the situation: teen allegedly fires off gun in neighborhood. police execute 'no-knock' warrant at teen's mom's home, find door open and enter. confronted by family dog, which naturally, attempts to protect home. officers scream for someone to restrain dog, which doesn't happen fast enough; dog then shot. conclusion: the teen is an idiot, but this story shows the great mistrust that has swallowed our societies in the western world. from gov, bank, and corp corruption, to police heavy-handedness, to draconian-type laws, to general growing violence in our disintergrating communities, we've grown to be under suspicion to each other. this is the general result and these types of things will become the norm. and we're all to blame - from the top on down - which also means we all better start finding solutions - from the top on down - and special interests in this debate better shut up for the common good, i say.
now that my rant is over, here is the story
June 2, 2006
Family irate after police raid home, killing their pit bull
By JASON KOLNOS
STAFF WRITER
CENTERVILLE - Police raided a Strawberry Hill Road home in search of an allegedly dangerous teen
Wendy Perry holds a photo of her pit bull, Max, as her husband views the pet's remains in the trunk of the family car. The animal was killed by members of the Banstable-Yarmouth Special Response Team during a raid on the Perry home in Centerville.
(Staff photo by Steve Heaslip)
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early yesterday morning and in the process shot to death a black pit bull described by the family as a loving pet.
Police were looking for a 16-year-old who allegedly pulled a gun on a resident of Pine Street in Hyannis around 10 p.m. Wednesday and threatened to kill him. Witnesses said the teen fired a shot in the air before fleeing, according to police. As of last night, police still were searching for the teen and the gun.
In their search for the boy Wednesday night, police obtained a ''no-knock'' warrant for the Centerville home of his mother, Wendy Perry. Twelve members of the Barnstable-Yarmouth Special Response Team arrived there around 2:30 a.m. yesterday. The police team is trained to deal with hostile situations.
''He had a loaded gun and we didn't know his intentions,'' Barnstable Sgt. Michael Damery said of the teen.
After approaching the unlocked door, Damery said, police identified themselves and faced the barking dog. Police screamed several times for someone to restrain the dog, a 60-pound pit bull named Max, Damery said.
The dog was acting very aggressively, barking ferociously and lunging at a police officer, he said.
An officer then shot Max once, killing him just outside the doorway.
''We feel bad that the dog had to be put down in this manner,'' Damery said. ''But this dog seriously delayed us securing the house and threatened the safety of our officers.''
According to standard protocol, officers then handcuffed all five people at the house, including Perry, her husband, her brother, and her 14-year-old twins, Damery said.
''Everyone in that house could conceivably be who we are looking for,'' Damery said. Or, he said, they could have been aiding the teen.
Police released the family and left when they determined the 16-year-old was not in the house.
Perry is livid at what she called a ''completely inappropriate response.''
She and her son are estranged, she said, and he hasn't lived at her house for some time.
Police were wrong to handcuff her other children and acted arbitrarily in killing the family pet, she said. She wants an apology and police to pay the $145 to have Max, whom she described as one of her children, cremated.
''They never afforded us the opportunity to restrain Max before shooting him in close range,'' Perry said. ''Anyone who has met the dog will tell you he has never acted in an aggressive manner.''
The family pleaded with officers to let them restrain the dog, she said, describing the animal as a 5-year-old American pit bull. Max was barking as any dog would if confronted by a dozen strangers with automatic weapons, Perry said.
Perry and other family members adamantly denied the dog lunged at officers.
''The running family joke is that he is a poodle dressed as a pit bull,'' she said. ''He was a big, gentle baby who never had any problems.''
The dog was shot because he was a pit bull and the breed has a reputation for being menacing, Perry said.
Breed doesn't matter, Damery said, if a dog threatens an officer or prohibits police from doing their jobs. Police had seconds to make this decision, he said, because they thought any delay might allow the suspect to get more weapons or escape.
''Waiting for the dog to bite before entering would be akin to waiting to get shot or stabbed before entering a hostage situation,'' said Damery.
Of the more than 150 Cape incidents involving the response team, this is the first time officers have killed anything, man or beast, police said. They have encountered aggressive dogs in more than half of those situations but none as aggressive as Perry's dog, Damery said.
Police said they have visited Perry's house for several incidents since last year. At their most recent visit in April, an officer noted that he saw a ''large, aggressive pit bull on location,'' said Barnstable Sgt. Sean Sweeney.
Thomas M. Burns of Veterinary Associates of Cape Cod in South Yarmouth, Max's vet since he was a puppy, could say only good things about the dog.
''This event saddens me because Max was an exceptionally sweet dog who clearly had a very loving and very caring owner,'' Burns said, referring to Perry.
''The bottom line is that all dogs could be protective of their pack if confronted with a threatening circumstance,'' said Burns, who said he owns a similar pit bull breed. ''I can see how a dozen unknown officers with guns bursting in at night could be a threatening circumstance.''
Jason Kolnos can be reached at
[email protected].
(Published: June 2, 2006)
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