I sadly read about the recent incident of a Fort Worth police officer who shot and killed a pet border collie after becoming annoyed at the dog's barking and running toward him. (See: "Pair can't understand why officer killed dog," May 29) The officer had entered the wrong property address after a call about an alleged copper theft. Despite the owners having told the officer that the dog did not bite, and the dog being where it should have been (i.e. on the owners' property), the officer killed the dog, to the shock of the grief-stricken owners.
After 47 years of practicing law and having observed similar incidents of indefensible behavior, I was not surprised to see the officer attempt to justify his actions. The police department probably is hoping the matter will be forgotten. Unfortunately, this is the tried-and-true reaction for wrongful actions by an officer.We should be grateful that the object of his wrath was not a human being who may have offended him in some manner. There are certain situations where such a response may be deserved. This was clearly not one of them.-- James J. Faris, McLean, Va.Have more to add? News tip? Tell us
