2nd Amendment
member
''COOKEVILLE (AP) -- The City of Cookeville will pay a family whose dog was shot by police $77,000 as part of a settlement.
Two years ago, the Smoak family of Saluda, N.C., were wrongly targeted as thieves by police who pulled their car over and handcuffed them. [ family dog shot ]
Their dog escaped the vehicle after police ignored their pleas to shut the car door.
The settlement in the lawsuit against the city of Cookeville and the police officer who leveled his shotgun at the canine came this week in District Court.
The city admitted no wrongdoing.
The traffic stop that prompted the lawsuit was captured by a video camera inside an officer's patrol car. The action was seen around the world and sparked thousands of complaints to state officials.
A case against the Tennessee Highway Patrol case may also be headed for a settlement, said Mary Parker, attorney for the Smoaks. ''
www.wate.com/Global/story.asp?S=2595979
I'd say it's a shame the people of the city will be the ones who actually pay this in the long run, but they are the people who allow these individuals to be cops in their community so, in the end, they are just as responsible as the clown who pulled the trigger.
Two years ago, the Smoak family of Saluda, N.C., were wrongly targeted as thieves by police who pulled their car over and handcuffed them. [ family dog shot ]
Their dog escaped the vehicle after police ignored their pleas to shut the car door.
The settlement in the lawsuit against the city of Cookeville and the police officer who leveled his shotgun at the canine came this week in District Court.
The city admitted no wrongdoing.
The traffic stop that prompted the lawsuit was captured by a video camera inside an officer's patrol car. The action was seen around the world and sparked thousands of complaints to state officials.
A case against the Tennessee Highway Patrol case may also be headed for a settlement, said Mary Parker, attorney for the Smoaks. ''
www.wate.com/Global/story.asp?S=2595979
I'd say it's a shame the people of the city will be the ones who actually pay this in the long run, but they are the people who allow these individuals to be cops in their community so, in the end, they are just as responsible as the clown who pulled the trigger.