On Nov. 9, a police dog bit a man who was trying to defend his home from a would-be burglar. Tim Crossan, of Eugene, Ore. had just broken his hand on the face of the intruder when police, responding to a call, flooded into his home and ordered their K9 unit to attack Mr. Crossan. In the confusion, the burglar escaped and Mr. Crossan was bitten twice. The police have yet to apologize for this incident, although they described it as "unfortunate." At least they went on to say that Crossan, who had protected his wife and children, was "heroic."
Dogs have been used officially to help police officers since the late 1850s in Germany, when they were first employed purely as a deterrent, used only for their teeth and growls. However, the informal use of dogs in law enforcement goes back to the Middle Ages and most likely even before that. These days, dogs help officers primarily with their sense of smell, which is so powerful that they can detect scents one-hundred-millionth fainter than the boundaries of human perception. They can easily find drugs, bombs, criminals, and corpses, even when criminals have taken extra measures to mask odors. So although the police can often make mistakes, police dogs do not. They remain an integral part of public safety.
Dogs have been used officially to help police officers since the late 1850s in Germany, when they were first employed purely as a deterrent, used only for their teeth and growls. However, the informal use of dogs in law enforcement goes back to the Middle Ages and most likely even before that. These days, dogs help officers primarily with their sense of smell, which is so powerful that they can detect scents one-hundred-millionth fainter than the boundaries of human perception. They can easily find drugs, bombs, criminals, and corpses, even when criminals have taken extra measures to mask odors. So although the police can often make mistakes, police dogs do not. They remain an integral part of public safety.
Sponsored Links
Add your comments
Advertisement
Can't Miss Galleries
Today's Popular Articles
PetLINENS Pet Bed Giveaway- PetSmart Employee Fired for Bringing Dog to Work
- AKC's Top 10 Most Popular Dogs in the U.S. in 2009
Let's see @ $100,000. per bite, that should get the over zealous cops attention and I would feel better recovering on some nice warm beach...... :) Seems the cops are over hyped, lucky they didn't tazer him while shooting rubber bullets and clubbing the poor guy.
SUE THE HELL OUT ON THEN.I WOUND BUT I HATE COPS.
Just remember how much you hate cops the next time you need one. Take care of your problems yourself and don't ask for help if you are in an accident, robbed, attacked....
RICH IT RELLY DONT MATTER PER DOG BITE.US TAX PAYER ARE GOING TO PAID IT.ITS NOT RIGHT BUT THIS IS THE LAND OF THE FREE.(LOL)DONT BELIVE ME.WERE YOU EVER SEND HOME ON PAID LEAVE CUZ YOU MISSED UP.DAVE.
Well, I'm shocked the burgalur hasn't already come back and tried to sue the man who defended his home...that's how it works these days right? Sick.
Sue the town then the chief and work your way down, then have a lien put on the officers home. And no I am not sue happy but this is ridiculous. I was a police officers and i knew the law and my bounds.
The LEOs responded to a high tension call, a man was punching another, so they used a non-lethal weapon. We're not talking about Alabama and the civil rights marches here folks - this was A horrible mistake,,, but an innocent one.
And why can't they ever apologize when they're wrong? That sets such a bad example to America's youth, the cops screw up but never say they're sorry...then expect kids to when they screw up. Excuse me?
This "innocent" mistake was made against an innocent victim, the "marchers" in Alabama was against people that were violating actual State codes, weather you agree with them or not the officers there were doing their jobs at enforcing the law. Oh yea, you sound like a cultural biggot.
Excuse me Andy but where do you get "bigot" from what I posted? And who was talking about marchers here? I have no problem with officers enforcing the law, we all make mistakes. Most of us apologize when we're wrong. There is an unfortunate trend in law enforcement to not apologize. This is all part of the downing of America as a nation, no morals, no ethics and no manners. It has nothing at all to do with marches or protests.
I wouldn't say I all police officers. Some really do believe in enforcing the law and most definitely protecting someone who can't do that for themselves or who can't go too far when doing so. But yeah others are power hungry and are know well that they will break the law themselves. There was a tragedy involving someone in Arizona that when he was trying to protect his own home with what I am sure was a licensed weapon he was shot by the police. This might sound a little funny but I understand.First this is the home of Apaches. Have you heard of Geronimo. He was a pretty SCARY individual.Did you know that he was Sent to Alabama ( home of my Angela Davis) so he could be gawked at by white people there. Now I actually feel a little sorry for him even though he was a little vicious and very very ugly. You can not blame other people for what was done in the past. German shepherds have been used in camps to randomly attack prisoners but it is good that they can sniff out and other products distributed to harm others.
"So although the police can often make mistakes, police dogs do not."
Actually, they do. In fact, there's quite a bit of litigation going on right now in a couple of states about that very thing. As it turns out, the use of sniffer dogs has been getting attention for putting innocent people in jail.
Not true. Those cases involve a con man duping juries with lame claims such as their dogs could sniff a trail underwater. For someone to fall for that, the cumulative total of the IQs in the jury box wouldn't equal 100.
Then maybe you can tell me why today cops never apologize when they're wrong. I think this is an unfortunate trend. My friend got arrested, had her car impounded for suspected DUI. She got to the station, passed two breathalyzer tests with a .00, was taken to the small town, area hospital in hand cuffs for a blood test which also came back negative for any substances. It cost her 138.00 in impound, 40.00 in bail (that they offered to let her WALK down to the ATM to get at midnight but they put her in cuffs to go to the hospital, she's 58 with a bad back, 5'2"...a real flight risk) and it will now cost her 100.00 to get the arrest expunged from her record. AND she had to hire a lawyer to get the cops to drop charges, they didn't know how to read the blood test, this is the Chief mind you...but the lawyer did it for free because he was so horrified. They have never apologized. She is out 278.00 and she did nothing wrong.
To Minette................I am so sorry this happened to your friend, but it sounds pretty TYPICAL of law enforcement behavior!! There's alot of cops running around that think they can do ANYTHING THEY WANT just because they wear a badge!! Cops can't be trusted any more than Joe Blow down the street!! If you pay attention to the news, cops are arrested for everything from molesting kids, to murder!! That's a FACT!!!!
Dog attacks home owner, not homeowners dog, on homeowners property, sounds to me like dog is vicious, and if it was my dog, they would put it down. Cop should be charged with felony assault at least. (the dog was just doing what it was told, cop is a loose cannon.)
I smell MONEY.The police always have an answer for what they do,but if we do something,they will take NO EXPLANATION PERIOD.OFF to jail we go,and Grandma is not there either,but the WOLF is.
Cops-Taxi drivers whats the difference,except the taxi drivers are mostly nice except a few.
That comment usually comes from people who couldn't even get accepted to a law enforcement academy, let alone graduate.
An apology is in order, even though it was an honest mistake. At least it is just a dob bite, and not a bullet to the head. The police should quickly apologize and prevent a lawsuit.