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Title: Police officer shot dead after pointing stun gun at man's dogs as he attended domestic disturbance
Source:
Daily Mail Online
URL Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art ... inting-stun-gun-mans-dogs.html
Published: Aug 14, 2011
Author: Daily Mail Reporter
Post Date: 2011-08-14 20:23:45 by Sebastian
Keywords: None
Views: 28041
Comments: 35
A police officer killed while responding to a domestic disturbance in a small eastern Pennsylvania borough had pointed a stun gun at two dogs before being shot, court records reveal. Freemansburg police officer Robert Lasso had pointed at the attacking dogs when the homeowner pulled out a shotgun and fired the fatal blast on Thursday evening. In police custody, the alleged gunman, 46-year-old George Hitcho Jr, said he had told Mr Lasso to get off his property and not come on unless he had a warrant, authorities said. Killed: Robert Lasso was shot dead as he attended a domestic disturbance 'He tried to kill my dogs and pointed a gun in my face,' Hitcho said, according to the documents. 'I do not care if you a cop or not ...Unbelievable.' The officer had been responding to a report of a disturbance and ended up at the back of Hitcho's house, authorities said. Police Chief George Bruneio, who arrived after Mr Lasso requested assistance, instructed him to 'shoot the dogs' and that's when the homeowner pulled out a shotgun and fired, authorities said. Mr Lasso, 31, a married father of two, was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead a short time later. Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett has ordered flags in the Capitol complex and in Northampton County to be flown at half-staff to honour Mr Lasso. Disturbance: The owner of the Pennsylvania home allegedly told Mr Lasso to get off his property before shooting him Honoured: Mr Lasso, 31, was a married father of two Mr Lasso's family said they were devastated. 'Robert, he was so good,' said his mother, Elsie Stem. 'He was so loved, especially by his kids. Now they have to grow up without a daddy. It's not fair.' Mr Lasso's funeral will be held on Tuesday. Yesterday a procession was held in his memory as his body was transported from hospital to a funeral home.
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Begin Trace Mode for Comment # 26.
#1. To: Sebastian (#0)
As long as LEOs keep on acting unprofessional and far more intrusive than necessary - while playing God - things won't turn out well. Dogs and cats are "family" to many people.
'He tried to kill my dogs and pointed a gun in my face,' Hitcho said, according to the documents. 'I do not care if you a cop or not ...Unbelievable.' I hope this is the beginning of a trend.
As I explained in post#5 to Murron, you folks are jumping to conclusions. The article does not describe all the detail. Here is another article: Above has a link: http://www.fugitive.com/2011/08/13/freemansburg-police-officer-robert-lasso-shot-and-killed-in-the-line-of-duty-watch-video-here/ Lasso was attacked by two dogs running free in the alley separating the two homes. Alley ways are publick property, not private property. If two dogs or any varmints play aggressive with me, I would kill them too.
A valid consideration if true. However, SOME alley ways are indeed private property. If two dogs or any varmints play aggressive with me, I would kill them too. Beware. There are quite a few George Hitcho Jrs in the world.
Most alley ways are parts of property easements with generally one of the deeded purposes being egress for police and fire protection.
Possibly, but obviously arguable depending on the deed and subdivision/municipality. Perhaps we'll get some definitive answer on this soon.
Well, we have a dead cop whom was pursuing a publick report about a domestic issue completely unrelated to the dogs or the murderer that shot Lasso in the face with a shotgun. Lasso died in the line of duty and for no reason other than a wanton murderer allowed his animals to roam around the neighborhood unleased and fenced in. I have seen some other reports about this murderer, too. Everything bad, from drug use to being aggressive towards his own neighborhood.
You always believe everything the cops tell you? The kid- Kelly Thomas- who Fullerton cops beat to death, was unarmed, malnourished (~135 lbs.), and had done nothing to justify his being beaten until he was brain-dead. He went from this: To this: After four days, they took him off life-support, because he was brain-dead. Oh, BTW, he was brain-dead for TWO reasons: 1. Blunt-force trauma to both the front and back of the head (they smashed his face onto concrete curbs, as well as used the butt of the taser-pistol to smash in the back), and 2. Asphyxiation, due to the 350#+ cop repeatedly doing the "drop-knee" onto his face and neck, crushing his throat... Don't give the typical "I LOVE THE STORMTROOPERS" bullshit... In the Kelly Thomas example, they claimed at different times, that he was armed, that he fought the police, that he was a suspect in various crimes, etc, etc. And the witnesses said said the cops showed up, threatened to beat him, and when they ran...? THEN they MURDERED him. Your blind faith in our militarized police is misplaced. Such faith might have been appropriate, at another time and place... like 1930's Germany.
This is partly about credibility - and the increasing lack of it from Law Enforcement.
Exactly.
No one was arrested for "domestic disturbance", the call excuse is phony. More likely, the cops were trying to sell drugs and the deal went bad.
