Chicago Police must pay 330K for killing family dog
deathwish01b
Published
08/20/2011
CHICAGO POLICE MUST PAY $330k FOR KILLING FAMILY DOG
http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/chicago-police-must-pay-330k-killing-dog-home-200148841.html
In case the link no longer works by the time you read this, the short version is some cops raided a family's home (finding no criminal activity). The owner asked to lock up the family's dog, but they refused to let him. When said dog showed up, they shot her on sight, then cuffed the owner and his 16-year-old brother on charges of "obstructing their operation." They were found not guilty, and the jury awarded the family monetary damages for this wrongful killing.
I think it should have been more. Giving money to the citizens is the only thing the government seems capable of doing in increments smaller than a million dollars. $330,000 can be made back in a couple of weeks by installing red-light cameras and shorting the yellow lights. The jackass that shot the dog was only asked to pay $2,000 on his own, and his supervisor only $1,000. That's probably less than some of you paid for your computers.
When those with power are found guilty of wrongdoing, their punishment needs to be severe enough to serve as a deterrent to others. This is a slap on the wrist, even if police departments really are as underfunded as they claim to be. The cops have too much leeway on the use of lethal force to assassinate our four-legged defenders, and they act like it's our fault for having a dog in the first place.
http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/chicago-police-must-pay-330k-killing-dog-home-200148841.html
In case the link no longer works by the time you read this, the short version is some cops raided a family's home (finding no criminal activity). The owner asked to lock up the family's dog, but they refused to let him. When said dog showed up, they shot her on sight, then cuffed the owner and his 16-year-old brother on charges of "obstructing their operation." They were found not guilty, and the jury awarded the family monetary damages for this wrongful killing.
I think it should have been more. Giving money to the citizens is the only thing the government seems capable of doing in increments smaller than a million dollars. $330,000 can be made back in a couple of weeks by installing red-light cameras and shorting the yellow lights. The jackass that shot the dog was only asked to pay $2,000 on his own, and his supervisor only $1,000. That's probably less than some of you paid for your computers.
When those with power are found guilty of wrongdoing, their punishment needs to be severe enough to serve as a deterrent to others. This is a slap on the wrist, even if police departments really are as underfunded as they claim to be. The cops have too much leeway on the use of lethal force to assassinate our four-legged defenders, and they act like it's our fault for having a dog in the first place.
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