Cop Shoots Beloved Pet Dog

[ncarter]

Austin Police Chief Apologizes for Shooting of Cisco the Dog

By CHRISTINA NG | Good Morning America – Wed, Apr 18, 2012 1:12 PM EDT...

A Texas police chief has apologized to a devastated man whose dog Cisco was shot point blank by a police officer who responded to a call at the wrong address.

Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo apologized to Cisco's owner Michael Paxton during the "Dudley and Bob Morning Show" on KLBJ FM Radio.

"My heart goes out to him. I think if you ask everybody in the department, believe it or not, we're animal lovers, just like everybody else," Acevedo said, according to ABC News' Las Vegas affiliate KVUE.

"I definitely appreciate the apology, Art," Paxton replied. "It does me a lot, considering I haven't been contacted by anybody. To hear that from you, it does mean a lot to me."

The incident has garnered national attention and anger. A Faebook page called "Justice for Cisco" has more than 71,000 supporters that have left messages of support and, often, outrage.

The shooting happened on Saturday afternoon when Paxton, 40, and his Australian cattle dog were relaxing and playing Frisbee in his Austin backyard when he decided to go get something from his truck in the driveway.

He encountered a police officer who immediately drew his weapon and told Paxton to put his hands up, he said.

"He had a Taser. He had pepper spray. I don't understand why, in broad daylight, he pulled a gun on me. I wasn't running. I wasn't hiding," Paxton told ABCNews.com. "I was just saying, 'I live here.' I was panicking. I was afraid for my life."

Paxton said he heard Cisco, who weighed about 50 pounds, barking and coming towards him from the backyard.

"I said, 'Don't shoot him. Don't shoot my dog. He won't bite you.' But he shot him, just like that. It all happened in under 30 seconds," Paxton said. "There was no attack on the officer other than barking and challenging him."

Austin Police Cpl. Anthony Hipolito told ABCNews.com that the officer did respond to the wrong address, but it was the address provided by the 911 call. The call came from the house next to Paxton's.

"The officer was basically in retreat and asked the owner to grab the dog," Hipolito said. "He was unable to and the dog continued to attack and that's when the officer discharged his firearm."

An apology was issued at the scene, according to Hipolito, but Paxton said no one apologized to him.

"Officers have to do everything they can to protect themselves, up to and including the use of deadly force," Hipolito said. "It's something that we don't ever want to do. To shoot and kill an animal is very unfortunate and tragic. The officer is distraught and did not want to do it, but at the same time, he had to protect himself."

As a shocked and horrified Paxton stared down at his dog's lifeless body, he said he was confused when the officer started asking him if he had a girlfriend.

"I was saying, 'You just killed my dog. I can't believe you just killed my dog. What is going on?'" Paxton recalled.

Paxton said the officer said he was responding to a domestic issue report of a man choking a woman. It turned out the call had come from next door.

"I was in shock for probably almost 24 hours. I wasn't crying at that point, but when I picked my dog up out of the driveway, I lost it," Paxton said, choking up. "He's not a viscious dog. He was a good boy. He was a real good boy."

Edited May 18, 2012 by ncarter

[ncarter]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUzpNDSLHPY&feature=player_embedded#!

very disturbing situation and horribly sad for the poor guy. I thought the owner handled himself really well considering. I cannot believe the policeman could be so impulsive and then try and too downplay his error. Cant imagine Australian police conducting themselves like this

Edited May 18, 2012 by ncarter

[StaceyB]

Oh, that is just disgraceful! Poor dog, I feel so sorry for the owner. All over a damn clerical error At least they had the decency to offer a public apology though.

Edited May 18, 2012 by StaceyB

[ncarter]

in the apology the police couldnt even remember the owners name and it was basically a 'shit happens' apology

[milly2]

How very sad poor owner, would be devestated.

[Chris the Rebel Wolf]

I don't like his account of events when the supervisor gets there, how he is saying there was quite a bit of time between approaching the owner, and saying the dog was coming at him, and he backed off and placed himself behind a truck - from the sound clip at the start, over the course of two seconds, the cop has gone from yelling 'show me your hands' to the owner, to 'f**k it's a dog' and you hear the shot fired. There is no way he backed off and took cover. He obviously approached on a hair-trigger and when the dog came running towards the scene he has just reacted.

Poor Cattle Dog Rest easy little man.

[Jed]

People like that with poor nerves should not be in policing. I do hope his employers will find him something else. This type of work doesn't seem to suit him.

And I do hope the owner of the dog sues. It wont bring back the dog, but it will make him feel better, and hopefull, he will get enough for another dog. I think it is a bit poor that they didn't offer that.

[Squidgy]

Trigger happy Fhead

sorry for the cursing abreviation

but this is disgusting :mad :mad

and I agree I could not imagine any australian officer behaving in such a way

[ncarter]

And I do hope the owner of the dog sues. It wont bring back the dog, but it will make him feel better, and hopefull, he will get enough for another dog. I think it is a bit poor that they didn't offer that.

From what ive read the owner has no grounds to sue, as according to law in Texas, Any Law Enforcement Officer can shoot to kill any animal if there is a perceived threat to their safety. Don't think their will be any disciplinary action taken against the Officer either.

[sumosmum]

People like that with poor nerves should not be in policing. I do hope his employers will find him something else. This type of work doesn't seem to suit him.

And I do hope the owner of the dog sues. It wont bring back the dog, but it will make him feel better, and hopefull, he will get enough for another dog. I think it is a bit poor that they didn't offer that.

Agree, and it was making me sick the way the cop was trying to justify his actions. The owner conducted himself very well under the circumstances. I think I would have probably been shot as well. I would lose it if that happened to me and my dog. :cry:Very sad for the owner.

[Dame Aussie]

Scumbag

I wouldn't have accepted his apology, I'd want to murder him. The dogs owner was very civil about what happened IMO.

Edited May 23, 2012 by Aussie3

[Sheilaheel02]

RIP CISCO

At least you knew how to do your job Mate! Rest easy boy.

S xxx

[mantis]

People like that with poor nerves should not be in policing. I do hope his employers will find him something else. This type of work doesn't seem to suit him.

And I do hope the owner of the dog sues. It wont bring back the dog, but it will make him feel better, and hopefull, he will get enough for another dog. I think it is a bit poor that they didn't offer that.

Agree, and it was making me sick the way the cop was trying to justify his actions. The owner conducted himself very well under the circumstances. I think I would have probably been shot as well. I would lose it if that happened to me and my dog. :cry:Very sad for the owner.

I would have ended up in jail or shot if I was in that situation, because I would have gone nuts & attacked the trigger happy cop.

RIP doggy, a shame you had to die protecting your owner who had done nothing wrong.