#27. To: hondo68 (#26)
That is correct. The issue was diverted from a potentially minor issue to the murder of a cop that was killed with a shot gun pointed at his face. Neighbors called the cops afterward. That is a fact.
You Tea Partiers need to get a grip.
I want to correct my earlier post to you because it may give you the wrong impression that I agree with you about the "call was phony." Lasso responded to an emergency call at 5:06 p.m. of an argument at 126 Washington St. from William Clancy, the homeowner. Clancy had gotten involved in a dispute with a man he believed to be a neighbor and driving a red truck. Clancy took Lasso to the alley-way where the truck was located — the rear of 440 New St. Two dogs attacked Lasso, and he called for backup. When Bruneio arrived, he saw Lasso "engaged with the two dogs" in the back yard and pointing his stun at them. Bruneio told him to shoot the dogs. Then a shot rang out and Lasso fell to the ground. Bruneio told state police he saw the man later identified as Hitcho holding a shotgun and it appeared to have jammed with a spent shell. When Bruneio ordered him to surrender, Hitcho said: "He's breaking into my house." Bruneio repeated his command, and Hitcho laid the shotgun on the ground. After securing Hitcho, Bruneio said he went to Lasso, saw he had "a lot of blood by his head" and "shattered glass" near his body. He radioed in an "officer down" and police and paramedics came in from the borough and neighboring communities. Lasso was taken to St. Luke's Hospital-Fountain Hill and pronounced dead at 5:42 p.m. Later in police custody, Hitcho told investigators he ordered Lasso to get off his property if he didn't have a warrant, court records say. "He tried to kill my dogs and pointed a gun in my face," Hitcho said. "… I do not care if you a cop or not … Unbelievable." http://www.mcall.com/news/breaking/mc-freemansburg-homicide-arraignment-20110812,0,7809192.story?page=2 The call wasn't phony and it did not involve narcotics.
If Hitcho is telling the truth then officer Lasso was on private property without a warrant, and not a word mentioned about Hitcho being the person of interest in a domestic violence investigation. If the officer was shot on the property, then the dogs were on this property too, not some back alley. He was last arrested and charged with having 'drug paraphernalia', six years ago, and he has neighbors who don't like him, so this is a good reason to set him up? This whole damn thing smells to high heaven. "In police custody, the alleged gunman, 46-year-old George Hitcho Jr, said he had told Mr Lasso to get off his property and not come on unless he had a warrant, authorities said."
Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/LatestPolice Chief George Bruneio, who arrived after Mr Lasso requested assistance, instructed him to 'shoot the dogs' and that's when the homeowner pulled out a shotgun and fired, authorities said.
#10. To: Liberator (#1)
Police Chief George Bruneio, who arrived after Mr Lasso requested assistance, instructed him to 'shoot the dogs' and that's when the homeowner pulled out a shotgun and fired, authorities said.
#11. To: Deckard, Sebastian, Liberator, Brian S, Murron (#10)
During the call he was attacked by two dogs in an alley behind the home. The dogs lived at a home on New Street, directly behind the home where the complaint originated from. He was attempting to use his Taser to subdue the dogs when their owner appeared and shot him without warning. Officer Lasso suffered a shotgun blast to the face. He was transported to a local hospital where he died a short time later.
#12. To: buckeroo, Deckard, Sebastian, Brian S, Murron (#11)
Lasso was attacked by two dogs running free in the alley separating the two homes. Alley ways are publick property, not private property.
#13. To: Liberator (#12)
A valid consideration if true. However, SOME alley ways are indeed private property.
#14. To: mininggold, buckeroo (#13)
Most alley ways are parts of property easements with generally one of the deeded purposes being egress for police and fire protection.
#15. To: Liberator, mininggold (#14)
Perhaps we'll get some definitive answer on this soon.
#16. To: buckeroo (#15)
I have seen some other reports about this murderer, too. Everything bad, from drug use to being aggressive towards his own neighborhood.
#18. To: Capitalist Eric, buckeroo (#16)
You always believe everything the cops tell you?
#22. To: Liberator (#18)
This is partly about credibility - and the increasing lack of it from Law Enforcement.
#26. To: Capitalist Eric, buckeroo, Liberator, *Jack-Booted Thugs* (#22)
This is partly about credibility - and the increasing lack of it
Replies to Comment # 26. No one was arrested for "domestic disturbance", the call excuse is phony.
#28. To: hondo68 (#26)
No one was arrested for "domestic disturbance", the call excuse is phony. More likely, the cops were trying to sell drugs and the deal went bad.
#29. To: hondo68, ALL (#26)
No one was arrested for "domestic disturbance", the call excuse is phony. More likely, the cops were trying to sell drugs and the deal went bad.
According to court records of Lasso's last call:
#30. To: hondo68, Capitalist Eric, buckeroo, Liberator (#26)
"No one was arrested for "domestic disturbance", the call excuse is phony. More likely, the cops were trying to sell drugs and the deal went bad."
End Trace Mode for Comment # 26.
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