Another Unnecessary Pit Bull Shooting

Blount deputy shoots dog - Owners and neighbors call shooting unnecessary

by Darren Dunlap, of The Daily Times Staff
The Maryville Daily Times

The owners of a 4-year-old mixed breed pit bull called Sunday's shooting of their dog, Petey, by a Blount County deputy unnecessary.

They are also disputing the facts of the incident report.

``It wasn't called for,'' said Steve Davidson, a Bramblewood Drive resident who said he saw the shooting. ``It shouldn't have happened.''

Lt. Patrick England, Blount County Sheriff's Office, shot the dog one time in the head with a .40-caliber handgun. The dog was treated by veterinarians and is still alive.

England was following up a missing child report Sunday, near the Wallace Harris Avenue residence of Sybil Patty, owner of the dog.

According to a report, by deputy Steve Blankenship, England ``approached'' the front door of Patty's residence. When she opened the door the dog ran out and she attempted to grab it. England reported the dog ran at him in an aggressive manner, and that he attempted to shove the dog off of him with his hand, but missed.

England also reported that he began to back out of the yard toward the corner of Wallace Harris Avenue and Bramblewood Drive, and that the dog continued to make ``aggressive advances'' toward him. When the dog was within a short distance, England reported he drew his weapon and fired one round striking the dog in the ``top left of the head.''

Witnesses disputed England's report.

Patty called the dog back, and Petey turned and began walking toward the house, according to Davidson. The officer followed and the dog turned around and barked, and the officer hit him with a flashlight, said Davidson. Patty thought the dog was hit with a stick.

Witnesses are unsure what the dog was hit with, and there is no mention of the dog being struck in Blankenship's report.

The shot followed. The officer was standing in the intersection of the Wallace Harris Avenue and Bramblewood Drive, and the dog was in the yard near the Patty residence, said Davidson.

The dog wasn't closing in on England, according to Davidson and Johnnie Dover, a Howard Jones Road resident who said she saw the shooting. She said that had England stopped and given Patty a chance, she would have gotten the dog back in the house.

Dover didn't think England would have shot the dog if he wasn't a pit bull.

``All because he's got (pit) bulldog in him,'' Dover said. ``That's a bunch of bull -- all pit bulls aren't mean.''

The Blount County Sheriff's Office had no comment about the incident.

 

sounds like a big pile of bs to me stupidty at least dog alive

 

Surprise...surprise, another trigger happy cop!!

 

Damn pigs...

 

Atleast the dog made it out alive. When a kids 2 pits got loose on our road the cops shot them both because they couldnt catch them. The worst part was that the female pit was nursing a litter of 2 week old puppies.

 

Have there been many pitbulls shot by police for no reason? Yes, I know of plenty

Although I must say one thing, there are too many stories of people answering their door and their dog runnig out!!! This should never happen, when I answere the door I put any dogs inside the house in a closed room, simple. There is no way your dog should run out when you answere the door, in most of these stories this is what happened so these owners are just ignorant.

 

My dog is never in the room when I open the door. Everytime someone knocks on the door his goes crazy barking at the door, and when I do open it the person at the door don't won't to come in!Wounder why?

 

BUT BLUE THE WITNESS SAID THAT THE DOG WAS IN A YARD AND THE OFFICER WAS IN THE STREET. THERE IS PARTS MISSING TO THE STORY ANY WAY. IT DOES NOT ALL FIT TOGETHER.

 

B.S. B.S. B.S. What ever happend to the mace! this worked fine for a cop that responded to a call on my neighbors fighting, we truly could not get the dog calmed down, yes the cop tryed to help me get there pit mix under control. hope the dog make a full recovery.P.S. people put your dog in another room befor you go to the door this is the best for all...