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POLICE

Officer fatally shoots small dog named 'Killer'

Thursday, June 11, 2009
(Updated 10:58 am)
Staff Reports

DANVILLE, Va. — A police officer trying to serve a warrant fatally shot a Dachshund that attacked him.

Danville, Va., police said the shooting of a small breed of dog is unusual but said the options were limited in this particular case.

According to police, an officer attempted to serve two outstanding warrants to a resident in the 100 block of Berman Drive at about 8:30 p.m. Monday. The officer, whom police did not identify, knocked on the door but got no answer. As the officer walked back to his car, a growling dog ran through the yard from behind him.

Police said the officer had only seconds to consider his options, which included running for safety, trying to distract the dog or using pepper spray, a baton or his firearm. As the dog lunged at the officer, the officer drew his weapon and shot the dog once, killing it.

Police said they later learned that the dog lived next door to where the warrant was being served and had displayed aggressive tendencies in the past. The dog also was named "Killer."

Police said officers routinely are confronted by dogs as they approach homes, walk through yards and climb fences, but officers are able to defuse these encounters without using firearms. Police said Danville officers got training in 2006, sponsored by the Danville Humane Society and the American Humane Association, to learn techniques to defuse aggressive behavior in dogs.

Danville police also said department policy permits the shooting of a dog that presents a threat to an officer. Police said an officer is not required to take a bite from any dog, including small breeds, because a bite that breaks the skin can transmit rabies. If a dog cannot be identified, captured and quarantined after the attack, an officer must take a series of rabies vaccine shots to ward off a potentially fatal disease.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported today that the slain dog was an 11-year-old miniature Dachshund. Neighbors described him as a sweet, mild-mannered dog.

"He just kind of walked up and down the neighborhood and didn't bother anybody," Jenine Edmunds, who lives on the same cul-de-sac as Killer's owners, told the newspaper. "He was just a little house dog."

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Illiterati

June 11, 2009 - 9:36 am EDT

A 12-pound dog named Killer? Apparently the Danville cops have not learned the concept of irony.

JoeScott

June 11, 2009 - 10:09 am EDT

As the owner of a dachshund, I think the cop made a severe error in judgement. There's nothing this nubby-legged breed of dog could do to a grown man that can't be remedied by a swift punt. I mean they have the same size, weight, and shape as a football for crying out loud. If this man seriously felt threatened by such a small animal, he should have given it the Charlie Brown special as opposed to taking someone's beloved animal friend out of this world for good.

Also, the chances of the dachshund biting the officer are slim to none. All dachshunds have a biological imperative to bark and growl at strangers that intrude their spaces. Happens every time a guest visits my house. It's weird that they do this I know, but it makes me feel safe to leave my wife home alone since she'll have ample warning if someone ever tried to invade our home.

The cop should apologize to the owners, and maybe pick a new job where the decisions he makes will not include the option to stun or kill a person or living creature.

histrion

June 11, 2009 - 10:13 am EDT

Agreed. The guy was able to draw, aim, and fire his weapon faster than he could bring his foot up? Hmph. Trigger. Happy.

countryboy

June 11, 2009 - 1:09 pm EDT

As the owner of a dacshund...keep it on your property. The owners should apologize to the cop. But then again we have created a society where blaming the victim is more acceptible than being responsible. And Panacea is correct...

JoeScott

June 11, 2009 - 3:37 pm EDT

The victim? The victim? Oh, poor grown adult male police officer! He was scared and barked at by a dangerous, lethal 12 pound dog. I hope his mommy was able to kiss his cheek that night and make it all better.

DuaneG3

June 11, 2009 - 11:16 am EDT

Sounds like a life or death situation, a miniature dachshund......really? A cop who's scared of that dog should consider a desk job.

jeepdriver

June 11, 2009 - 11:59 am EDT

Lunged at the officer...PLEASE how high can can a dachshund jump? Ankle biter at the worst. I am proud of what our LEO's do but THIS?? Bad example of excessive force.

Panacea

June 11, 2009 - 12:26 pm EDT

My impression is the officer didn't have time to look at the breed before shooting. Even small dogs can cause serious bites, and smaller breeds can be aggressive as much as larger ones.

