Former Police Officer On Trial for Dog Shooting

Link to article

On August 23, 2011, the guardian of a German Shepherd named Shadow got into an argument with a woman at Trenton Greenbelt Trails. The woman proceeded to threaten retaliation against the dog.

On August 24, 2011, as the guardian of Shadow let him off-leash at the park to run, a vehicle pulled up and former police officer Anthony Randazzo emerged from the vehicle. Guess who was in the vehicle with him? The woman who had threatened Shadow's guardian the day before.

There is dispute as to whether Randazzo was 30' from Shadow or less when he shot the dog once, then a second time. The dog was rushed to a veterinarian but died from his injuries.

The officer is now facing felony animal cruelty charges and his gun license has been revoked.

Syracuse Police Kill a Cornered Dog

A dog described as a Pit Bull was fatally shot after police cornered the dog and he, you know, growled at them.

The officers had been responding to a call and knocked on a door. Police claim they asked the homeowners to control the dog; the homeowner's claim police did not give them any time to do so. The dog got out onto the porch and was barking. SO obviously the police had to shoot him!

In 2009, Syracuse police shot at least one dog when they were responding to a tripped burglary alarm.

September 2010: Police Kills Dog For Jumping On Him

A 4-yr-old dog described as a Pit Bull was shot and killed after jumping on an officer. No one has had problems with the woman's dogs. The dog is only described as a jumping on the officer, not attempting to bite.

August 2010 - Niagara Falls Police Kill Dog During Drug Raid

Niagara Falls, New York

Police executing a drug raid shot and killed a large dog, described as a Pit Bull.

Niagara Falls police shoots dog attacking his partner

NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. (AP) - A police officer in Niagara Falls shot a 90-pound pit bull to death after the dog knocked down a fellow officer and mauled him.


Police Lt. Michael Kachurek says the officers were investigating a burglary at an apartment house early Monday morning when the dog bounded out of another apartment and bowled over 1 of the cops. The dog's owner tried to call the animal back inside but it continued to bite the officer until his partner shot it.


The officer was treated for bite wounds at the hospital and the owner was cited for having an unlicensed dog and failing to properly restrain it.



Police later tracked down a 21-year-old man who had entered the building, starting the whole episode, and charged him with criminal trespassing.

(American Pit Bull Terriers do not weigh 90 lbs).

Troy, NY: Dog killed on own property

Troy police and US Marshals had surrounded the home of a woman. They were looking for someone who wasn't there nor had ever lived on the property. When the house owner noticed who was at the front door, she placed both her dogs in the yard. Unfortunately, officers were in her backyard as well and when one of the dogs either playfully leaped or lunged aggressively (depending on whom you ask), he was shot and died on the porch.

New York police shoot dog

A police officer sent out on a complaint of a “vicious, loose dog” on Willoughby Avenue shot and killed the animal this afternoon after it lunged at him, the police said. The police said there was a 911 call at 1:29 p.m. about the dog, who was in front of 54 Willoughby, near Clermont. When the dog lunged at the first officers who arrived at the scene, one of the officers shot the dog once in the chest, killing it instantly, the police said. The Breaking News Network, a service maintained by people who monitor police scanners, said the dog was a Rottweiler, but the police public information office did not know the breed. No one else was injured.

http://fort-greene.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08/30/officer-kills-vicious-loose-dog/

New York, 25% of shots fired aimed at animals

Like LA, when New York police officers discharge a weapon, a quarter of the time they are taking aim at animals, mainly dogs.

In 2008, NYPD shot 30 dogs and have shot 15 this year. While officers only hit people 23% of the time, they hit dogs 55% of the time.

This is all public information, generally. But the NY Times article is in response to a recent shooting of a dog. Police were responding to a noise disturbance (really, a "men fighting in the hallway" disturbance). Eight officers arrived. When they knocked on the door of the man in question, the guy let the dog out.

Now, this is what I find interesting - the dog ran past five officers. Here we are, in a narrow hallway, with eight officers and the dog runs past five of them? A really aggro dog isn't going to be all "Oh hey, these five humans right here in front of me aren't worth my attention, but those three in the back? The ones near the exit? They must be eaten!" Wrong. I don't know if the first five officers were all "hey, a dog" as he zoomed by and the three were all "zomg! a dog!" and decided to shoot the dog seven times or what.

The ricocheting bullets injured three officers and the dog's owner and obviously the dog got killed. Discharging three weapons in a narrow hallway over a dog who just patently ignored five different humans is really dangerous.

The dog was purported to be friendly, though his owner has a litany of complaints. Even friendly dogs could react poorly to a hallway full of testosterone-laden, stressed out dudes/dudettes w/ weapons. Shame on the owner for letting the dog out in the first place, clearly not a real class act.

Auburn police officer shoots loose dog

An Auburn, New York police officer shot a dog once as he charged the officer. The dog had been running loose (apparently common for this dog). The dog nipped one child and attacked a smaller dog. When cornered, the dog charged the officer and, given the fact the dog had exhibited willingness to use teeth on skin, the officer shot at the dog. One shot - the bullet hit the dog in the leg and traveled through the chest. Animal control officers were able to subdue the dog with pepper spray and a catch pole. At the vet, the dog was euthanized.

ETA: The original article calls the dog a pit bull. The sister of the owner disputes that, saying the dog is actually a boxer/blue heeler mix. Fascinating confusion.

Also, the updated article states that the officer attempted to use a baton to subdue the dog before shooting him.

Syracuse officer shoots dog

 Officers were responding to a tripped alarm when three dogs from a neighboring home slipped through a hole and charged.

The dogs charge and the officer shoots one, at which point the other dogs redirect onto the wounded dog. No mention of if the dog survives. The owner was ticketed for having unlicensed dogs and allowing his dogs to roam (he had four dogs and only two leashes).