SLC Officer Kills Dog In Man's Fenced Yard; SLC's Top Cop Pissy About Criticism
This is just so terrible. Officers were looking for a lost child and Officer Brett Olsen entered Sean Kendall's fenced-in yard and then, instead of just backing out when he encountered Kendall's 3-year-old Weimaraner, shot the dog in the head. Kendall confronts two other cops, still at the scene, on video.
(The video isn't as long as it looks because the camera was dropped at one point. Forward it to the end, to the backyard shot.)
More from J.D. Tuccille at reason:
Perhaps feeling a bit besieged after dog owner Sean Kendall posted a video of his impassioned confrontation with Salt Lake City police after one of their fellow officers entered his yard and shot his dog, Geist, Police Chief Chris Burbank stepped in front of a camera--and acted pissy that anybody would dare criticize his officers."Evidence shows that the dog was extremely close, in fact within feet of the officer," he insisted, immediately after stating that he wouldn't insert himself into the review of the case.
Well, OK. Let's give him that one. After all, Officer Brett Olsen, the shooter in the incident, had barged into the dog's yard at the time, while searching for a missing child in the neighborhood. He hadn't sought permission, and he apparently made no effort to back out.
Kendall's dog, Geist.
More here at the petition site:
Police said the dog was "aggressive," but Kendall isn't buying their explanation. He says that Geist (pictured above) had never shown aggression before, and was, most likely, simply walking toward the officer out of curiosity about the stranger in the yard. In fact, he says, any dog would do the same thing."The idea that he attacked an officer -- it just doesn't make sense," sad Kendall. "I believe my dog came out of the dog kennel to see what was going on, who was here, stopped right here, and those were his last moments."
Kendall says that he has now lost his best friend. "He was a member of my family. He was just goofy and funny and he loved to play. He was a big cuddler, a big cuddler, and now he's gone," said Kendall. "You know we slept together, we went on hikes together."
He says the sight of his dog lying dead from a bullet to the head is now "burned into my eyes."
"Just the sheer sight of seeing my dog there -- it was traumatizing," Kendall said. "Now he's dead. I have him wrapped up in a blanket in the back of my truck, and now I have to go bury him."
Kendall met with Salt Lake City police at the city's police headquarters on Monday, but came away frustrated that no action is being taken against the cop who killed his dog.
Kendall say the officer who killed Geist needs to pay with his job.
"The only thing that I would be satisfied with is having this officer terminated," said Kendall. "I feel that his judgment was completely inappropriate."
But the police defended the officer's actions, saying there were "extenuating circumstances."
"A child is missing," said Salt Lake City Police Sergeant Greg Wilking. "If you're a parent, you would want us to look everywhere for your child. We wouldn't want to leave any stone unturned."
The boy was reported missing at 4:30 pm, police said. He was found safe and asleep in his parent's basement at 5 pm.
Dogs being shot by cops happens too often these days in this country.
via @BernardKingIII
"...and was, most likely, simply walking toward the officer out of curiosity about the stranger in the yard."
Exactly. Because that's what pets do. They learn to trust humans. If hell exists, there's an extra-special corner of it for people who abuse that trust.
And also, we once again have this meme that "someone is missing" (as in the case of the Boston Marathon bomber dragnet) waives the need to obtain search warrants. (Not like judges don't hand the damn things out like candy anyhow.)
Cousin Dave at July 1, 2014 6:17 AM
Puppycide (skip past first page) is another good term to search under, if you want to see how bad the problem is. One feels that the cops think if they go back to the station without having shot the dog, they aren't performing their duty. I've read stories where the owner is pleading with the cop not to shoot, and bang.
I've also read the theory that it is being done to desensitize people to cops shooting pets; then to Flash-Bangs in cribs; then to shooting people. I wonder about this...
- Steve
Steve at July 1, 2014 6:27 AM
You know, the dog probably did charge the officer, barking at him. After all, the officer was intruding onto the dog's turf.
Looking for a missing child? Big, barking dog? Guess what, that's not where the child is, go look somewhere else.
The dog had every right to be as aggressive as he wanted. The officer was trespassing; the officer was in the wrong. There is no possible defense - criminal trespassing plus civil damages.
a_random_guy at July 1, 2014 6:57 AM
Dealing with a strange dog can be scary. You never know how it's going to behave. Cops know they won't get in any trouble, so they probably figure it's easier and safer to just shoot it. I say it's time to make that course of action neither easy nor safe.
Farmer Joe at July 1, 2014 7:33 AM
I, like a jury, will want to know EXACTLY what probable cause the office had to enter this man's back yard. Saying there was a missing child isn't good enough. What specific information did this officer have to believe the missing child was in this man's back yard? Did the officer believe this man to be a suspect? If so, did he have a search warrant? How tall was this young child? Is it possible the child could have opened the gate based on his age/height? If the child was in the backyard with an aggressive dog, wouldn't there have been other evidence, such as blood, clothing, shoes, etc., and/or wouldn't the neighbors have heard screaming, growling, barking and other noises? My point: This officer has no excuse, had time to leave the scene before escalating, had no probable cause, was trespassing, killed this man's dog (which, unfortunately is still considered property in most states) and should - in fact - be terminated for poor judgement. This poor man should bring a civil suit against the officer for mental duress, trauma and anything else possible... we trust the police to protect us and our property, not destroy our mental state and property in the process of poor attempts to protect someone else.
Lee Ladisky at July 1, 2014 7:38 AM
Wonder what the neighbors, mailman, meter reader, and UPS might say regarding the dog's aggressive past.
I am not certain that firing the cop is totally justified, but he should certainly be given at the least training in how to deal with animals, training in when he can't cross private property without permission, and then given a camera he must wear for the next two years.
jerry at July 1, 2014 8:18 AM
These cops shouldn't be going around shooting dogs. They should be trying to find out who killed Heroin Bob.
