Champaign Police Will Receive Training After Shooting Up Neighborhood

Link

Late last year, Champaign (Illinois) police were called to a dog fight. A stray Pit Bull approached a leashed Labrador Retriever and both dogs began fighting. According to the guardian of the Labrador Retriever, she never felt threatened by either dog. Neither did anyone else present. But the two dogs could not be separated easily, hence why police were called.

The officer arrived and immediately opened fire. He aimed for the Labrador Retriever, killing the dog. When the Pit Bull disengaged, after being struck as well, the dog started to run away. The officer continued shooting at the dog.

I have included a quote from the article. So we are clear, the officer who claims to have been concerned that "no people were in the area" while he was discharging his weapon somehow managed to pump a bullet into the occupied home of a woman. When shooting at a moving dog in a residential area, there is always a potential for injuring other people or nonhumans.

"Saathoff disputes that Davis didn't mean to harm or kill his dog and the police reports say Davis aimed his gun "at the large brown solid-colored dog, certain that it was the aggressive dog."

He fired seven shots in all, noting he made sure there were no people in the areas where he was firing before doing so. Three of the shots were aimed at the pit bull after the Labrador had fallen, including one fired at the dog as it ran in front of 702 Crescent Drive, Davis' report said.

One of the shots landed on the kitchen floor of a first-floor apartment at the Round Barn Manor at 2000 W. John St., damaging a wall and ceiling, according to the report of a different officer sent to investigate.

In light of this particular shooting, Champaign police will now receive training on how to better handle dogs. Like maybe different methods of handling two dogs engaged in normal canine behavior - fights.

Neither dog posed a threat to human beings. They were focused solely on each other. Neither dog deserved to be shot to death, and I hope the training of officers results in better methods of handling canines. We'll see.