Interesting story about police shooting and killing a dog

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Interesting story about police shooting and killing a dog

Posted: 12/21/2005 3:48:20 PM EST

Police kill K-9

BRISTOL -- A police dog was killed Tuesday morning by an officer after the German Shepherd, searching for a burglary suspect believed to have stolen two loaded guns from a Sims Road home, attacked an officer waiting outside the home.

About 80 minutes after police responded to the Sims Road call, a city man, who later would be charged with the burglary, was arrested after he allegedly tried to steal merchandise from a Middle Street convenience store.

Zachary Girardin, 22, of 65 Terryville Ave. was charged with possession of a firearm and several other crimes in connection with the store incident, according to Lt. Mark Moskowitz.

Based on the identification of the gun as one of those reported taken from the Sims Road home, police said they later linked Girardin to the incident on Sims Road. He additionally was charged with third-degree burglary, first-degree criminal mischief, second-degree larceny and two counts of theft of a firearm.

The suspect was held in lieu of $200,000 in bonds and will be arraigned for both incidents today in Bristol Superior Court.

The homeowner reported the burglary to police shortly before 9 a.m. and said he thought the suspect was still inside the home, according to police Capt. Daniel McIntyre.

When officers arrived, the homeowner said two firearms and ammunition were missing from a gun cabinet.

The homeowner said he returned home with a friend, saw lights on in the house and the garage open. Moments later, the resident said, he noticed his gun cabinet, which he said was normally locked, was open with firearms missing, heard noises coming from the basement and immediately called police.

During the police investigation of the burglary, additional officers, including the K-9 unit and the Emergency Response Team, were activated because the suspect was still considered to be in the home, McIntyre said.

Because of its proximity to the Sims Road home, Ivy Drive Elementary School was placed on lockdown as a standard precaution for more than three hours because the suspect was believed to be at large and posed a potential danger, according to police.

The police dog, Bosco, was sent into the home through the front door by his handler, Officer Greg Blackinton, to search for the suspect, McIntyre said.

Bosco went through the home and charged out of a rear sliding-glass door toward the western edge of the property, where an officer was waiting in a crouched position, McIntyre said. Bosco bit the officer, identified as Brian Aleia, on the leg, but then released him. The dog turned as if to head back into the home, stopped, turned around and again charged Aleia, police said.

Because Blackinton was still at the front door, he was unable to call Bosco off.

McIntyre said the dog was killed when Aleia had to fire a shotgun to stop him. Though deceased at the scene, Bosco was taken to a local veterinarian, along with his handler, said McIntyre.

The captain said Blackinton will be given time off as a result of the death of his partner.

"We will certainly respect his [Blackinton’s] wishes in that respect," McIntyre said.

McIntyre said Bosco was in an aggressive mode when tracking the suspect, and as he left through the rear door and saw a person within the fenced-in area, attacked as he was trained to do. The captain said no one was aware the rear door was open.

Moskowitz said officers at the Sims Road site were reassigned to a Middle Street convenience store/gas station, where at 10:20 a.m., a man reportedly had attempted to shoplift merchandise.

According to the police report, when the store’s clerk told the man he would have to pay for the merchandise, the suspect began searching his pockets as if looking for money. Witnesses, who included the clerk and two customers, told police the suspect placed a gun on the counter but did not threaten to use it.

The witnesses said the man left without the gun, but according to the police report, returned a few moments later, picked up the weapon, left and got into a vehicle.

When police arrived, Girardin was found asleep in his vehicle, and when awakened was very lethargic, but posed no threat to anyone and police stripped him of the weapon, Moskowitz said.

Girardin was charged with criminal attempt to commit sixth-degree larceny, carrying a pistol without a permit, possession of controlled substances, first-degree reckless endangerment and second-degree breach of peace.

Moskowitz said after police ran the serial number on the gun -- a .38-caliber handgun -- it was determined to be one of the two weapons reported stolen from the Sims Road home.

Moskowitz said though police were still investigating the Sims Road incident, Girardin’s arrest and possession of the stolen gun "definitely gives us a viable suspect."

The lieutenant said Girardin made no statements about the Sims Road incident.

"We’re looking into a possible family connection with the homeowner and a prior knowledge of valuables in the house," said Moskowitz.

McIntyre said the vehicle in which Girardin was found at the convenience store matched a witness description of a vehicle seen fleeing Sims Road.

Though there is a statute regarding the killing or injury of a police dog, McIntyre said Girardin will not be charged with that because his actions did not directly cause Bosco’s death.

According to department records, Blackinton and Bosco were paired for about three years, and had participated in several successful drug raids and other police operations.

Aleia was treated at Bristol Hospital for minor leg injuries as a result of the bite, said Moskowitz. When Aleia will return to work will depend on his medical prognosis, said Moskowitz, as well as whether he requests time off after the shooting.

McIntyre said the shooting of Bosco was tragic and is being investigated according to the general orders anytime an officer fires a weapon resulting in injury or death.

McIntyre said the department, which was looking to purchase a third police dog in the coming months, will now want to purchase two additional dogs "as soon as possible."

