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View Full Version : HI-Cops called for "domestic" call. Shoot family dog and leave it to bleed for an hour.




Anti Federalist
09-17-2014, 08:03 PM
I was going to write about how I had no sympathy at all, but then it occured to me, it is not clear WHO called the asshole cops in the first place.




Family outraged after their pet dog was shot by police

By Manolo Morales Published: September 12, 2014, 6:40 pm

http://khon2.com/2014/09/12/family-outraged-after-their-pet-dog-was-shot-by-police/

A family is outraged and demanding answers after their dog was shot by police and left to bleed for an hour.

It happened a week ago in Kalihi after officers responded to a domestic call in the area. As police officers were about to leave, Bruce, a two-year-old Staffordshire Bull Terrier mix, got loose from his cage and lunged at the officers, and then got shot.

When the family asked police if they could take the dog to the veterinarian, they were told to stay put until an investigation was completed.

The first thing KHON2 News asked HPD was why the family was forced to wait. We were told it’s standard policy to do a thorough investigation after an officer fires a weapon, so the scene had to be preserved.

So we then asked that if this were instead a person, would there be a delay in getting help?

Late Friday afternoon, a HPD spokeswoman called back and said the officers made a mistake and should have allowed the family to get medical help for the dog.

One week after being shot in the chest, Bruce looks almost as good as new, although there are some stitches that still need to help him heal.

His owners still can’t believe what they had just gone through.

“It was terrifying for all of us,” said the dog’s owner Kristen Butac. “We never would have thought this would happen to us. He’s our family, so of course we’re going react the way we did. We’re upset.”

Butac said three officers were walking outside the house when Bruce lunged at them. The first two managed to sidestep and avoid the dog, but the third officer fired a shot.

An HPD spokeswoman said the officer described the dog as aggressive and vicious.

When asked how much was the dog bleeding, Butac said “well, to us, it seemed like a lot. I mean, seeing something like that, of course, you’re panicking. You don’t know what else could have happened.”

She said the officers would not let anyone leave the house, even as they pleaded to let someone take Bruce to the vet. But they were told nobody leaves until the investigation is finished, which took about an hour.

Investigators found the shell casing, but they couldn’t find the bullet, which made the family even more nervous, thinking that it could still be inside the dog’s chest.

“We didn’t know what other injuries he had, so we were just trying our best to just put pressure on his wound,” Butac said.

After the family rushed Bruce to an emergency care veterinarian, they did get some good news.

“The vet said he was a very lucky dog. What happened was the bullet had entered and exited his chest. The only damage was to his soft tissues.”

The family plans to file a lawsuit against HPD. Investigators are reviewing the case to initiate some type of policy.