Current Events > Police officer aiming for family dog shoots 9 y/o girl instead, judge rules...

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...that he is immune from criminal prosecution and can't be sued.

Officers went to the family's home when the girl's mother reported her husband was threatening to hurt himself.

The family's attorney says the dog only went up to the officer and barked. The girl and dog were not seriously injured.

Bettss lawyer asked the judge to dismiss the case, arguing that he had legally fired his weapon in self-defense and was entitled to immunity.

Prosecutors wrote in court filings that it was ''not reasonable under the circumstances to fire twice without a clear background, with a child in the line of fire, a few feet away, at a dog the officer already knew was present.''

The Kansas criminal liability laws state that a person is immune if the use of force is determined to be justified.

OConnor wrote that the girl's injuries were certainly unfortunate and regrettable," but that prosecutors had failed to show that Betts' use of force wasn't justified.

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/kansas/articles/2019-12-10/judge-sides-with-ex-officer-in-dog-shooting-child-injury

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its ok because he was very scared and nervous. just the type of people we want in positions like this....those who can't handle stress without murder.

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Shablagoo posted...

OConnor wrote that the girl's injuries were certainly unfortunate and regrettable," but that prosecutors had failed to show that Betts' use of force wasn't justified.

Clearly that dog's bark was loud enough to damage his ear drums. Totally justified shoot

He smelled weed on the dog's breath

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If the girl didn't want to get hurt she shouldn't have been playing near a dangerous animal known to suddenly lash out and hurt those around it when startle

Oh wait, no.

The police is an adult capable of rational thought and ability to suffer consequences for shooting a child.

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That girl got wrecked omg

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Officers went to the family's home when the girl's mother reported her husband was threatening to hurt himself.

Can't we have someone else come for this kind of things, instead of the police?
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what colour was the dog

That's fucked up. Glad the girl apparently wasn't seriously injured.

they constantly do shit like this and piss their pants when people criticize them

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Wonder if it was a pitbull. I hear from this site that those dogs are horrible and shouldnt even exist.

Glad that girls okay, would have been a hell of an accident.

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Awesome country we live in, yo.

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I cant say what I want without getting modded.

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It's no wonder so many of these cases don't go anywhere when the prosecution is literally being burdened with proving a negative.

Imagine the medical bills you got to pay because the cop shot your daughter trying to shoot your dog.


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Yeah holy fuck the cops were terrifying when the home-hospice place called in a welfare check on my mom shortly after my dad died because she wasnt returning calls. They were so obnoxious that we got in trouble with the landlord. Thankfully didnt shoot my mom though.

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Hero cop gives man reason to live by maiming his daughter.

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I've never understood why cops have so much respect for canine officers, but zero respect for people's pet dogs. it's said that at least 1 pet dog is murdered by a cop every day somewhere in america

There are some seriously regressive and archaic judges that need to be dismissed.

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The only being less safe around a cop than a black man is a dog.

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Zikten posted...

I've never understood why cops have so much respect for canine officers, but zero respect for people's pet dogs. it's said that at least 1 pet dog is murdered by a cop every day somewhere in america

You give cops too much credit.

The Department of Justice estimates that at least 25 dogs are killed by police every day.

https://www.counterpunch.org/2019/03/22/the-growing-epidemic-of-cops-shooting-family-dogs/

Thanks for keeping us safe, police!


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But nah, it's the ""media"" that makes people hate cops....

I'd be a dead man if that was my daughter, because I'd be choking that PoS out for hurting my kid.

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The courts and the cops are super tight. They work with each other and would never sell each other out. Cops are the government's button men.

And chuds wonder why people hate and mistrust fucking cops.

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Umbreon posted...

But nah, it's the ""media"" that makes people hate cops....

I'd be a dead man if that was my daughter, because I'd be choking that PoS out for hurting my kid.

And now your daughter doesnt have a dad and your family doesnt have a provider while the cop gets a promotion. Good job?

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What is accountability?

Jeopardy answer, or a legitimate question? You decide.

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Duncanwii posted...

And now your daughter doesnt have a dad and your family doesnt have a provider while the cop gets a promotion. Good job?

I am well aware of the logic behind it being a very bad idea.

