http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/01/09/police.kill.dog/index.html COOKEVILLE, Tennessee (CNN) -- Police video released Wednesday showed a North Carolina family kneeling and handcuffed, who shrieked as officers killed their dog -- which appeared to be playfully wagging its tail -- with a shotgun during a traffic stop. The Smoak family was pulled over the evening of January 1 on Interstate 40 in eastern Tennessee by officers who mistakenly suspected them of a carjacking. An investigation showed James Smoak had simply left his wallet on the roof of his car at a gas station, and motorists who saw his money fly off the car as he drove away called police. The family was driving through eastern Tennessee on their way home from a New Year trip to Nashville. They told CNN they are in the process of retaining a lawyer and considering legal action against the Cookeville, Tennessee, Police Department and the Tennessee Highway Patrol for what happened to them and their dog. In the video, released by the highway patrol, officers are heard ordering the family, one by one, to get out of their car with their hands up. James Smoak and his wife, Pamela, and 17-year-old son Brandon are ordered onto their knees and handcuffed. "What did I do?" James Smoak asks the officers. "Sir, inside information is that you was involved in some type of robbery in Davidson County," the unidentified officer says. Smoak and his wife protest incredulously, telling the officers that they are from South Carolina and that their mother and father-in-law are traveling in another car near them. The Smoaks told CNN that as they knelt, handcuffed, they pleaded with officers to close the doors of their car so their two dogs would not escape, but the officers did not heed them. Pamela Smoak is seen on the tape looking up at an officer, telling him slowly, "That dog is not mean. He won't hurt you." Her husband says, "I got a dog in the car. I don't want him to jump out." The tape then shows the Smoaks' medium-size brown dog romping on the shoulder of the Interstate, its tail wagging. As the family yells, the dog, named Patton, first heads away from the road, then quickly circles back toward the family. An officer in a blue uniform aims his shotgun at the dog and fires at its head, killing it immediately. For several moments, all that is audible are shrieks as the family reacts to the shooting. James Smoak even stands up, but officers pull him back down. "Y'all shot my dog! Y'all shot my dog!" James Smoak cries. "Oh my God! God Almighty!" "You shot my dog!" screams his wife, distraught and still handcuffed. "Why'd you kill our dog?" "Jesus, tell me, why did y'all shoot my dog?" James Smoak says. The officers bring him to the patrol car, and the family calms down, but still they ask the officers for an explanation. One of them says Patton was "going after" the officer. "No he wasn't, man," James Smoak says. "Y'all didn't have to kill the dog like that." Brandon told CNN that Patton, was playful and gentle -- "like Scooby-Doo" -- and may have simply gone after the beam of the flashlight as he often did at home, when Brandon and the dog would play. The Tennessee Department of Safety, which oversees the Highway Patrol, has said an investigation is underway. 'Could have been avoided' Cookeville Police Chief Robert Terry released a statement on the department's Web site Wednesday night describing the department's regret over the incident. The Cookeville Police Department site was not responding Thursday morning. "I know the officer wishes that circumstances could have been different so he could have prevented shooting the dog," Terry wrote. "It is never gratifying to have to put an animal down, especially a family pet, and the officer assures me that he never displayed any satisfaction in doing so." Terry said he and the vice-mayor of Cookeville met with the family before they left "to convey our deepest sympathies" for the loss of their dog. "No one wants to experience this kind of thing, and it's very unfortunate that it occurred," he wrote. "If we had the benefit of hindsight, I'm sure some -- if not all of this -- could have been avoided. I believe the Tennessee Highway Patrol feels the same way." The department is conducting an investigation to determine what, if anything, could have been done differently, he said. Police also plan to be in contact with the Smoak family, Terry said. The Smoaks buried their pet at home. A white cross marks the grave.
OK, now I am furious. First some stupid idiots think they see a crime, then a family with 17-yr son old and two dogs are thought to be the carjackers, then the friendly dog is killed. Going by the book MY ASS those are some hopelessly stupid cops and they need to be shown the door.
this is why i try to keep my dogs on leash in all public places... cops will shoot your dog on site if they feel they are threatened, puppy, adult dog, friendly or not... they will kill it on site... no hesitation.
Totally freaking BS!. Cops wonder why they are losing the trust of the public? Why not take the time to get the whole story before you make bone headed decisions like this?? They already had the family in cuffs, why not close the doors to the car when the family pointed out that the dogs were gonna get out? I'm saddened for the family, as a dog guy myself, I would be heart-broken if I were in their place.
exactly what dumbass can't figure out a family with 2 dogs are not carjackers enough to think on his own and let the wife close the damn doors. Those dogs could have caused an Interstate car accident for christsakes, if you insist on going by the book--dumbass.
ya think? Let's see...different circumstances...hmmm...like meaning he wishes he used a water gun? WTF???? Well, perhaps the officer could have taken his head out of his ass long enough to realize that the dog wasn't trying to kill him What a disaster.
Wadda ya know... finally an issue that we ALL can agree on... vemenently agree with heypartner.....DUMBASS Cops!!
Hey, cops can legally shoot you if they feel threatened. No questions asked. He obviously had a fear of dogs.
btw: <blockquote><hr>"Sir, inside information is that you <b>was</b> involved in some type of robbery in Davidson County," the unidentified officer says. <hr></blockquote>At least we have the satisfaction of making a Spelling Police kill of this dumbass cop.
I don't own dogs and don't really like them and used to be a little scared of them, anyways, every dog should be on a leash when in a PUBLIC place or that is not prevented from getting into a PUBLIC place (in an unfenced yard), because they can severly injury/kill someone/something and a person in a PUBLIC place shouldn't have to deal with someone else's animals that they can't take care of. <b>Back to the topic</b> I believe that when the cops pulled over the car a simple license and registration should have done fine to prove the party innocent/guilty.
No questions asked? My ass. This kind of thing will get a cop fired if it happens regularly. Fear of a dog does not mean you are justified in shooting it when it is obviously not a threat.
That is the biggest piece of **** saying...You are not a dog, you cannot communicate(including feedback) with your dog, but most importantly you are not your dog so how the hell do you know the dog won't bite? Same with a human..you can't just look at a person and say "oh, he's not take a gun to work and shoot everyone" the dog may see something that it doesn't like, or he may just be crazy. But that doesn't mean shoot a dog. If the dog were to be running at the officer that would be different and I would feal that the officer should whatever he felt necessary to defend himself, but since the description doesn't say that the dog was even moving and I'm not going to pay to suscribe to anything I haven't seen the video.
Sorry I didn't state that that first paragraph was off the topic. I was only respnding to keeping a dog on a leash in a public place.
Some cops are the biggest egotistical SOBs in the world. THat SOB better lose his badge ASAP. To the cop, well good luck getting a job a tthe mall as security. Maybe you can rough up a couple teenagers with your flashlight. Sorry if any cops are out there, most are great guys but about 15-20% of any force are just out to be pricks.
