Kalamazoo Public Safety Officer Shoots Dog

KALAMAZOO -- Todd Pook thought he heard fireworks Friday afternoon beside his home at 132 E. Belmont St.

What he actually heard was two gunshots fired at his dog, Chase, an Akita-rottweiler mix, after the animal was approached by a Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety officer investigating a breaking-and-entering call across the street.

"I stepped out on my back porch, and I could see the smoke from the gun," Pook said.

The dog was injured in both hind legs, requiring 21 stitches in one leg and a drainage tube for fluid in the other. Pook said he paid more than $1,000 for surgery and an overnight stay for Chase at his veterinarian's office.

Pook was packing up to leave for the afternoon about 3 p.m. A surveillance video of the incident provided by Pook, and posted on the Web site photobucket.com, shows a Public Safety officer knocking on the front door of the residence.

After getting no answer, he proceeds to walk along the side of the house. Seconds later, the sound of what seems to be two gunshots can be heard. The actual shooting cannot be seen on the video.

After the shooting, the officer can be heard saying, "Calm down, calm down," and "The dog was coming up on me."

Pook thinks the officer may have become scared when the dog came around the corner of the house.

"We did have an officer that shot a dog that was attacking him," said Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety Capt. Brian Uridge.

"The case shows that the officer acted within departmental policy and responded appropriately," Uridge said.

He noted that the way the officer was canvassing the area for possible witnesses to the break-in was standard procedure.

The officer's name is being withheld as the case remains under investigation, Interim Assistant Chief Pat Wright said. He said there would be no administrative leave for the officer, since the shooting involved an animal.

Pook was puzzled as to why such force was necessary in the incident.

"The officer didn't try any verbal commands or anything," according to Pook.

When Pook asked officers why the dog was shot, he said he was told they could not comment on the incident until an investigation was complete.
Courtesy of Todd PookTodd Pook's dog, Chase, an akita rottweiler mix shown on the morning of July 5, 2008, was shot by a Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety officer at about 3 p.m. the day before, on July 4, outside Pook's home in the 100 block of East Belmont Street in Kalamazoo. The dog required about $1,000 to recover from the two bullet wounds, Pook said.

At Monday's City Commission meeting, Susan Houvener said she was filing a formal complaint in response to the incident with the department's Office of Professional Standards. Houvener did not make clear her relationship to the owner or the dog.

Public Safety officers confiscated three hours of surveillance video showing what happened before, during and after the shooting. Pook said he has cameras around the exterior of his home because of break-ins and drug trafficking in the area.

Pook said Chase wasn't acting out of character when the incident occurred.

"He's my dog and warns me when people come," Pook said. "He wasn't snarling or anything. He's a good dog.

http://blog.mlive.com/kzgazette/2008/07/dog_owner_asks_for_answers_aft.html

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[TheChrislikespie]

I love how you record a video on your desctop from a camara painted at the tv

[roadkill439342]

@TheChrislikespie I love how you post non sequiturs on other person's youtube videos......

And NO "I" did not POINT (not "paint") a camera at the TV, This video was taken directly from a television news station website as a "raw video". I do not know who "painted at the tv", nor does it affect the over-all story, does it?

[gusmacker]

How many people have a video camara focused on their front door?? Humm kinda odd if you ask me

[roadkill439342]

The original news article Pook lived in a rough neighborhood that had breakins and home invasions and installed the cameras to protect his home.

The cop was in the neighborhood to investigate a break-in that happened across the street the night before and crossed the street to interview potential witnesses and had entered the back yard when he shot the dog.

[LStrode7]

I cant believe cops get away with this unacceptable behavior!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[UnkleRory]

You americans are sure racist eh! ya love the N word eh! Ya racist little pig

[cunard61]

After not getting an answer at the front door of this home, the cop should have left. This shooting incident took place on private property, and the cop didn't have probable cause to enter this homes backyard. If he'd seen the suspect of the robbery that brought him there running into that back yard, then yes, his entry would have been legal. The Forth Amendment exists for a reason. I do wonder if the dog was in a fenced in yard, if so, the cop was clearly in the wrong.

[16goarmy]

@UnkleRory shut the fuck up

[sephious159]

cops don't like dogs specially in this end of town, its even worse as you go further down

the department should have covered the recovery, but still things like this cant be avoided, the cop wasnt doing but his job

AND

a big nasty fucking dog is gonna try to fuck him up?

[LStrode7]

@FallingandRunning .Yes..that particular ac officer carries a firearm..its been said that hes not 'certified' yet to carry a tranquilizer gun.That seems backwards..being able to carry a real gun first and then a tranquilizer gun!

[FallingandRunning]

@LStrode7

Yeah, I've heard of things like this with ac and with police officers. There's a vid up here of a weiner dog shot by police because it was barking. Though I didn't know AC was actually allowed to carry guns, at least not anything stronger than tranq.

[LStrode7]

@FallingandRunning .Watch "animal control out of control".Its a friend i made through you tube confronting the animal control officer who shot and killed his dog because "it was taking too long" to catch her when she got loose when he wasnt home.The officer admits in this video she wasnt even aggressive!!It happened about 2 weeks ago.Very sad..such a sweet dog!

[FallingandRunning]

I wonder how many dogs wouldn't be dead right now if cops would just aim for the ground? The noise alone would scare most dogs away.

[FallingandRunning]

@LStrode7

They get away with everything, that's why I'm working up to get a full survalance system around my house. Just look around youtube, there are news reports of dogs that were shot dead just for barking,a puppy chi that was shot for biting officer that cornered it, and all kinds of things. They can weave stories all they want but they can't lie in court against videos.