Today's Date: Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Is a K-9 a Cop?

5/5/2008 4:36 PM

Melanie

Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 23

Is a K-9 a Cop?


A man charged with assault on a police officer with a deadly weapon for stabbing a police dog is facing a prison sentence. Should police K-9s be considered police officers in such cases?


REPLY  1 - 2 of 2
5/5/2008 8:49 PM #1

Steve Rothstein

Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 264

RE: Is a K-9 a Cop?


No, they should not. While they are service animals, they are still animals and not people. Fortunately, Texas recognizes this and our laws provide a separate charge for interfering with police animals. It is anywhere from a class C misdemeanor (like a traffic ticket) to a second degree felony (like aggravated assault), depending on exactly what was done and the result. This allows us to recognize the importance of police animals and how we use them while still recognizing that they are animals and not people.

5/5/2008 10:05 PM #2

irishone

Join Date: March 2008
Posts: 511

RE: Is a K-9 a Cop?


Police Forums & Law Enforcement Forums @ Officer.com > Officers and Law Enforcement Professionals ONLY > The Squad Room > Police K9 Central > K9 killer gets sentenced.

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PDAView Full Version : K9 killer gets sentenced.

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PHXCOP05-29-2006, 07:23 AM
A friend of mine is a handler with my dept. He lost his dog last year to an idiot and we just got 15 years for his dumb *****.

Im doing everything I can to up the ante for killing K9's in AZ but as of now all it will carry is a C6 Felony.... The lowest felony.

What are the laws in your state and how are dogs regarded where you live.

Share some knowledge....

He only got 2 years for killing the dog. He got 13 for trying to kill me and the car jacking.

We really could use the insight from other states.

.....I'm Smoger.

<<<the rest pasted from the AFN web site>>>>>>

Daniel ******* was sentenced to 15 years in prison for killing R.J., a police canine in August 2005.

****** sentenced to 15 years for killing police canine R.J.

It took less than an hour for Daniel ******** to carjack a vehicle, attempt to run down three Phoenix Police officers, including Jeff Smoger, and purposely run over and kill a police canine, R.J., last August. On Thursday, Superior Court Judge Thomas O’Toole sentenced the 25-year-old to 15 years in prison, despite tearful pleas by his family and Tarango for a lighter sentence.

“It wasn’t my intention to put anyone’s life in danger. I was a whole different person when I was on drugs,” ****** told the judge when he asked for the minimum sentence.
He also apologized to the man, whose dog he killed.
“I’m sorry sir,” ****** said to Phoenix Police Office Brian Hanania, R.J.’s handler and partner.
But Hanania, who saw ****** swerve to first try and hit Smoger, and then swerve, running over R.J., was not swayed by ******'s pleas.
“His words are just that, words. His actions say the most,” said Hanania who lives in Ahwatukee Foothills. “He’s only remorseful because he was caught.”

****** admitted that he used cocaine before he hijacked a car, and then went barreling through downtown, threatening officers and civilians with the car.
When he was cornered in an alley witnesses said ****** could have taken an open path. Instead he steered first toward Smoger, then looked at R.J. and purposely drove over the dog, crushing his spine and dragging the highly trained canine. “I failed to protect him,” said Hanania who showed the court R.J.’s small police badge that he carries with him in the pocket of his uniform.

In sentencing ******, O’Toole said that because he had been on probation for possession of drug paraphernalia at the time the crimes were committed, and because of the trauma suffered by Hanania who lost a partner and Smoger, who feels responsible for not protecting R.J. by shooting ******, that a lesser sentence wasn’t appropriate.

****** had pleaded guilty to aggravated assault, cruelty to animals, unlawful flight and car theft. Along with the 15-year prison sentence, the judge ordered four years probation when ****** gets out and ordered him to pay the Phoenix Police Department $8,700 for the death of R.J. Last week the dog park in Pecos Park was named after R.J. and a tree was planted in his memory.
R.J. was the fourth Phoenix police canine to die in the line of duty.

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tolleson18705-29-2006, 02:11 PM
Wow, kinda sad that RJ's killer only got a couple of years. I know that Hanania's new dog looks really good. Espeically at the recent trials in Mesa. I thought there was new legislation or something that was suppose to make police K9's a seperate class then your standard working dogs? Anyway, we can just keep trying to push for better legislation. Good luck and stay safe.

