Dog’s shooting by Radford police has owner growling
Copper gives his owner, Joseph DeMasi, a lick at the Riverside Veterinary Clinic in Radford on Friday. The dog, who was shot by a Radford police officer on Thursday afternoon, will likely have to wear a cast on his right front leg for six to 10 weeks but should otherwise be fine, the clinic’s Julie Magyar said. | Matt Gentry, The Roanoke Times
Corrected 9:47 a.m. Feb. 6: The headline has been corrected to note that the dog, Copper, had been shot by a Radford police officer.
The Radford University student admits his pet was off the leash in Bisset Park, but he says the officer was never in harm’s way and didn’t have to shoot.
Read more from Lerone Graham on roanoke.com.
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The headline is in a poor taste, not something one would expect from a professional journalist.
Comment by Alex — February 4, 2012 @ 9:53 am
I’m glad Copper will be fine. More than that, I’m glad the officer was not hurt. Our police officers face untold dangers on a daily basis; it’s outrageous for DeMasi to expect the officer to wait until a running 70-pound dog got within range of a taser or pepper spray before deciding whether to use force. It’s pretty bold of DeMasi to think he has any place to suggest how the officer should have responded, when DeMasi was the one at fault.
I’m sure DeMasi loves his dog, but his behavior was irresponsible, particularly given the size of his dog (and apparent strength of its jaws). He made a decision to flout the leash law and is trying to deflect responsibility for the foreseeable consequences of that decision.
This unfortunate incident lends support to the usefulness of a dog park in Radford. It is good for dogs to run free, as long as the dogs are well socialized to people and other animals. I hope Dick Harshberger will succeed in his pursuit of the project.
Comment by Estrogena — February 4, 2012 @ 10:37 am
First let me say that I do appreciate law enforcement and all that they do to protect us. However, it concerns me that this police officer is afraid of a dog and is so quick to shoot a gun. It sounds like he had other options (taser gun, pepper spray). OK….so the dog wasn’t on a leash…it sounds like the owner was trying to give the dog some exercise and since he is a student he probably doesn’t have a lot of options for exercising his dog. I DO NOT feel that this guy should be fined and personally feel that someone else should be responsible for his vet bills. I am in total support of using a firearm when necessary. This officer may need additional training on when to discharge a firearm. Scary!
Comment by Jennifer Ballard — February 4, 2012 @ 10:38 am
Please check the information before you put articles online! It was not Roanoke police who shot the dog! Bisset Park is along way from Roanoke; and the only police department mentioned in the article is the Radford one.
Comment by BJ — February 4, 2012 @ 11:15 am
I have had the privilege of working with Copper before. He is the absolute best tempered dog. I know for a fact the cops weren’t threatened. The most vicious behavior he has is licking you to death. Power trip for Officer Slaughter.
Comment by Riley — February 4, 2012 @ 2:51 pm
If the police shot every dog that ran up to them there would be a lot of shot dogs. This “terrier” looks a lot like a pitbull to me. If the owner had not been irresponsible his dog would not have been shot. I don’t blame the officer. This kid needs to act like an adult and take responsibility for his actions instead of trying to blame someone else.
Comment by Donnie — February 4, 2012 @ 4:47 pm
Seriously?!?!? That pitbull may lick his owner the same as a tiger licks his trainer, but who knows how either will react to the rest of us? My boys are scared of dogs and shouldn’t have to worry about strangle animals running up to them in the park. It terrifies them even when the dogs turn out to be friendly. The owner of this pitbull believes that I should have to endure my children’s terror because he wants his dog to run off leash. Shame on you young man for putting your dog and the officer in the situation that you did!
Comment by Amy — February 4, 2012 @ 6:13 pm
A shot should have never been fired in a public park over this. If the dog wasn’t in close enough quarters to use a baton, mace, or a taser, why was he considered enough of a threat to fire a gun? I can’t believe the police chief is just brushing this off like it is no big deal. Chief goodman is obviously more concerned with his officers job safety than the safety of the public. Sargent slaughter needs to see some consequences for his irresponsible actions.
Comment by Kevin — February 4, 2012 @ 6:23 pm
‘Radford’ Police…not Roanoke. Please fix this glaring inaccuracy.
Comment by John Hull — February 5, 2012 @ 8:40 am
While Joey should not have had copper off leash, he got the ticket one should receive for breaking the law. But just because someone is at fault with the law does not mean the actions of an officer should be overlooked. As scared as your kids may be of a dog, do you think it would be better for them to witness that dog being shot? I understand an officer wanting to defend himself, but when you are in a public park it might just be a good decision to think twice before firing a weapon.
Before you get so quick to back the officer here maybe you should do a little research online to see how quick the cops are to pull the trigger in situations less threatening than this one. Next time it might be a dog on private property
Comment by Kevin — February 6, 2012 @ 12:18 pm
Radford has a leash law. Any true dog owner/lover should obey the laws. Radford has an awesome police department, probably one of the best around. I’m sure that the officer acted within the framework of the law. If the officer even felt threatened he did the right thing.
