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Officer Shoots Woman, Pit Bull Playing
Woman, Dog Expected To Survive

POSTED: Thursday, October 8, 2009
UPDATED: 1:00 pm CDT October 8, 2009

LA MARQUE, Texas -- A police officer shot a woman and the dog she was playing with when the officer thought the dog was attacking the woman, witnesses told KPRC Local 2.

Witnesses said a La Marque police officer was driving along 5th Avenue near Walnut Street at about 7:15 p.m. Wednesday, after she helped a person around the corner.

The officer heard people playing and screaming, witnesses said. A 23-year-old woman and her friend were playing with a pit bull named Sugar.

Witnesses said the officer got out of the car and fired several shots toward the dog.

"The young lady started hollering and just at that time a police officer was coming down and thought the dog was attacking the lady," witness Dennis Wallace said. "I can't say that I would do anything different. The (officer) drew down and started shooting. I couldn't say I wouldn't have done that."

The woman's parents said one of the bullets hit the ground and fragments ricocheted, wounding her in the upper body . She was taken by helicopter to Memorial Hermann Hospital, treated and released.

Sugar was also wounded. The dog's owner took Sugar to a vet and it is expected to recover.

La Marque police declined to comment about the shooting, but said the 30-year-old officer has been with the department for about a year and a half. The Galveston County District Attorney's Office and the Galveston County Sheriff's Office are investigating.

I feel for woman, dog, and LEO. I could see this happening, and see why the LEo would take such action. A big pit bull could seriously injure or potentially kill someone in a short period of time, the time needed to otherwise separate the dog.

What happened to asking if the person needed help? How long does it take to shout "Mam are you all right?"

It could have been handled better, but everything could be handled better.

If my daughter is being attacked by a pitbull I don't want a a cop messing around "maam are you all right?"
We're not talking about an Irish Setter here.

frazzled wrote:I feel for woman, dog, and LEO. I could see this happening, and see why the LEo would take such action. A big pit bull could seriously injure or potentially kill someone in a short period of time, the time needed to otherwise separate the dog.

frazz, I agree with you in principle.

This is the part that concerns me.

"Witnesses said the officer got out of the car and fired several shots toward the dog."
And:
"The woman's parents said one of the bullets hit the ground and fragments ricocheted, wounding her in the upper body."

I wasn't there, but this sounds a little reckless to me.

And I am not disagreeing with you.

I posted about this earlier, when it had not been revealed that the woman was playing with her own dog.

Everybody needs to strive to do more good than harm. Maybe I'm overconfident, but I think I can tell a dog that is playing from one that is attacking. The lack of blood and screaming would be good clues.

This is like the scenarios that we have discussed many times, when what looks like a mugging or unfair fight is not what it seems.

It also shows that shooting at dogs is risky. I have posted other stories about cops that were trying to shoot dogs and shot themselves, other cops, or people who did not need shooting. Dogs are small, move fast, and are in a position that most of us don't practice shooting at. It is easy to miss or overpenetrate.

- Jim

Agreed. A better answer is likely a night stick attack as it were. But I could see an LEO, or anyone, not wanting to get into a furball with a pitbull. It sounds like a common sense saying: "ancient Buddha say, never get into a fist fight with pit bull."

A few other approaches are

• yelling STOP
• pepper spray
• tazer
• throwing the dog a doughnut

- Jim

Well with my dog the donut is definitely the way to go...

I have seen pit bulls not stop for anything though.

Throwing a donut would probably get the attention of the dog and DEFINITELY get the attention of the cop and stop his shooting. However, the dog and the LEO might then start fighting over the donut.

(I can say that since I used to get those jokes told on me. LOL)

frazzled wrote:I have seen pit bulls not stop for anything though.

I have seen Pomeranians that I could squish like a bug not stop for anything.

Dogs have personalities. Some should be pushing up daisies. Some big, scary-looking dogs are as friendly as a cocker spaniel.

- Jim

Keith B wrote:Throwing a donut would probably get the attention of the dog and DEFINITELY get the attention of the cop and stop his shooting. However, the dog and the LEO might then start fighting over the donut.

(I can say that since I used to get those jokes told on me. LOL)

That's just too funny!!!

This may have been a bad judgement call, I'll agree with that. But I am going to play the devil's advocate here and say this; what if this had actually been a real situation and the LEO just kept driving? He acted on his "gut feeling," if you will, and took action. Granite, in hind sight this was defintley the wrong action to take, but none of us were there and I find it extremley hard to say with absolute certainty that the LEO was way out of line. Also to me it sounds like the LEO might have been shooting around the situation in order to scare the dog and break it up. Anyhow, point is that I think we jump too fast sometimes and might not take everything into consideration.

We're all thinking of the possible law suites that will follow after this mistake, but the officer at the time was thinking about the law suite that would follow had he NOT got involved, seeing as he thought it was a real attack. I always try to remeber that it's easy to be a Monday Morning Arm-Chair Quarterback.

Just my .02.

Shoot first, ask questions later.

We should all be allowed to do that.