Man with a Gun Prompts Police Response

Los Angeles:  A man with a gun led police on a foot pursuit into a yard with a dog that charged at the officers; leading to an officer involved shooting that resulted in the dog’s death.

On Monday, March 30, 2009, at about 6:40 p.m., Newton Area Gang Officers responded to the area of 43rd Street and Ascot Avenue to investigate a 9-1-1 radio call of a man with a gun.  They found a suspect matching the description driving a car in the area.  Officers made an investigative stop on the car being driven by 27-year-old Rashad Isreal.

During the stop Isreal got out of the car and ran from the Officers, leading them on a foot pursuit.  As the Officer’s were chasing Isreal he dropped a handgun.  Isreal continued running and ran into a yard where the Officer’s were met by a charging dog.  Officer Manuel Gomez, a 4-year veteran of the Department fired his handgun at the attacking dog, killing it.

Israel was later found and arrested for possessing a stolen handgun.  He is being held without bail.

Newton Division is handling the investigation. 

Comments

[Amanda]

I know the officer was only doing his job and under the circumstances he had no other choice, but it is just so sad. The poor dog was doing its job too, protecting its property and got tangled up in something for which it was entirely blameless.

I hope Rashad Isreal is found guilty and punished.

[george]

I hear the dog only a 25lb dog i would of used my foot to kick the dog and moved on. next time I hope theirs a second dog to give witness.

[trying to understand]

Since we are critiquing actions, allow me.

First of all it is "there's" as in there is...

Second, I heard that the dog was only 25 lbs...

Now that we got that clear may be you can use a dictionary to double check your spelling. Just saying.

[CITIZEN]

Why did the office not use pepper spray?

[ABC Officer]

Citizen,

As always you are critical of something you have very little knowledge about. Have you used pepper(OC)spray on a charging dog? I have and it worked great, but I had a fence between me and the dog. I needed to climb the fence after I deployed the spray (no I'm not some sadistic cop who likes to spray dogs for fun). I have spoken to other officers who tried it and it worked fine and others who it didn't work for at all. I have a classmate who it didn't work on when we got sprayed in the academy. Are you willing to take a chance when your physical well being and possibly job is on the line if it fails and you are injured severely? I'm not. If I have a vicious animal charging me and there is only one chance to stop it I'm going to use the sure thing. What would you do? Is that based on past experience or solid training gained from those who have done the same or similar? If not then I suggest you hold you second guessing for something you actually have done.

[CITIZEN]

ok pepper spray won't work. Is there another way instead of killing the person's pet?? I know your only doing your job. Does anyone even care about the people who own the dog?? How do you think they feel?? Where is your compassion for the family?? So what do we tell the kids who are attached to the dog?? Does the city or the Dept say hey sorry, we will replace your dog for free at any City Animal Shelter? It seems to me that people who responding to me have oh well to bad attiude.

[trying to understand]

Citizen,

There are no words that can take away that kind of pain. That pain is not as bad as since we are hypothesizing...having this same subject use the gun to kill a person or to use this gun in a robbery or some other crime. As a fellow citizen it amazes me that people think that in a split second someone has time to access the situation and reach for non lethal items. Like the citizens that say, "Why did they have to kill him, couldn't they have shot him in the leg?" or the citizen that says, “Use pepper spray.” Not every situation is played out in slow motion that allows someone a second chance if the first one doesn't work. I wouldn’t want an officer to second guess him/her self when it comes to protecting my life. Rely on that training and do what has to be done to make sure we both make it out of any situation alive. I’m sorry this happened I wish the end could be different but when weighed against the greater good for society the officer did the right thing. Remember that next time you wake up alive, the greater good for society. I don’t think any officer puts on his/her uniform with the thought of I’m going to go out today to cause harm and mayhem and to see how much trouble I can get myself out of.

[Resident too]

Citizen,

I too live within the city. Here is my two cents worth: I would rather have a criminal and a gun off the streets then have a police officer not jump over a fence and into a yard where a dog may be. If the greater good of society is the death of a dog or the release of a criminal then with out a doubt it would be the death of the dog. I have a mutt in my yard, a dig up everything, chew on everything, eating me out of house and home mutt! But it would hurt me beyond words to know that he was killed. However, while in the pursuit of a criminal who ran through my yard, do not hesitate to jump over that wall. The way I see it one more gun off the streets benefits us all.

[CITIZEN]

Mr. ABC Officer did you tell the owners of the dog that you used peper spray on there pet?? Did you tell them to watch the animal and make sure it's ok? Did you tell them it might be a good idea to take the dog to the vet to make sure that's it will be ok?? Did you tell the owners anything?? I'm curisous to learn what the Dept. Policy is when an office shoots or sprays someones dog. You are right I have very little knowledge about this. That is why I'm asking.

[CITIZEN]

Resident too, trying to understand, read my post and then answer my questions. My main question is what does the dept say to to owner??

[Resident too]

What difference does it make for you to know what is said to the person who owned the dog?

I'm pretty sure there might be a standard response. Something like sorry we killed your dog! Would that make it easier for the owner? I'm sure each situation is handled with care and concern for the owner of the animal. Like I said I would be upset to see my dog lying there bleeding or dying or shot and at that exact moment nothing a rep from the department could say would make it better. I wouldn't want them to come into the yard to investigate or to do anything they just killed my dog. Is that what you would want to witness? My anger?

Let's not forget to see the other side of this either...MONEY!!! I'm sure people have put in claims with the city for the loss of a dog or the loss of property because no matter how much we claim to love our animals, bottom line it is property. So they probably hand the owner some sort of property loss form and info on how to go about making a claim. Not only that, despite what we think, I'll double check and get back to you but, an animal even though locked within the property of the owner does not have the right to bite someone, in other words even if I go on to the property to knock on the door or jump over the fence the dog that lives there does not have the right to bite me and I can still put in a claim against the home owners insurance or sue the owner for damages. That's why when you do get home owner's insurance one of the questions that is asked is are there any animals on the property. So I guess what we should be asking here is did the owner have insurance to cover the injury to the officer? And if not does the owner of the dog have enough resources to cover the cost of the injuries to the officer had the officer not done what was needed to protect himself from getting injured? After all if you own the dog you should be able to cover the damages that this dog commits. Now how many dog owners will be able to do that? So bottom line, the animal is property the courts don't compensate for loss of love or companionship. My mutt although priceless to my 17 year old daughter would get me about $10.00 in the open market, most dogs would. Unless of course you could show that this dog that got shot was some sort of show dog (not a pure breed) and actually earned you an income. The dog is seen as property as far as the law is concerned and I'm sure you would be adequately compensated for the value of the dog...open market value ranging any where between $1.00 and high end $100.00.

[ABC Officer]

Citizen,

I told my Sgt I sprayed the dog. He advised the owners(one of whom was under arrest) that the dog was sprayed. Did anyone tell them to take it to a vet? Probably not. I didn't go to the doctor after being sprayed in the academy. Its not a big deal. It hurts like hell for a little while and makes it hard to see. Then it goes away (approx 45 minutes). When you take a shower later it burns again then your OK. Dogs deal with pain much better than humans and I'm sure the dog was fine. If not, I'm sure the fine upstanding owner who has a firm grasp on the proper way to treat animals, as well as his fellow man, brought the dog to the vet. I didn't concern myself with it because I accomplished my job within policy and without loss of life(generally a good thing) and went home to my family.

On a final note to the question of other alternatives to OC spray. Yes at times when serving search warrants or other preplanned events where we know there are dogs we use other means. A fire extinguisher works wonders on dogs. It is however heavy and there is no place to hang it on the sam browne (belt).