Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Woman angry at Rogers County (OK) deputy who shot pet dog, left a note (dog lived)

(video, picture of GSD, sheriff's note, sheriff's press release at link)

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/stat...fbadf5d-3131-5aa5-a263-01ec88b5cd6c.html

A woman whose dog was shot by a Rogers County sheriff’s deputy this week said she is “frustrated” by the way the lawman handled the situation.

Bruno, a 70-pound German shepherd, was shot in the left shoulder Wednesday evening and left bleeding at a residence near Owasso, said his owner, Angie Laymon.

Rogers County Sheriff Scott Walton said Deputy Logan Eller was justified in his actions.

Laymon, who said her dog will survive, disagrees.

“I have a world of emotions,” she said Friday during a telephone interview. “I’m frustrated and disappointed. My husband used to be a deputy, and he says you don’t shoot first. His (the deputy’s) excuse was he panicked.

“So if you’re in a situation and it’s a human, and someone screams at you or yells at you or gets loud, are you going to panic and shoot them? If you’re panicking, get back in your car or don’t get out of the car if you’re scared of dogs. It’s very frustrating.”

Laymon said Friday morning that she was transporting Bruno from an Owasso animal hospital to a Jenks facility, where he faces surgery.

Deputies were dispatched to the area of Laymon’s home after receiving a call about a window being shot out at a home about a half-mile from hers, she said.

Eller pulled into Laymon’s long driveway, got out of his car and was confronted by two barking dogs, Bruno and a 5-month-old female German shepherd, Laymon said.

“My dog will run. If someone’s there and they get out, he will run past them and run back,” Laymon said. “So my dog ran past him, and as he turned and started back, he (the deputy) shot him. Four seconds from the time he put his car in park to the time he shot my dog.”

Walton said that after getting out of the vehicle, Eller retreated a couple of steps and shot the animal.

“These dogs are coming at him,” Walton said Friday in a phone interview. “He literally has microseconds to react. Absolutely, the dog came at him.”

The Rogers County Sheriff’s Office left a note at the house that said: “We were investigating a crime and your dog attacked our deputy. The dog was shot and we need you to call us.”

Laymon said that after being dropped off at home from church Wednesday, her children discovered the note and their bleeding dog.

Walton, explaining why the dog was left unattended, said, “I guarantee you we would have been bitten and injured if we would have tried to load that dog up. I’m not getting into the dog ambulance business. We can’t do that. We’re not going to do it.

“We have 88,000 people to take care of with four officers on duty. I’m not at all glad that we had to shoot a dog, but I’m very grateful that the deputy wasn’t tore up or put in a situation where he can’t work so I could be another deputy short.”

The sheriff continued: “This question has been asked: … Couldn’t he have Tased it or sprayed it? He could have while he was getting bit.

“All these people who are offering suggestions on what could’ve or should’ve been done — I’d love to see them demonstrate how you do this.”

Walton issued a news release Friday evening in response to public “concern and interest,” saying that after the dog was shot, it retreated to a porch and the deputy called a supervisor to the scene.

“The deputy and supervisor attempted to provide assistance to the injured dog,” Walton stated. “However, they were unable to approach due to his aggressive nature.”

Walton said the two “attempted to contact the homeowner multiple times along with a local animal control agency,” which told them its employees were not allowed to leave their jurisdiction.

“The deputy and supervisor attempted to contact the homeowner as well as other local resources for over 1 hour and 20 minutes.

“The Rogers County Sheriff’s Office Administration was notified at this point and direction was requested on how to proceed. It was decided that the dog had a good possibility of survival and did not appear to have a life threatening injury.”

The release says it was decided that the officers would return to duty and leave a letter for the dog’s owners, who contacted the Sheriff’s Office about an hour later.

Walton asked for “the community’s support in exercising patience” while his office continues its investigation into the deputy’s use of force.

I am sure there will be plenty of Monday morning quarterbacking here...

NO! NO! BAD COP! BAD! NO DOUGHNUT!

Too many people just don't appreciate the fun of being confronted by a dog that is showing signs of attacking them.

It was a retired cops house and dog, lets ask him how he feels about the Ringo Kid shooting his pal. The cop had no business being on the property the dog was protecting. Pepper spray it if you have to, or better yet, get back in your car and drive away.

OK, he panicked and shot the animal, could happen. But now the incident is over and the dog is lying there in pain and you leave a note and walk away?

No wasy. Call for a vet to be sent, and pay for the situation to have the animal worked on, you messed up. The dog isn't accountable, as it is a dumb animal and if it was not loose (as in deputy was inside a fence etc) it was not in any situation where anyone could argue the owner didn't have it under control.

Charge him with cruelty to an animal for leaving it in this state. There may be other issues, but one cannot tell them from stories or people's opinions but the abandonment of the wonunded animal is clear.

So her dog was out, un restrained ?
Did the LEO go through a closed gate, was the dog chained ? It's doesn’t sound like it.

I am a dog lover, but I have no sympathy for people who let dogs run free/wild.

Sounded like the dog was on her property, in her yard.

Maybe they should restrain that deputy when he enters someones' place without a reason to be there.........

Also, the department has no follow up policy when a deputy discharges their firearm, This is likely to result in lawsuits even if nothing is hit.
It would be nice to know if backup was sent (to verify the reported action also) to help the officer, etc. also, to deal with neighbors reports of gunfire and if so isolated that didn't happen, then the 'fence' for the animal would be the property line.

Aganm. You are standing there, over a wounded animal, what would you do?

OK, my .02:

First, what stopped Deputy Dawg from getting back in his vehicle? Second, how do water meter and electric meter folks handle dogs every day without shooting them???

I KNOW that I could have done better at that house than that trigger-happy moron. I could have sat in my patrol vehicle and OBSERVED the area for a few minutes. ((Monday Morning Quarterback ALERT!!!))

Why should water meter readers and electric meter readers have to deal with dogs?

Because they do!

The point isn't why should they have to, but the fact that they DO, without shooting them.

I can deal with BEARS in Jellystone Park!!

Dong forrow cop all day rong, rissen for shot, pick up dogs, frow in back of sirverado. Bling dogs to chop stik dlagon resrant.

Sell dog, five dorrar. Menny dog, so menny dog.

Long Duck appleciate cop.

Put Dong Jr frew corrage.

^^^^^^X2^^^^^ Deputy Dog Killer is a moron and has no business carrying a gun.

I handle dogs almsot every day.. so does my wife.

Neither of us can carry by our work rules.

Neither of us has been bitten. We both carry clipboards and know where we left the vehicle.

Actually I was once nipped in the heel by a chihuahua. Didn't even feel the need to kick him.

I worked as an installer/repairman for a Telephone Co for years. I dealt with dogs every day… never got bitten and never hurt a dog. It was part of the job.

That guy doesn't need to be a deputy if he cant control his fear and deal with a dog.

I agree on the trigger happy part. I have to wonder what he was carrying that couldn't penetrate into the vitals of a 70 lb dog though

The cop probably [bleep] his pants .