. A dog lover. He protects his territory but when out he knows the block does not belong to him.
jdeisme
October 9, 2009, 12:49 am
I want to make this straight. Most cops are corrupt. I had a cop send a terriostic threat to me on my cell phone for dating his ex-girlfriend. I took the phone and let his police station listen to the message. Before I left the station, someone had erased the message. I also filed a report at a police department in two different cities. He had been calling me and threatening me. I didn't bring charges but I filed reports on him. A few months later when he started again, I went to both departments to get the reports for my attorney but guess what? No record of such files.
Your son may be a cop and be a good one to you but when he gets with all his brother cops, he is not a very good person. Too much power in their heads.
