Magistrate Clears Officer Who Shot Dog

Raleigh, N.C. — A Wake County magistrate has cleared a Raleigh police officer of wrongdoing in the shooting of a dog on Christmas Day.

Officer R.A. Smith shot Truman, a chocolate Labrador retriever, behind the right ear while responding to a call about a dog bite. The dog suffered a ruptured eardrum and has been recovering at home.

Another dog in the house had bitten its owner, Meredith Phillips, on the cheek earlier, and Rex Hospital workers reported the dog bite to authorities according to procedure after Phillips went to the hospital for treatment.

Smith, 23, told investigators that Truman ran toward him, but Phillips and her family maintain the dog was tied up on the porch.

The Raleigh Police Department Internal Affairs unit investigated the case and turned its findings over to a magistrate, who ruled that no criminal violation had occurred.

The police department continues to review the case to determine if Smith violated any department policies, spokesman Jim Sughrue said.

Department officials also plan to review its training and practices to determine if any changes are needed to handle dog-bite calls.

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I think it's a sad situation all the way around. But, everyone's missing the point! Who gave REX the right to call the RPD? Who gave the RPD the right to go to the house? If you have a shooting victim or an auto accident victim, the police comes to the hospital to talk to the victim. Why is that not SOP for dog bites? And shouldn't the OWNERS of the house HAVE TO GIVE their permission for these actions to be taken? If I go to the hospital because my son accidentally shot me while cleaning his gun. Are they going to go to my house and shoot my son unbenounced to me? What happened to our CIVIL RIGHTS?

rc25
January 1, 2007 6:13 p.m.

I disagree with the cop and I disagree with the magistrate. I can also GUARANTEE that if that bullet had've hit a human in that house, all you people siding with the cop would be nowhere to be found. It was STUPID for him to fire at that dog, on the porch of that house. He got real lucky that Lab was all he hit.

3 Sails
January 1, 2007 2:50 p.m.

WOW! Action is faster than reaction. Hence, the name. First of all, to the people that think the officer should have called before hand to announce his arrival. Why? Why would an officer take the chance of announcing themself to an unknown person with an unkown intent? Second, to the ones that wonder why the officer didn't use pepper spray. Pepper spray is not effective on all animals. It's not even effective on all people. Also, if the wind was blowing the wrong direction, how would he be able to spray the dog? There is a pepper spray made for dogs, but it is still not effective on all dogs. Plus, it's just one more thing to add to an already over crowded duty belt. I had more to say but this limits how much to type. I could go on all day. The main point is, don't judge. If every RPD Officer judged people the way y'all are, then I can't even imagine the problems this city would have.

RPD07
January 1, 2007 4:46 a.m.

Guess what folks if you have read the strange news for Dec 31 you would have seen that a police officer in Florida actually has some common sense and a good heart. He used his STUN GUN to get a python under control who was actually attacking it's handler, rather that just shooting it. Unlike the Raleigh Police that just shoot first and don't take the blame later. Heck they don't even appologize, they get their Capt. to do it for them. Chaulk this one up to life's lesson 101.

bhurrelbrink
December 31, 2006 11:22 a.m.

if you dont break the law, you dont have to worry about cops shooting up your house!

jackleg
December 31, 2006 6:38 a.m.