Police Respond To Alarm At Wrong House, Kill Dog (LAPD)

[gunsmith]

please take the high road
http://www.nbc4.tv/news/3469261/detail.html
Police Respond To Alarm At Wrong House, Kill Dog
Police Apparently Entered Wrong Yard

POSTED: 11:48 am PDT June 28, 2004
UPDATED: 11:58 am PDT June 28, 2004

LOS ANGELES -- Police officers responding to a homeowner alarm entered the wrong yard and shot to death a threatening Rottweiler.

Austin was shot five times by the officers, who were responding to a silent panic alarm, while owner Peter Vanderford was away.

A child in the Hendrick Court house next door mistakenly set off the alarm in his mother's purse.

"It's just tragic. It's sad that the officers just assumed everything," Vanderford said.

Lt. John Acosta said one of the responding officers went to Vanderford's house, thinking he heard that address over the radio.

The officers went into the back yard, were confronted by the Rottweiler and they fired five rounds at the dog.

"Having no time to react, he didn't have time to retrieve the pepper spray, he felt the dog was rather large and too close, the officers reacted with their firearms," the lieutenant said.

The officers, whose names were withheld, searched the house and after finding no suspects went outside and realized the house they were supposed to be at was next door.

"To some people it's like family, it's like their kid, and we have to look at it that way," the lieutenant said, adding police were investigating Friday's incident.

 

[orangeninja]

Details..........

Sucks to be them....better a dog than an innocent person just minding their business in their own home though.

 

[targetshootr]

Hmm. Sounds a lot like Reno911. A guy is standing outside crying because he's upset that his dog is sick and he can't afford to pay the vet to put him down when the cops show up and Officer Rodriguez, out of compassion, takes his Berretta out and shoots the dog wherein the homeowner comes out of the house screaming while the first guys says "I told you to keep him out of my yard".

 

[Majic]

The officer couldn't retrieve the pepper spray, but had time to draw his service pistol. Don't they carry the spray on their belt with their other personal equipment?

 

[Standing Wolf]

See? That proves it! Only the police and military are qualified to handle guns.

 

[gunsmith]

pepper spray

isn't 100% effective,it could have been windy,maybe the officer has not practiced with it much.
I had a rottie/lab mix for a long time. Big dog that looked scary and barked alot-but was super friendly.
Mistakes happen though,it's a good idea to check address's twice I guess.

 

[orangeninja]

"The officer couldn't retrieve the pepper spray, but had time to draw his service pistol. Don't they carry the spray on their belt with their other personal equipment?"


The pepper spray does not have an immediate effect. It takes a second or two....while a Rot chews on your ass. Foam takes even a little longer. The liquid is almost instant but tends to get caught in the wind, getting the officer too. Getting yourself maced before you clear a house is bad kharma. Foam is the prefered tool....but it takes longer to take effect.

 

[Penforhire]

Hmm, and here I thought only city council members had home alarms that LA cops would respond to. That's pretty much what they said a while ago.

 

[El Tejon]

Reno911!

 

[Steve in PA]

"See? That proves it! Only the police and military are qualified to handle guns."

And just what would you have done if confronted with the dog?

 

[buy guns]

isnt this why they carry tasers or are those only for old ladies?

 

[Finch]

It's my understanding that most LEO's would enter a high risk area with weapon already drawn. I doubt that weapon was pepper spray. He's not going to holster his already drawn pistol and then draw his pepper spray out...

 

[sendec]

I have a part-Rotty that I love like a son. He has incredible bite strength, can crack a beef pelvis without batting an eye. I'd hate to lose him....

......but I'd understand what the police might have to do if they confonted him accidently. I dread having to call EMS, fire or the SO to my place because he's so territorial. My kid could be home alone hurt and he'd kill anybody coming through the door that was'nt me. I dont mean bite, I mean kill. That's got it's upsides, but I'd hate to see anybody get eaten who did'nt deserve it.

There may be a very few who do, but not many cops relish the idea of smoking somebody's pet. Mistakes happen. Of course, everybody on this board has their house numbers clearly visible from the road, right? It's always a treat trying to count houses on a road running kinda south by northeast with the only landmark for two miles being a burned out Allis Chalmers and the hole where the UFO crashed in'58.... either that or its the 27th condo with a Sentra parked outside, ya cant miss it, its just like all the others, but different. Oh yeah, the nine flipped around and looks like a six, and the first 2 numbers are reversed.......what took you so long?

