sixjollydogs

I just got a very nice thank you letter from the Smoak family, thw owners of the murdered dog. They thanked us for our concern and urged we continue to watch their web site. I also read a letter from a former police officer who lives in Cookesville. He states that one on the troopers went over to Jame Smoak and told him "you aren't going to give me any trouble are you boy" ( sounds like Bubba to me). When he took off the handcuffs and Smoak ran over to his dead dog, the officer followed him and said "I told you not to give me any trouble...if you do...you will be on your back in my patrol car". Remember...at this point even these Keystone Kops had figured out that the Smoaks were guilt of NOTHING. :evil:

:x :evil: The "good ole boys" in Hicksville are counting on public interest drifting elsewhere and then they can go about their dirty business as normal. I have written a letter to People magazine urging them to do an artile on this tragedy. Here is the e-mail address: [email]Editor@people.com[/email]

:evilbat: Well, maybe THAT is why Hall shot the dog....he thought he was carrying a gun! The cops have been caught with their proverbial pants down....and want to ignore it is all on video tape!

You made some good points. I still think;however, that good police procedure would have been to shut the darn door. I would have done it because I love dogs and would not want to see one run into traffic....AND it seem to me that even if you could not stand dogs...you would shut the door: 1. Best way to protect yourself from the dogs. 2. Loose dogs on a highway can cause accidents.

:cry: There was NOT a robbery. There was NOT a report of a robbery. There was a report of a green van going down the highway and that a large amount of money had come out of it. This was NOT even a report from a law enforcement officer. It was someone on a cell phone. The THP followed the family for some time...they had plenty of time to ascertain just what was the situation...they did not. (and littering is not a felony) They could have closed the door....they did not. Their excuse was that it would put them in the cross-fire. What cross-fire?The family was on its knees and handcuffed...and no one was in the car. This is NOT a case of an officer's right to defend themselves. Certainly they have that right...they also have an obligation to adjust their response to the threat. One of the reason's given for shooting the dog was they thought it was a pit bull.....and that I think is a main reason why Patton died. He was a pit bull and all pits are killer dogs...or so some would have us believe. This case just illustrates again the tragedy of this mind-set. It is also reported that this is the THIRD time Hall has shot a pet dog. He contends ...as he did this time...that the dogs were threatening. He added in the first two cases he was defending children and folks were thankful to him....well...perhaps so....then again...look at the tape....then listen to his twisted version of what happened. Tell me one lie...and should I trust your word on other situations?

:( Er...sorry...but while I do not agree with those who are supporting the officer...neither will I pray for his harm. I believe he is wrong...and will pray that he comes to understand this and understand how better to handle his actions...hopefully NOT as a police officer. I understand your pain at those who caused injury to your innocent puppy...but the God I worship is not one I would approach with a prayer for anyone's harm or death. I do believe we should all work for laws that would prevent and handle those who torture animals.

:mad: ...oh...sorry if you felt I reacted harshly against your statements...but you see...well...I felt threatened....and so ...I just reacted...welll sorry about that. You and I have No disagreement about the risks and little gratitude that police often get. It is not right...but events such as this just feed the negative feelings that GOOD officers have to fight. Anyone who is making death threats should be punished if caught. You can not fight violence and ignorance with more violence. Wearing a badge gives you the resposibility to up-hold the law...it does not take away your rights to protect yourself and your brother and sister officers...and it does not give you the right to be judge, jury and executioner...all in the matter of a 3 second period...which is what Hall did. One of the obligations of an officer is to respond with the right amount of force...and to have the judgement to know what that is. Officer Hall could have protected himself from this dog by any number of other options as I have mentioned before. Discharging a shotgun along a busy highway with at least 6 others in the immediate area is at the best poor judgement. Hall would have us believe that the dog was growling and charged him...the tape says otherwise. He should not be carrying a badge and a gun.

:mad: :mad: Your reasoning powers would indicate you would make a fine Cookeville police officer...hurry and apply. AGAIN...THE FAMILY WAS HANDCUFFED AND ON THEIR KNEES...guns were pointed at their heads. There was no one in the car. Just who was threat to the police? Common sense and protection of all would have been to close the darn door. If the dogs had run into traffic, their could have beeen an accident that would have involved all. FYI, my family has been in the police officer business for 30 years in the 9th largest city in the US....so I do understand and respect police officers. I have no respect for ignorant bubbas who do not get their facts straight before acting like storm toopers.....they make it hard for all the good officers.