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PHXCOP05-29-2006, 04:30 PM
Wow, kinda sad that RJ's killer only got a couple of years. I know that Hanania's new dog looks really good. Espeically at the recent trials in Mesa. I thought there was new legislation or something that was suppose to make police K9's a seperate class then your standard working dogs? Anyway, we can just keep trying to push for better legislation. Good luck and stay safe.

Bryan and I are working on it. It's not easy.

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BOARDMANK9YUMA06-01-2006, 01:18 AM
Cut and paste from The Ohio R.C.

(E) (1) Whoever violates division (A) of this section is guilty of assaulting a police dog or horse. Except as otherwise provided in this division, assaulting a police dog or horse is a misdemeanor of the second degree. ***If the violation results in the death of the police dog or horse, assaulting a police dog or horse is a felony of the third degree.*** If the violation results in serious physical harm to the police dog or horse other than its death, assaulting a police dog or horse is a felony of the fourth degree. If the violation results in physical harm to the police dog or horse other than death or serious physical harm, assaulting a police dog or horse is a misdemeanor of the first degree.

Unser the basic prison terms section, it would be punishible by:

(3) For a felony of the third degree, the prison term shall be one, two, three, four, or five years.

So best case scenario would be five years in Ohio for killing a police dog.

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tolleson18706-01-2006, 06:36 AM
Must be nice..... :)

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k9fleck06-02-2006, 01:52 PM
CALIFORNIA PENAL CODE SECTION 600.

(a) Any person who willfully and maliciously and with no legal
justification strikes, beats, kicks, cuts, stabs, shoots with a
firearm, administers any poison or other harmful or stupefying
substance to, or throws, hurls, or projects at, or places any rock,
object, or other substance which is used in such a manner as to be
capable of producing injury and likely to produce injury, on or in
the path of, any horse being used by, or any dog under the
supervision of, any peace officer in the discharge or attempted
discharge of his or her duties, is guilty of a public offense. If
the injury inflicted is a serious injury, as defined in subdivision
(c), the person shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison
for 16 months, two or three years, or in a county jail for not
exceeding one year, or by a fine not exceeding two thousand dollars
($2,000), or by both a fine and imprisonment. If the injury
inflicted is not a serious injury, the person shall be punished by
imprisonment in the county jail for not exceeding one year, or by a
fine not exceeding one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by both a fine
and imprisonment.
(b) Any person who willfully and maliciously and with no legal
justification interferes with or obstructs any horse or dog being
used by any peace officer in the discharge or attempted discharge of
his or her duties by frightening, teasing, agitating, harassing, or
hindering the horse or dog shall be punished by imprisonment in a
county jail for not exceeding one year, or by a fine not exceeding
one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by both a fine and imprisonment.
(c) Any person who, in violation of this section, and with intent
to inflict such injury or death, personally causes the death,
destruction, or serious physical injury including bone fracture, loss
or impairment of function of any bodily member, wounds requiring
extensive suturing, or serious crippling, of any horse or dog, shall,
upon conviction of a felony under this section, in addition and
consecutive to the punishment prescribed for the felony, be punished
by an additional term of imprisonment in the state prison for one
year.
(d) Any person who, in violation of this section, and with the
intent to inflict such injury, personally causes great bodily injury,
as defined in Section 12022.7, to any person not an accomplice,
shall, upon conviction of a felony under this section, in addition
and consecutive to the punishment prescribed for the felony, be
punished by an additional term of imprisonment in the state prison
for two years unless the conduct described in this subdivision is an
element of any other offense of which the person is convicted or
receives an enhancement under Section 12022.7.
(e) In any case in which a defendant is convicted of a violation
of this section, the defendant shall be ordered to make restitution
to the agency owning the animal and employing the peace officer for
any veterinary bills, replacement costs of the animal if it is
disabled or killed, and the salary of the peace officer for the
period of time his or her services are lost to the agency.

Terry Fleck
Canine Legal Update and Opinions
www.k9fleck.org
(530) 545.2855


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Bigugly06-04-2006, 03:15 AM
Two to ten in Texas...I wish it was 5-99

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COASTIE0106-04-2006, 08:23 AM
It should be the same as assaulting a leo or killing a leo. I hope that bastard has fun in prison!!! :mad: :mad:

Last edited @ 5/5/2008 10:07 PM

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