Comment by AA OO DON'S GOT 2 GO — February 6, 2012 @ 7:07 pm
1.) Tasers, batons, and pepper spray are used for situations in which an officer is not in danger of serious injury. Getting attacked by a pitbull is likely to cause serious injury
2.) With the above options the officer gets one chance, if he misses he gets attacked.
Lets all be thankful the officer is okay!
Comment by Responsible Dog Owner — February 6, 2012 @ 11:35 pm
“AA OO DON’S GOT 2 GO”: So you are saying you would never second-guess the cops no matter what. Whey even bother with discussion then?
Comment by Alex — February 7, 2012 @ 1:32 pm
First of all I will say, how dare any of you for trying to tell a police officer how to do his job. I am in the public safety field & know first hand what it is like to have a dog act one way to their owner but completely different to a stranger; one minute be wagging its tail, then the next thing you know the animal has bit you. If you pay attention, this guy changed his story a few times in the article, which shows he is not relaying to the media the whole truth. First, he states that he & the other owner were over an embankment so he would not have seen the officer coming. He goes on later to give details about how the dogs were trotting towards the officer which if any of you know Bissett park, you know that this has to be in the center part around the walking track. He then states that the dog was not growling or barking. If the dogs were trotting away from him & towards the officer, how could he hear if the dog was growling. And yes, the officer has other means of defense on his belt, but a 70lb pitbull has the capability of mawling a grown adult, I’ve seen it with my own two eyes. Had the officer gave the dog time enough for it to get close to use these close quarter weapons (ASP, taser, spray), the dog could have already made a leap at the officer. And the argument between the other dog owner??? My guess, & yes this is my own opinion, but my guess is that the dog approached another citizen in the park which the citizen didn’t like & told the kid the dog should be on a leash. The kid then probably mouthed off to the person acting very disrespectful which prompted the call to the police. This guy is now walking around Radford University trying to raise money for the “vet bills”. My guess is that he will raise the money, plus some so he can pay for his fine. So is it it acceptable for me to break a law, and have other people pay for whatever reprocussions come of me breaking that law???????
Comment by Derek — February 7, 2012 @ 2:22 pm
Derek,
I don’t see how your idea of what happened meshes with the dog owner’s
story, even if you say that it changed. They were “in a secluded area of
Bisset Park down a slope, allowing their dogs to play by the riverbank”.
And of course, it would have been much better if the PD had decency to pay the
vet bill. But we know it’s not going to happen.
Comment by Alex — February 7, 2012 @ 7:59 pm
There’s a dog in the park running towards me. I better shoot it.
Comment by Geez — February 7, 2012 @ 9:30 pm
You better not go to the park.
Comment by Alex — February 8, 2012 @ 11:33 am
I read another article that said the officer made some inflammatory comments to the young man after he shot his dog. That the young man was “Lucky” his aim wasn’t better. There was NO reason for the officer to be rude after he shot the dog. Shame on the kid for letting the dog run loose and shame on the officer for his comments. The last thing we need in Radford are “Cowboy” Police Officers with bad attitudes.
Comment by AA OO DON'S GOT 2 GO — February 8, 2012 @ 6:35 pm
@Alex, I don’t question the officers action in shooting the dog. If I had a big strange dog running towards me after I got a call to investigate a potentially aggressive dog, which is what the Virginia Tech paper suggests is the order of events, the officer was totally justified. Though the officer’s attitude afterwards was unprofessional. Officers are professionals and must conduct themselves as such. They just need to remember they are professionals, and not to say hurtful comments after an already traumatic event is inexcusable. The officer’s comments was probably not the best choice of words, though I wasn’t there.
Comment by AA OO DON'S GOT 2 GO — February 8, 2012 @ 7:04 pm
All you people defending this cop do us all a favor and go jump off a bridge. This cop should have to help pay for this bill and lose his title as a cop. If this officer is scared enough of a dog to shoot it, then he should quit. It’s a dog, not a lion or bear. I’m at a loss for words. If this cop shot my dog, I would have to serve a life sentence for the murder of a cop.
Comment by Ryan — February 8, 2012 @ 11:02 pm
Okay okay okay… Let’s get some stuff straight. This dog, is not a pitbull. So stop comparing it to one. He is a pointer, which also refutes the statement made by “Estrogena” claiming that he weighs 70 lbs. Not unless he is severely overweight would that be so, and by the pictures… He isn’t. Now we can’t say anything about the temperament of this dog other based on pictures. But there are signs when a dog is in “attack-mode” while running at a target, and those differentiate GREATLY from the signs of a dog at a full run going to greet. Something a Police Officer should know. Jaw laxed, tongue out, tail wagging.. Oh hey, this dog is friendly. Ears pinned, Hair up (maybe hard to tell), set jaw, no wagging of the tail, etc. Point being, this cop was in no danger. otherwise he would have stated that these were the signs in which he saw. All he stated was that “The dog was charging”. Not enough to warrant shooting it.
