As has been pointed out, dogs off leashes aren’t uncommon. I think it’s a pretty safe bet that the cop in question has dealt with many unleashed dogs in the past without shooting them, and that there’s a little bit more to this than him just shooting irrationally. I’m not saying he handled it perfectly but I still think the blame lies with the guy who intentionally let his dog off the leash and now claims he didn’t hear the cop’s orders to put his dog on a leash because he was listening to the news on his headphones.

Eye Witness: “I saw Precious MOVE toward the Patrolman.”

See the difference between “Ran At Him” and “Move Toward”? Just remember the media showed up at the scene AFTER the dog was gunned down. My account is an UNEDITED eye witness account.

I see you buy right into the sensationalism of news reporting. Your interest in this story and the need to defend your points for a nonobserver is puzzling to me. It’s ok to realize you might have been fooled by all the hype and media.

“Startled too, I saw Precious move toward the Patrolman.”

Maybe you’d like to come back when you’ve managed to get your own story straight.

Don, do you believe there were WMD’s in Iraq because you read it in the paper or heard it in the news?

Again, to correct your misinformation or educated assumption, the dog did not run toward the officer. I am astonished you know “the reality of the situatoin that the officer had to deal with” without witnessing this incident.

He was forced to make that decision because an irresponsible pet owner made a bad choice.

It’s unfortunate that the pet owner in question has a bad lot in life, and it’s statistically likely that he’s got some form of mental illness and may be chronically unable to make good decisions. That doesn’t change the reality of the situation the officer had to deal with. When someone runs out in front of a speeding car there’s an inevitable result, whether the person be a jogger, attempted suicide, mentally ill – it doesn’t matter what the motivation was.

As far as “not a big dog” – that’s just a nonsense claim. The breed ranges from 80 to 100 pounds typically, and even if she was a runt and 40lb that’s more than big enough to mangle the hell out of your arm or leg if she’s hostile. You, in your infinite pre-informed wisdom, are completely sure she wasn’t and never could be. Too bad the cop wasn’t a mind reader and able to know it too when she ran at him.

Believe me, i am not some dog loving, police hating extremist. I just saw what i saw, which was on over reaction in a crowded place that could have had more devasting results.

It is my understanding that Joe and Precious were well known to the area. I wonder if the same scenario would have taken place if the dog owner was a well dressed business person who’s dog had gotten loose to chase a squirrel.

Lastly Don, it is sad that you don’t find homelessness in our Nations capital something that matters.

Again, Can’t we do better than this in America?

That’s the only part of that story that matters – your prior observations about this dog weren’t something that officer could or should know.

BIG DOG NOT ON LEASH COMING AT YOU. That’s what the officer knew and what the officer should be judged on.

It’s sad to read anyone blaming anyone BUT Joe for this result.

The post article says this cop had warned Joe to put Precious on a leash. If so, why didn’t Joe do that? The officer may very well have exercised bad judgement, but the officer never would have had a chance to exercise bad judgement if Joe had done what 99% of dog owners would have done and looked out for his dog.

I feel for Joe, and I know this sounds harsh, but as a DC dog-owner I’m glad there’s one less chance of my dog and I coming upon an unleashed pit bull in a public park.