:mad: There were at least four so-called police officers. The family was hand-cuffed and on their knees....just what type of theat is that. One officer looked in the car and saw the dogs. they were told the dogs were there, they were begged to close the door. Instead....within 3 seconds a tail-wagging dog's head was blown away and the family's heart broken. Yes, we all know that tail wagging may not mean a happy dog...but it usally does. Three seconds is hardly time to make a rational decision. This trigger-happy cop could have fired in the air, he could have kicked the dog away, he could have used the butt of his gun to push the dog away. I am sorry..but I see no defense for allowing this bubba with a badge to remain a police officer. It was a dog this time...what will he do next time he says he was threatened. The shooting of the dog was just the last tragic chapter in a mishandled and abuse of powers case. First a hysterical nitwit with a phone decides that a bill fold blowing off a car means she is seeing "robbers". (I did not realize that robbers threw money out car windows.) Second, the THP had time to follow the family but not time to ask just what were the facts of the case. Third, with no solid information that any crime had been commited, the police acted like they had just caught Osama Ben Laden. And last...well...we know what happened last! It was wrong, it was tragic and there is NO excuse for it.

Could you explain who some of these folks are? I will certainly write..already have written the mayor. Are you in the area of Cookeville?

:mad: We must speak up for this family and poor Patton. We must let these bubbas know there is NOT a carpet large enough to sweep this mess under. (I do not think that everyone in Tennesse is a bubba..but the folks trying to cover it up certainly are!) I would urge you all to go to to the web site that talks about the history of this "police" department. It is this type of jerk in a uniform that makes it hard for the many decent officers.

I managed yesterday to get on the web site but could not post in the forum. It was not taking anymore subscriptions due to the high volume of traffic, they stated. :evil:

:evilbat: Please check out that web site and read about what a creep the police chief is.

:mad: Six jolly dogs "ain't feeling so jolly and I think I have to bite someone! Read the lies on the Cookeville police web site! They are claiming the officer tried to call the dog but it circled him and then went towards him. This is a lie! The dog was shot within 3 seconds by this jerk! [email]mayor@cookeville-tn.org[/email] Above is the e-mail address for the mayor.

Please take some steps to lets others know how you feel. Old motor-mouth here has: 1. written the governor of the state 2. written the Tennessean which is the main paper out of Nashville 3. written the local paper 4. sent a letter to ABC (Good Morning America) 5. letter to state highway patrol 6. called city hall and left a message Sharing our anger is good...but it is also the proverbial preaching to the choir. My advice....sock it to the people in charge of the idiots who did this. :mad: :evilbat: :x

:evil: Right on to all...BUT just expressing our outrage among ourselves will do nothing. The vote on CNN is fine...but really won't help. CALL THE CITY GET ON THEIR WEB SITE CALL THE POLICE CALL THE LOCAL PAPER CALL THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND SAY YOU "AIN'T GOING TO TENNESSEE"

I have a Outback...so I put the back seats down, leashes on dogs then hook the leashes to something in the back. They can't get in the front where they would be in danger of the air back and they can get out. What kind of perverted mind would laugh about something like this! :evilbat: :mad: :x :cry:

What did you see the poor dog do?

:mad: Yep, it also states that the family begged them to close the doors AND one of the officers looked in the car and saw the dogs. Why would they not close the doors since they were on a busy expressway?.....and were so concerned about the dog's being a danger?

I read the news story. The tape shows that the cop shot the dog within 3 seconds of the dog getting out of the car. The report indicates you can not see any aggressive actions on the part of the dog. The cop says he thought it was a pit bull. (it was a boxer mix)

:evilbat: here I come I urge you all to call the city and urge them to fire this creep.

:mad: oh....one more comment. I am sure the "bully" owners on this site will be interested in your comments that the "small ones are just as dangerous as the big ones." Bull dogs are not dangerous dogs

I think you should realized that outrage at cruel and hasty behavior is NOT offensive. Comments that perhaps it was acceptable ARE! It was the actions of the cop that were offensive. His police car had a video. The whole sad sick story is there. The dog was not aggressive. He did not charge the cop It is trying to rationalize and state that perhaps he had a reason that is offensive. He had several options: 1. close the door so the dog never got out. 2. move around the car 3. fire a warning shot And most of all...insure the folks you stop are guilty of something before you go acting like the Gestapo. These folks did nothing wrong.

Lets see now....hmmm 1. an innocent family is stopped and held at gun point 2. they are made to kneel at the side of the road with their hands on their head. 3. the dog is NOT large 4. the dog does not charge the cop. 3. they get to watch a beloved pet blown away. Yep...you are right....we sure are persecuting this poor innocent cop. I am all for dragging all pets out of the car and shooting them based on your "reasoning"......who knows ...they could be a real danger!!! :mad:

My point is that the dog was NOT large and he was not moving or charigng this cop. The cop was told he was there and that he was friendly. The family asked to have the door closed. Your reasoning has been used far too many times to justify hasty and wrong-headed actions. Deadly force should not be the first resort.