 

[orangeninja]

sendec....don't forget lighting. I'm sure we all have adequate lighting around and in front of our house to "ease" a rapid search.....and curb painting....everyone knows it's a scam right? SOOOOO not worth the $10.00 to get it done.

 

[fjolnirsson]

And just what would you have done if confronted with the dog?

I would have checked the address before responding to a "panic" alarm.
Other than that, if confronted by an angry dog, I'd most likely shoot it.

 

[Cosmoline]

Another good reason to avoid alarm systems. A system which automatically calls armed, very nervous cops to your door isn't really much of a help. Think about it. If you're dead, it's too late. If you're held hostage, they will NOT attempt to free you. They will back out, call SWAT and a negotiator, and make sure to risk no department lives to save you. Not that I blame the cops. They do their jobs. Your safety is YOUR responsibility, not theirs. They owe a duty to the public at large. And if that means letting you get shot, that's what they'll do.

 

[armoredman]

To those who think pepper spray is good anti dog stuff-our cell extraction dogs love the stuff. We call it canine barbeque sauce. No, I am not joking.

 

[Cosmoline]

As far as the dog, it's tough to second-guess. It probably would have been possible to kick the dog away and call its bluff. I've found that most Rots will not follow through on a charge if you stand your ground and smack them with a stick. Of course there are exceptions. And of course the cops are not required or expected to take that kind of risk. If a person or animal appears to be a threat, they unload on it. That's just the way it is.

 

[fjolnirsson]

The error was the home owners in installing a silent alarm in the first place.

No, the error was with the police, who responded to the wrong address! The home owner whose dog was shot did not have an alarm going off. His neighbor did.

 

[Baba Louie]

The officers went into the back yard, were confronted by the Rottweiler and they fired five rounds at the dog.

Makes me wonder if they were 9mm, .40 or .45. Also makes me wonder if a BG was in the house, be it the right one or the wrong one, if the time delay would have given him enough time to scoot or shoot whilst boys in blue were preoccupied with dog control. Maybe they can take up a collection and buy dog owner a new Rott puppy... name him Target, Bullseye or LAP Dog, trying to pre-empt a lawsuit.
Ca Ca occurs. False alarm, wrong address, barking dog...
Tragic, ain't it?

 

[Cosmoline]

Oops. Didn't see that. Still, the cops are the 800 lb. apes. If I were that neighbor I'd sue the one with the silent alarm, since his kid brought down the thunder. The things should be disconnected from 911. Lord knows how many man hours are wasted on false alarms in residences.

 

[gunsmith]

huh?

and curb painting....everyone knows it's a scam right? SOOOOO not worth the $10.00 to get it done.

Here in SF they paint it first and ask for the 25$ you owe them.
I know a guy (no he aint a friend) who's been busted for this a few times.


Sendec has a good point,when I was messenger/process server, finding someones address was a big PITA.
I would wonder how they expect first responders to find them if the guy delivering important legal papers and sometimes cash (or the pizza) couldn't.

 

[fjolnirsson]

Of course, everybody on this board has their house numbers clearly visible from the road, right?

Not an issue here.

Lt. John Acosta said one of the responding officers went to Vanderford's house, thinking he heard that address over the radio.

So he found the address he was looking for. He went looking for the wrong address. If my house is poorly marked, and it causes me trouble, that's my fault. If a neighbor's alarm goes off, and officers shoot my dog, I'd be pi$$ed.
If an officer puts the wrong address on his warrrant, looking to go after my crack head neighbor, and they do a no knock entry, someone's getting shot. Probably me, and I'd be pi$$ed.
Officers have an obligation to make an effort to get correct information.
"thinking he heard that address over the radio" doesn't cut it.
He should have verified with dispatch.

 

[Sindawe]

LAPD's finest strike again. Yep, Reno911.

 

[Zach S]

The officer couldn't retrieve the pepper spray, but had time to draw his service pistol. Don't they carry the spray on their belt with their other personal equipment?

Next time your confronted by a rot, be sure to spray him and hope it works rather than firing at him and knowing a hit will msot likely slow him down, if not stop him.

Also, when you're about to clear a house, be sure to keep your sidearm holstered rather than at low-ready because you may have to use your pepper spray instead.



I dont like it anymore than any of you, but people make mistakes, its human nature. This is another simple mistake with a trajic outcome.

I'd be willing to bet that if an officer waited the 20 or 30 seconds it took to verify the address and someone in you family was hurt or killed as a result, some of you would be singing a different tune. I'm not saying that if LEOs came to my house instead of the one next door then shot my mutt I wouldnt be mad about it.

Y'all might not agree, but I think this one should be filed under "S*** happens."