Conan the Grammarian at July 1, 2014 9:17 AM
Yeah, that training should consist of: When entering the domain of any dog - BACK THE HELL OUT OF THE YARD.
He should have to personally pay the civil damages. Not the frickin union.
gooseegg at July 1, 2014 9:18 AM
"We wouldn't want to leave any stone unturned"
Leave no stone unturned.
Leave no dog unshot.
New SLC Police motto.
Martin at July 1, 2014 9:43 AM
He should have to personally pay the civil damages. Not the frickin union.
Absodamnlutely agree. And he should also have to be arrested for animal cruelty, and be penalized.
JUST LIKE ANYONE ELSE.
Flynne at July 1, 2014 9:51 AM
I'm with Random Guy and Lee...if the backyard has a big dog, a high fence with a latch, that's not where the kid is...back out, and leave the dog in peace. It doesn't take a genius to figure that one out. And yes, that POS cop should have to pay the damages out of his own pocket, he had no business being in that dog's yard.
sara at July 1, 2014 10:54 AM
What the hell is wrong with cops these days? They shoot dogs for being...dogs. I have a happy, bouncey Golden Retriever that will greet any and everyone with a great deal of exuberance, and in no way can it be mistaken for aggression. He doesn't growl, snarl, or snap, just bounce and wag. If a cop came to my door, I'm afraid he would be shot. (or me, since I always put myself between Dex and the door until he calms down).
So, this cop thinks he's a BMOC because he killed someone's beloved pet. What's next? A No-knock raid on grandma's house?
Kat at July 1, 2014 11:30 AM
I've got friends who live in the area. Apparently the gate was one of those that only opens from the inside with the latch down at waist level so the cop had to scale the six foot wall to get into the yard in the first place
lujlp at July 1, 2014 11:36 AM
Apparently the gate was one of those that only opens from the inside with the latch down at waist level so the cop had to scale the six foot wall to get into the yard in the first place
Wow. My parents' dogs (who are boisterous but LOVE people who are invited in) would probably go berserk if a stranger scaled the fence -- and probably get shot for doing their job.
My parents have a decent amount of land in the middle of nowhere. Our dogs have alerted them more than a few times to strangers on the property at night -- mostly just kids "parking" or trying to cut through, not knowing that the rather large driveway leading to my parents' house is a private drive. The dogs' warning growls and barks sounds scary, but that's what you want when you're home alone in the middle of the woods and a strange car pulls up, lights off.
sofar at July 1, 2014 11:54 AM
It's time to disarm the police.
Gog_Magog_Carpet_Reclaimers at July 1, 2014 12:11 PM
"That's as simple as it gets"
What a f&cking lie!
And what about those parents who reported their kid missing and the kid was found asleep in their house? Didn't someone think to look there?!
I agree with this dog owner - that officer needs to pay with his job - because next time it might be a person who he "panic" shoots.
Charles at July 1, 2014 6:12 PM
I was thinking the exact same thing, Charles. Why the hell didn't they look in the basement? How old was the kid, anyway?
My daughter is 4, and I always know whether she is inside or outside the house. I imagine if she were old enough to let herself in and out, she would most likely be with neighborhood kids, as I always was as a child.
I would really like to know what these parents were thinking. Do they not realize how slim the chances are that any child will be abducted by strangers? Maybe they should be charged for the search.
Seriously, who goes from, "Hey, where's Jack," to "CALL THE POLICE!"
Sosij at July 1, 2014 8:11 PM
Okay, the kid was 3. I would really like to know why the parents called the police before looking in their basement.
They're damn lucky he was, or they would probably be in jail on child endangerment charges right now.
Sosij at July 1, 2014 8:24 PM
"I, like a jury, will want to know EXACTLY what probable cause the office had to enter this man's back yard."
The jury will not hear that because: the cop will not be charged with anything and a civil suit will never go to jury; also probable cause is not the standard for circumstances such as these. But mostly, cops can kill your dog any day and twice on Sunday for whatever reason and face no consequences.
popo<3forever at July 1, 2014 9:37 PM
I can see the parents calling the police - stupid things happen, they didn't see the kid had crawled into some odd corner, and they panicked.
Regardless, this shouldn't distract us from the real point of the article - the puppycide.
a_random_guy at July 1, 2014 10:15 PM
Why would cops do something like that?
Because they want to. Because they like to. Because they're not good people.
Remember the video a few weeks ago of the homeless man murdered by cops in New Mexico? They waited for hours for that homeless man to give them some excuse to shoot him, and the moment it began to look like he wasn't going to, like was about to comply with their commands, they set a dog on him and shot him down.
Way too many of the people working in law enforcement are neither morally nor intellectually qualified.
Ken R at July 2, 2014 1:18 AM
"Way too many of the people working in law enforcement are neither morally nor intellectually qualified."
And then they rise through the ranks and set policy.
Bad ju-ju all the way around.
Gog_Magog_Carpet_Reclaimers at July 2, 2014 12:13 PM
Hundreds rally over killing of Geist the dog by Salt Lake police:
Jim P. at July 2, 2014 6:52 PM
"Wonder what the neighbors, mailman, meter reader, and UPS might say regarding the dog's aggressive past." Posted by: jerry at July 1, 2014 8:18 AM
There can only be two reasons why cops shoot dogs that everyone else gets along with:
a) They are cowards.
b) They are sociopaths.
markm at July 3, 2014 9:00 AM
How can you say cops are sociopaths?!
Would a sociopath knock a guy out of his wheelchair for running over his foot?
Gog_Magog_Carpet_Reclaimers at July 3, 2014 1:19 PM
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