That, however, does not remove the murderous rage I would feel if someone were to hurt my theoretical child.


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TheVipaGTS posted...

its ok because he was very scared and nervous. just the type of people we want in positions like this....those who can't handle stress without murder.

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Shablagoo posted...

You give cops too much credit.

The Department of Justice estimates that at least 25 dogs are killed by police every day.

https://www.counterpunch.org/2019/03/22/the-growing-epidemic-of-cops-shooting-family-dogs/

Thanks for keeping us safe, police!

You missed his point.

Killing a police dog is charged much more harshly than regular animal abuse.

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DrizztLink posted...

You missed his point.

Killing a police dog is charged much more harshly than regular animal abuse.

Oh I didnt miss the point, just wanted to make sure we knew the full extent of polices puppy murder.

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Protected and served both the dog and the little girl.

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expected america

got america

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ScazarMeltex posted...

Protected and served both the dog and the little girl.

thank god we have such brave heroes protecting us

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cops are fucking useless at anything except hurting people who cant fight back

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Shablagoo posted...

thank god we have such brave heroes protecting us

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DrizztLink posted...

lmao saving this

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I hate that I had to stop and think if that was satire or not.

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Umbreon posted...

I hate that I had to stop and think if that was satire or not.

I didnt.

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Umbreon posted...

I hate that I had to stop and think if that was satire or not.

It is honestly 100% believable. I would not question it for a second if I read that in the paper. I mean, its hardly very far off from the subject of this topic.

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Cop fears for his life from any and everything and he's human.

But imagine if a civilian feared for their life and shot a cop. They'd be a piece of a shit who would rot in prison if the brotherhood even let them live that long.

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hockeybub89 posted...

Cop fears for his life from any and everything and he's human.

But imagine if a civilian feared for their life and shot a cop. They'd be a piece of a shit who would rot in prison if the brotherhood even let them live that long.

exactly.

the crazy thing to me is that they will say we hate cops for calling out their shitty behavior when it happens.

no, we dont hate cops. we simply want them to be held to the same accountability that literally everyone else is. it boggles my mind that that is somehow controversial.

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Cases like this go beyond mere manslaughter imo. He had no reason to shoot the dog, and despite that he managed to kill a human anyway. It may not be murder by definition, but its pretty damn close and in no way an "accident". Theres no reason this cop should ever be allowed to have a life outside of a prison cell ever again.
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Police shouldn't be protected like that. If a cop ends up shooting or hurting someone like that, they should be held liable. The requirements for a dog or other pet to be considered dangerous should also be stricter. Making noise is not a threat to their life.

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Rika_Furude posted...

Cases like this go beyond mere manslaughter imo. He had no reason to shoot the dog, and despite that he managed to kill a human anyway. It may not be murder by definition, but its pretty damn close and in no way an "accident". Theres no reason this cop should ever be allowed to have a life outside of a prison cell ever again.

Read lol nobody was killed. Or even seriously injured

I don't like cops either but I swear people make shit up to get mad.

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I really wish that GameFAQs didn't outright ban one of the strongest four-letter words in the vulgarity dictionary. I love using it as a Australian, and I would apply it heavily to this fucking police-cop.

So he feared for his life because a dog barked at him. He then went to shoot that family dog to death, but he missed, and he shot a nine year old girl instead. That alone makes him a jumpy, negligent piece of shit.

The fact that he went to court, argued that he was within his rights to shoot the dog dead and that he shouldn't be charged for accidentally shooting a nine year old? And that this line if reasoning was upheld? It's a fucking travesty. You wouldn't expect this level of delusion from a mailman, or a firefighter - both professions I strongly believe would have been charged severely for an incident like this - "I went to kill a dog because it was threatening me, and I hit a child instead". But a cop gets his day in court to argue that he shouldn't be punished for putting a bullet into a 9 year old - after aiming to slaughter their family pet - and he gets off scot free. Fuck off.

He wasn't there to bust a bunch of crack dealers, he wasn't there to start playing Rambo against the bad guys. He was there for a welfare check, went to shoot a dog and shot a child instead. He should be charged with negligence at best, and the fact that this scum walked is absolutely indefensible.

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