Now on to all of you who think that your number one priority is to back the police officer 100% of the time. You’re right, they do a hard job that not many others want to do. They put their life on the line daily. Not knowing what awaits them on the job that day. HOWEVER, not ALL cops act responsibly. There are plenty of dirty cops, abusive cops, power hungry cops, and just out right lousy cops who bank on the fact that their badge will allow them to do anything they want. If that cop wants respect, he needs to give respect. He can’t just flash his badge around and have a get out of jail free card.
I’m not saying that this kid shouldn’t have been made to put his dog on a leash. Because that is the law, and whether you agree with the law or not, that’s not up for debate. His dog should be leashed. But like someone else posted, just because this kid was guilty of not having his dog leashed, doesn’t mean that the officer had the right to shoot it. Think about it. Public park, your job is to PROTECT, and you fire your weapon in the middle of a park???? Then comment on how you don’t have good aim??? By that logic not only is the dog lucky to be alive, so is anyone else that was at the park that day. If you aren’t confident in your ability to fire your weapon effectively, then you shouldn’t draw it, point it, or shoot it. He had other options, and that dog was not going to lacerate him to death with his oh so powerful jaws. He wasn’t going up against a rottweiler, a doberman, a pit bull, a German shepherd, or any dog that would be classified as “lethal”. It was a 45-50 lbs pointer, and the cop should have just slid right back into his cruiser, which he shouldn’t have initially left in the first place. He then should have called animal control and let the “Professionals” handle it. Because he didn’t act professionally once on that day.
A cops action will always speak louder than his words. He can never take back what he did and he will always be seen and known as the cop with the trigger happy finger. As well as a cop who rubs it in afterwards, stating “You’re dog is lucky to be alive”. And not to mention that he apparently made the owner of the dog get down on the ground and put his hands behind his back, because the kid made a comment about the officer’s poor grammar… I’m sorry. This is America, in America we have the freedom to say anything we want. Unless his verbal insult was a threat to your life, then unfortunately you can’t force him onto the ground via the weight of your badge. It’s a direct sign of abuse of power.
So before you just jump into the deep end and back up everything the police department does. Make sure you know what you’re talking about, because without all the facts you stand to look like a fool.
Oh, and if you’re kids are afraid of dogs. Buy them a cat.
Comment by John — February 12, 2012 @ 4:07 am
I have a bullmastiff who weighs about 150lbs. I was told a few summers ago by a Radford Police Officer that if he ever saw my dog off a leash, he would shoot him. In my opinion, that comment was unprofessional, unjust and shows the attitude taken by Radford Police. No mention of, “If you’re dog was charging at me in an aggressive manor.” It could have just been him relieving himself on a tree, and this officer felt the need to tell me he would shoot him. I don’t let him run free off of a leash because of the leash law, but accidents do happen, and animals do get loose.
Comment by Radford Citizen — February 13, 2012 @ 4:23 pm
Typical of Radford police. Most are young punks right out of academy trying to make a name for themselves one way or another. I personally try to stay out of the city for that very reason for fear of being pulled over for no reason.
Comment by Lee from NRV — February 21, 2012 @ 10:39 am
This is heartbreaking. My dog is one who would jump on you and lick you to death, but when she’s running toward you…mouth open…full speed ahead…it would terrify me, and she’s not even a pitt. I love my dog, sleep with her, share food with her…but I couldnt blame someone who would think they needed to shoot at her for running toward them. She looks horribly scary, to be the big softy she is…and she’s only 45 pounds. The responsibility belongs to the dog owner…as sad as it is:( I cant believe I’m taking THIS side…what a bad break for the dog owner.
Comment by Kristi — March 1, 2012 @ 10:57 pm
Nationwide epidemic of police shooting animals and then reason they do is they an get away with it at this time. The owner should sue he will win with ease, it will never come to trial the city will just pay. Can you imagine a jury trial? The sad thing another person with a gun and badge not qualified and obviously intimadated by dogs. They should vette out recruits that are afraid of animals before lettying them have a gun. Again, imense lack of policy with the police department and a lack of training comtributed to this incident. The chief there is just as responsiblew as the officer that pulled the trigger. Since animals are personal proberty, even though the dog may have been in violation the owner can easily recover. Most police today have very poor judgement and therefor require in depth training, its obvious the city, the Chief and officer are culpable, it wont go to jury. $$$$$$$$$.
Comment by James E. White — April 19, 2012 @ 11:08 am
Glad the officer is okay. Too bad he is getting ridiculed for doing what we pay him to do. Shame on the posters who Monday morning quarterback him.
Comment by Johnson — August 7, 2012 @ 6:17 am