It was not in its own yard and it attacked a police officer. Too bad so sad.

JoeScott

June 11, 2009 - 1:13 pm EDT

My impression is that the officer did have time to look at the dog as it barked and ran towards him. Then when he saw that it was "lunging," instead of using non-lethal force that was clearly at his disposal (i.e. pepper spray or the boot on his foot), he decided to shoot a 12 pound dog.

I mean from the perspective of a police officer trying to issue a warrant, that was extremely dumb. He was obviously sneaking in the drug dealer/user's backyard to surprise him or her. When that gun sounded and the dog let out a gruesome death cackle, the element of surprise was surely shot as well.

Panacea

June 11, 2009 - 4:26 pm EDT

So because he had time to decide the dog was lunging, ie making a fast break to bite him, he had enough time to try pepper spray and hope to avoid a bite even though the laws of physics degree an object in motion tends to stay in motion.

Riiight.

I disagree. I have no problem with a cop shooting a dog that tries to bite him.

MrsBargainBlog

June 11, 2009 - 5:24 pm EDT

Wow, that's really cruel.

Carly

June 11, 2009 - 12:34 pm EDT

How sad for the dog! Two things went wrong here. 1) The owner didn't have the dog contained and 2) the policeman shot an ankle bitter when he could have kicked him off. Unfortunately its ultimately the owners fault for not keeping his dog inclosed. Rabies is always a concern. Its still sad that the policeman decided to go the excessive route when it probably wasn't needed.

beach35

June 11, 2009 - 2:31 pm EDT

Part of an officers job is having the ability to determine a threat, and how dire that threat is. Lethal force is required ONLY when one's life is in danger. I hardly believe that a dog weighing less than 15 pounds could have been a threat on his life. Let me ask this, if a 6 year old kid attacked him with no weapons, would lethal force be necessary then as well? What was the potential injury, other than a few bites? Further, how dumb of people to advocate him kicking the dog. He could have shoved him away, and then used non-lethal force. If your police force has officers who are unable to properly deal with a tiny animal, how would they deal with the potential of a 250 pound man, drugged up, with a blunt instrument on him? That must be confidence inspiring for the citizens of Danville.

countryboy

June 11, 2009 - 2:46 pm EDT

Wrong beach35...lethal force is allowable to prevent bodily harm to yourself or others...not just the saving of life.

beach35

June 11, 2009 - 3:24 pm EDT

Put it into context, countryboy, the guy shot and killed a purse dog, not a pit bull mind you. Whether or not officers are allowed to do this or that, they have to use proper JUDGMENT. Technically, men are "allowed" to wear a dress out in public, but they probably wouldn't make a judgment to do so. Since the police carry guns and are "allowed" to kill as you say, they of all people should use good judgment. Obviously it was not exercised in this situation. Certainly a rubber bullet or pepper spray would have been enough to subdue an animal barely weighing more than a rat.

countryboy

June 11, 2009 - 3:45 pm EDT

One word...rabies! Is it normal for a domestic animal to charge at someone? If the dog was rabid, the officer would have been out of work on workman's comp for months...at taxpayer expense. Again...the officer is due an apology and the dog's owner is due a citation and day in court for allowing the dog to run loose. He should also have to reimburse the agency for the bullet. It is easy to judge the split second decision of an officer from the comfort of a recliner.

MrsBargainBlog

June 11, 2009 - 5:22 pm EDT

Some counties do not have leash laws - depends on what the laws are at that particular part of Danville. Don't be so quick to assume the owner broke any laws.

countryboy

June 11, 2009 - 6:05 pm EDT

There is a leash law in Danville...and the owner was in violation. I did not assume...I researched.

MrsBargainBlog

June 11, 2009 - 6:14 pm EDT

There's also trespassing laws...so if I child wanders over to a neighbor's yard are they to be shot, too???

JoeScott

June 11, 2009 - 3:33 pm EDT

Beach,

I am certain that the person who owned the dachshund in question would rather that the officer kick his or her dog than blow it away with a gun.

