Title: Kansas Cop Kills Army Veteran’s Service Dog, then Issues him Two Citations Source:
Photography Is Not a Crime URL Source:https://photographyisnotacrime.com/ ... 0Army%20Veteran%27s%20Service% Published:Apr 18, 2017 Author:Ben Keller Post Date:2017-04-19 10:51:28 by Deckard Keywords:None Views:15989 Comments:131
A Kansas cop shot and killed the service dog of an army veteran who suffers from PTSD on Thursday, according to the Daily Haze.
Augusta police officer Devon Keith says he was forced to shoot Alan Fitzgeralds dog Midnite claiming the dog charged an animal control officer after ramming a door until it opened making the animal control officer fear for his life.
But Fitzgerald said his dog didnt do anything wrong and officer Keith shot him for no reason.
Alan Fitzgerald and his service dog, Midnite, before a cop shot and killed it.
Neighbors who witnessed the shooting said the animal control officer was the one who opened the door and began acting aggressively towards the dog before shooting it.
Augusta police, along with animal control, showed up at Fitzgeralds house Thursday afternoon after a neighbor called to complain about a German Shepard.
Fitzgerald said Midnite got out on Thursday, presumably chasing rabbits and cats as he often did. Midnite ended up several mobile homes down from his home, hovering over a neighbors small dog.
Its how he plays, Fitzgerald explained.
Fitzgerald talked to the small dogs owner, who said the smaller dog wasnt hurt, just shaken up from Midnite towering over it.
Things settled and Fitzgerald returned home and was in the shower when he heard Midnite bark and then gunshots.
All of a sudden, I heard this pound pound pound on the screen door, Fitzgerald recalled.
And I heard Midnite barking, obviously hes going to bark because hes guarding the house. All of a sudden then I heard shots fired and I heard my dog screaming in agony.
Fitzgerald came out to see what was going on only to have a gun pointed at him inside of his own house.
I got halfway out the door, and about right here where this crack is, theres an officer standing with his gun pointed at me. I said what are you guys doing here, why did you kill my dog? he said, Get on the ground, I said, Im not gonna get on the ground so I went inside and slammed the door, he told KSN.
August Police Chief Tyler Brewer defended officer Keith.
The animal control officer felt in fear for his life, the chief said.
These officers feel horrible for having to do that.
According to chief Brewer, when the animal control officer knocked on the door, Midnite answered.
The front door was open but the glass screen door was shut, Brewer explained. The dog rushed and hit the glass of the screen door and startled the animal control officer.
Officer Keith was forced to shoot Midnite when the animal control officer fell off the porch, hitting his head, trying to bite the officer, according to Brewer.
Midnite
But Fitzgeralds neighbor Charmin Drake says the dog got out because the animal control officer actually opened the door, not Midnite, then entered without a warrant and began kicking and even hitting Midnite with a baton.
After beating the dog, officers went outside and shot Midnite. Then they issued Fitzgerald two citations for having a vicious animal.
Fitzgerald rescued Midnight in 2015 and obtained an ADA service dog certificate, which required the dog to pass behavioral tests without showing signs of aggression, and said he had Midnite for his PTSD.
Whenever I was having some sort of episode of oncoming anxiety, he knew what to do. Hed come up and nudge me or do something silly. Hed turn over on his back and give that little smile, you know, that dogs give. Im just going to miss all of that.
Check out the Daily Haze interview with Alan Fitzgerald below.
Poster Comment:
The animal control officer felt in fear for his life, the chief said.
How many bees or cows were a dire threat to cause physical harm to police officers on duty over the past 50 years?
At least two of the killed cops - as opposed to zero, zilch, nada, bupkis cops killed by dogs.
This was a service dog - they are trained to be non-aggressive.
Fitzgerald rescued Midnight in 2015 and obtained an ADA service dog certificate, which required the dog to pass behavioral tests without showing signs of aggression, and said he had Midnite for his PTSD.
This was a service dog - they are trained to be non-aggressive.
Fitzgerald rescued Midnight in 2015 and obtained an ADA service dog certificate, which required the dog to pass behavioral tests without showing signs of aggression, and said he had Midnite for his PTSD.
I dont care what a dog was trained to do, I care what a dog did .as you should also.
Passing behavioral tests one day is suppose to be an indication of what a dog might do the next day. However, that test is not, and can never be, an absolute guarantee of what a dog will do the next day.
As soon as I saw the source of the article you posted, photographyisnotacrime.com a warning immediately flashed through my mind to indicate that I am looking at another ad-driven agenda site on the same level as The Free Thought Project. After checking further, I knew that I definitely was.
So you must understand that I cannot give any credence to your source or accept what some undocumented Journalist [you like that .I just coined it] named, Ben Keller, who resides in Austin, Texas [a bastion of liberalism], where much of his activism centers around government accountability. He thinks the public should have more access to court rooms. [What?] He volunteers for Peaceful Streets Project as well as other groups [protests] who shine light on government corruption. He has no degree and only studied [attended a few classes in] English Literature and Philosophy at the University of Texas at Austin.
Hey, Bubba .your Ben Keller is a Matt Agorist [of TFTP] on steroids. Here are just a few of his recent articles. Not only is he prolific, he also has a fetish for capitals .which you cannot help but notice. That definitely indicates to me that he is no journalist.