Makes me wonder if the K-9 attacked an innocent neighbor, and the neighbor shot the dog in self-defense, would the person be put in cuffs and charged with killing a police officer/dog?

Posted: 12/21/2005 3:51:45 PM EST

[#1]

Quoted:

SNIP

Makes me wonder if the K-9 attacked an innocent neighbor, and the neighbor shot the dog in self-defense, would the person be put in cuffs and charged with killing a police officer/dog?

Absolutely. Killing God in the comission of his duties.

Posted: 12/21/2005 3:58:06 PM EST

[#2]

Posted: 12/21/2005 4:04:45 PM EST

[#3]

No dog is safe.

Posted: 12/21/2005 4:09:43 PM EST

[#4]

Simialr thing happened in northern part of Virginia within this past year. Officer killed police K-9.

Posted: 12/21/2005 4:39:32 PM EST

[#5]

Quoted:
Simialr thing happened in northern part of Virginia within this past year. Officer killed police K-9.

Shiite!

Whatever happened to professional courtesy?

Eric The(Stunned)Hun

Posted: 12/21/2005 6:45:06 PM EST

[#6]

Quoted:
Quoted:

SNIP

Makes me wonder if the K-9 attacked an innocent neighbor, and the neighbor shot the dog in self-defense, would the person be put in cuffs and charged with killing a police officer/dog?

Absolutely. Killing God in the comission of his duties. hinking.gif

What the fuck does that mean, exactly?

Wha would the neighbor be doing in a fenced in back yard (crime scene) anyway? "Helping"?

In my experience, persons who stray into an active scene are courteously but forcefully asked to leave, failure to comply equals detention.

Usually when a track is begun, we alert the resindent in the immediate area to remain in thier homes to try to prevent the track from being F'd up and for the safety of the residents of that area.

The GOD comment is just stupid. Get over yourself.

Posted: 12/22/2005 2:07:55 AM EST

[#7]

Quoted:
Wha would the neighbor be doing in a fenced in back yard (crime scene) anyway? "Helping"?

In my experience, persons who stray into an active scene are courteously but forcefully asked to leave, failure to comply equals detention.

Usually when a track is begun, we alert the resindent in the immediate area to remain in thier homes to try to prevent the track from being F'd up and for the safety of the residents of that area.

In this instance, the cops didn't even know the back door to the house they were searching was open, it's entirely possible they didn't know the back yard was fenced in.

Not all backyards are fenced in. My question still stands: What if the K-9 dog did this to an innocent bystander?

Posted: 12/22/2005 3:42:31 AM EST

[#8]

How could the police office in the back yard not see that the back door was open? Wasn't he there to cover it? Poor communications on the part of the police in not knowing the location of other officers on the scene. Dog was obciously confused. Recognized the gun as a threat and the uniform as a friend. Hence breaking off the attack and then doing what it had been told to do.

Posted: 12/22/2005 3:46:11 AM EST

[#9]

Quoted:
Dog was obciously confused. Recognized the gun as a threat and the uniform as a friend. Hence breaking off the attack and then doing what it had been told to do.

How would that make a difference? Don't all cops (including the dog's handler) have guns?

Posted: 12/22/2005 3:54:53 AM EST

[#10]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Wha would the neighbor be doing in a fenced in back yard (crime scene) anyway? "Helping"?

In my experience, persons who stray into an active scene are courteously but forcefully asked to leave, failure to comply equals detention.

Usually when a track is begun, we alert the resindent in the immediate area to remain in thier homes to try to prevent the track from being F'd up and for the safety of the residents of that area.

In this instance, the cops didn't even know the back door to the house they were searching was open, it's entirely possible they didn't know the back yard was fenced in.

Not all backyards are fenced in. My question still stands: What if the K-9 dog did this to an innocent bystander?

To answer your question unless Fido was wearing his uniform, badge, and yelling Woof Police Woof, then it would be just another dog attack and sorry Officer Fido.

Posted: 12/22/2005 5:28:07 AM EST

[#11]

Do you guys actively look for police shooting dog stories?

Posted: 12/22/2005 4:31:03 PM EST

[#12]

Quoted:
Do you guys actively look for police shooting dog stories?

This story was all over the local news, friend. Hard to miss it.

Posted: 12/22/2005 4:53:03 PM EST

[#13]

I dunno what the big deal is. Any of you would have shot the dog as well. Fuck yeah I will kill a dog before I will allow it to rip me up. While I too have heard of instances where LEOs killed dogs when they probably didn't have to, this was not such a case.

Posted: 12/24/2005 4:35:13 AM EST

[#14]

Talking to a retired cop in town, Bosco had made a habit of biting officers. One cop is still out recovering from a bite on the arm that took about 30 stitches to close. Bosco was a very aggressive K9 and that's what he was trained to do. There was an admitted lack of communication during this incident that ended with tragic results. Looks like we're going to get 2 new dogs instead of the one in next year's police budget.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Interesting story about police shooting and killing a dog

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