Country,

The "bodily harm" that a 12 pound dog of any breed would be able to inflict on a grown man in long pants is not equal to a shotgun blast. And if it was the desire of the officer to prevent the dog from harming him, he had two non-lethal choices that would have been more than effective: pepper spray or simply kick the dog in the stomach. That he made the split decision to pull his firearm and execute a small dog makes me think he lacks the critical thinking skills necessary for a job that could place him in similar situations that might involve men, women, or children.

beach35

June 11, 2009 - 3:47 pm EDT

Exactly. Officers are required to make split second, life and death judgment calls. This guy should NOT be patrolling the streets when he has shown that he lacks this judgment. He should be put on paid administrative leave pending an investigation, and then reassigned to a desk job within the department. Have a nice rest of the day.

countryboy

June 11, 2009 - 3:52 pm EDT

I own a 12 pound terrier...I love animals...the dog owner was at fault...the officer acted appropriately. Have you ever fired a handgun? This is not a movie or TV show. It is nearly impossible for an expert to hit a large, quickly moving target at 5 yards, let alone a small target. The dog had to be within inches. But again..the owner is at fault.

beach35

June 11, 2009 - 5:02 pm EDT

Yes, I have fired a handgun, but the difference between me and the cop is that I have judgment. There are alternative methods to subdue an animal of that size. Let me ask you this, say an incident happens again with this guy, but instead of a dog, it's an unarmed 8 year-old kid, what would you say then? Listen, I don't think they should hang this guy in front of the townfolk like in the Salem witch trials, or that he should be fired, but put him at a desk job.

MrsBargainBlog

June 11, 2009 - 5:21 pm EDT

Countryboy, I think you'd be singing a whole different tune if the officer shot your dog, don't you think?

dblythe1

June 11, 2009 - 5:56 pm EDT

I agree! Pepper spray should have been the only thing used other than his knee in the dogs chest "IF" the dog attacked. I feel so sorry for the owners. After having a pet that long they are like a family member!

countryboy

June 11, 2009 - 6:06 pm EDT

You do not want to hear me sing.

Doglover1947

June 11, 2009 - 9:28 pm EDT

The officer should be ashamed of himself for all the reasons people comment on here, especially his terrible judgment. I've been attacked by little dogs a few times and most of the time just a good yell scared them off. One time I had to kick the dog and it ran away. Give me a break, a 12 pound dog is not going to inflict much harm. What kind of macho guy is going to shoot a 12 pound dog. He definitely should be behind a desk and not endangering the public and little bitty dogs with his hair trigger personality.

MrsBargainBlog

June 11, 2009 - 5:28 pm EDT

They've identified the police officer that shot and killed the dog: Murrill McLean, 43, of Danville, VA. It's made the national news. Officer McLean brings a lot of embarassment and shame to the Danville PD his fellow officers who do their job well. Google "Danville, VA" and see how fast the news stories come up: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31239049/

CopOnTheBeat

June 11, 2009 - 7:52 pm EDT

You should have seen the "news conference" that the Danville Police chief held on this shooting. He kept talking about the officer's "options" in handling this situation. Then he went on about the officer's resume of being on the force for four years and him serving in the National Guard. What a joke. A trigger-happy policeman kills a 12 pound Dachshund...an 11-year-old tubby dog who was yapping. How sinister! By the way, you should see this officer's Facebook page. A big ol' stocky officer in all sorts of poses holding assault rifles and grinning. Sort of reminds me of those Marines that tossed that puppy off a cliff and videotaped it while laughing. He sure isn't doing himself or anyone else at his department any favors. I bet the Danville Police Department is the laughingstock of the Commonwealth. If they're not, they should be.

By the way, the officer's name is Murrill McLean, a 43-year-old officer with four years of service as a Danville Police officer. His Facebook page is out there although he says that he lives in Greensboro. NOT!

stettler

July 10, 2009 - 2:28 pm EDT

Seriously!!! As a dachshund owner I can assure you, their bark is much worse than their bite. Shame on him. All he needed to do is scare him off. Not OFF him!

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