TEXAS COPS SHOOT MAN MULTIPLE TIMES, LIE ABOUT IT, THEN REFUSE TO ALLOW FAMILY TO VISIT HIM IN HOSPITAL
WATCH: FLORIDA MOM OUTRAGED AFTER 10-YEAR-OLD AUTISTIC SON ARRESTED AT SCHOOL TRYING TO TAKE TEST
WATCH: FLORIDA MOM OUTRAGED AFTER 10-YEAR-OLD AUTISTIC SON ARRESTED AT SCHOOL TRYING TO TAKE TEST
SOUTH DAKOTA CPS FORCE CATHETER INTO 3-YEAR-OLD BOYS PENIS IN SEARCH OF ILLEGAL DRUGS
WATCH: COLORADO COP SLAMS FEMALE COLLEGE STUDENTS FACE TO THE GROUND
MISSOURI SHERIFF ARRESTED ON 18 COUNTS AFTER HANDCUFFING 77-YEAR-OLD WOMAN CAUSING HEART ATTACK
FLORIDA SHERIFF TELLS PINAC REPORTER HE HAS NO RIGHT TO PROTEST PARTICIPATION AWARD CEREMONY FOR DEPUTIES
NEW YORK COPS PROFILE MAN FOR LOOKING AROUND SUSPICIOUSLY IN FRONT OF HIS HOUSE
WATCH: GEORGIA DEPUTIES KILL UNARMED TEEN BEFORE LYING TO FAMILY ABOUT CAUSE OF DEATH
Do you kinda get the theme of what Ben is all about and what his motives are. If not, then you are more stupid than I ever thought.
Multiple neighbors who witnessed the shooting claim to have seen Officer Devon Keith enter Fitzgeralds home, without permission, at which point he got into a confrontation with Midnite.
Maybe there is a way, but I fail to understand multiple how neighbors could have have seen this without being on the front porch with the police officer and the animal control officer. How did that know the Fitzgerald did not call from the back his home for the officers to come in? They did not.
Neither Fitzgerald or his mother were in the front of the residence when the shooting happened. Multiple witnesses say they saw Keith kick Midnite multiple times before finally shooting the German Sheperd.
Fitzgerald and his mother could not possibly have know what happened since they were in the back of the house and saw nothing of the incident.
Sport, there is just not any factual data for me to either condemn or support this action by the officers, and I will be damned and gone to Hell before I would ever convict them on hearsay from Ben Keller, who was nowhere near Augusta and simply took a story form the local newspaper and fabricated spin for his own agenda driven hit piece. You of course can do that, convict the officers. Wait, you have already done that. You are complete biased idiot. There has never been an ounce of objectivity in your mind .and there never will be. Pathetic
They include photos of the broken door and the dead dog outside.
Interesting to see more details here that fill out the picture. Without such detailed reporting, we all just fill in details and make assumptions on our own.
City of Augusta says arrests will be made for those who attend a candlelit vigil for a veterans service dog that was shot by an Augusta police officer last week
Hmmm...not only are the cops in that town encouraged to shoot non-aggressive service dogs, but it's also a place that does not allow freedom of assembly.
Sounds like a place Gatlin would enjoy living in.
Augusta Police exonerate officer who killed a veterans service dog.
Of course they did. He used the magic words "I feared for my life".
City of Augusta says arrests will be made for those who attend a candlelit vigil for a veterans service dog that was shot by an Augusta police officer last week
Hmmm...not only are the cops in that town encouraged to shoot non-aggressive service dogs, but it's also a place that does not allow freedom of assembly.
Sounds like a place Gatlin would enjoy living in.
Nah, the city of Augusta requires an ordinance for a demonstration.
Most all cities do.
Sounds to me like a bunch of libertarian assholes feel they can do whatever they want to and say f**k you to the city and all ordinances.
I called them libertarians because they feel they are above the law and dont need a permit to demonstrate.
The Supreme Court has held that it is constitutionally permissible that local governments require a permit to conduct a peaceful assembly. However, Augusta city officials are pushing that rule more than they should be.
A permit is typically required if it is going to be a march or parade that does not stay on the sidewalk and other events that require blocking traffic or street closure, a large rally requiring the use of sound amplifying devices; or a rally at certain designated parks or plazas. The vigil for Midnite does not meet any of those basic guidelines.
The City of Augusta was said to have stated they would not issue a permit for Midnites vigil. This alone is a problem. The Supreme Court has made it very clear that Government officials cannot prohibit a public assembly in their own discretion.
While some permits can take weeks to obtain, the First Amendment prohibits such an advance notice requirement from being used to prevent rallies or demonstrations that are rapid responses to unforeseeable and recent events.
The City of Augusta was said to have stated they would not issue a permit for Midnites vigil. This alone is a problem. The Supreme Court has made it very clear that Government officials cannot prohibit a public assembly in their own discretion.
Suppose the dog owner had shot the cop.
You think the city would have insisted that any candle vigils would have to have a permit or they would get ticketed?
I don't.
Seems kinda chickenshit to pull that permit business. Obviously, the city didn't want to get any more heat for this doggie shooting.