“This post contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.”
When a Commerce City, Colorado man saw a dog that he didn’t recognize wandering his neighborhood, he thought he was doing the right thing by calling police. What unfolded was a tragic and shocking display of the ignorance of police departments around the country on how to deal with dogs.
Police shot and killed the dog they say was dangerous and trying to attack them. However, the dog had already been restrained by Animal Control, had a catch-pole around her neck, and was under the control of an animal control officer.
Perhaps even more shocking, is that it wasn’t a single shot fired, but 5 shots at close range, killing the dog that was already captured. Further, this all happened in a quiet, family-filled neighborhood, in the garage of the person who was dogsitting a friend’s pet.
And, it was all caught on tape.
Kenny Collins didn’t know his neighbor was dogsitting for a friend. So, when he saw a large dog wandering loose around the neighborhood, he called police. His neighbor left the 3-year old pit bull-mix, named Chloe, in the garage while she left to run errands. Somehow, the dog tripped the garage door sensor, forcing the door open, allowing her to wander the neighborhood.
“He never came at me in an aggressive manner,” Collins told reporters for 9News. He was never afraid of the dog, and the dog never showed aggression, he just wanted animal control to pick up the loose dog.
When police arrived, the dog was back in the garage, sitting by her bed. Police stood around for about a half hour, deciding what to do. When Chloe tried to exit the garage, an officer fired at her, at which point the animal control officer was able to loop the catch pole around her neck.
At this point, Chloe was restrained by an animal control officer. However, a police officer continued firing – 4 more shots into the dog, killing her at the scene.
Commerce City Police released this statement reading in part, “An animal control agent was able to place a ‘catch pole’ around the dog’s neck. The pit bull remained extremely agitated and continued to attempt to attack the animal control agent. Due to the dog’s size and aggressive demeanor, it could not be controlled on the catch pole. For the safety of the animal control agent and the community, a police officer shot and killed the dog.”
But Kenny Collins’ report, and the video captured by his son’s cell phone video recorder, tells a different story.
Police are now reviewing the video and say that if inappropriate action was taken, they will admit to it.
Meanwhile, 9News showed the video to an animal behaviorist that said:
“The video, it’s pretty far away and kind of fuzzy, so it’s hard to see a lot of the dog’s body postures, but what I did see is that the dog did retreat quite a bit from the police officers and the animal control officer. It ran into the garage rather than coming out of the garage. And even when he was coming out of the garage, it didn’t look like he was coming after them, it looked like he was trying to get away from them.”
The video below may be disturbing to some viewers, although portions of the video have been removed because of their graphic nature.
The entire uncut video can be seen at 9News by clicking here.
Jenny
says:This jerk needs to come off the force NOW. These trigger-happy cops want to kill so bad. He must have got his rocks off shooting a defenseless dog. I pray the owner of this dog takes the SOB and the police department he works for to court. They should pay for this, though it won’t bring this poor innocent dog back. I hate him so much; makes me so mad.
Steve
says:These OTHER 4 Cops are all GUILTY AS HELL of being ACCOMPLISES to MURDER, & should be FIRED ALSO..The “SHOOTER” should be JAILED, && DRUMMED OFF THE FORCE WITHOUT PENSION &/OR ANY FORM OF SEVERENCE PAY….
Koodog
says:Growing up I was taught to trust police. How in the world can anyone trust people such as this that murder defenseless animals and then to protect their own blatantly lie about it? The statement made by the Commerce City police is ridiculous! Do they really believe the public to be such fools as to accept any part of their nonsense? How many other pet murders have occurred and been written off as aggressive animals? God forgive these bastards, I cannot.
Roger
says:Does anyone know where this travesty currently stands. Is this sociopathic cop still wondering around?
M.B.
says:Do you really think that this cop will get disciplined? No. Not going to happen. This will get hidden behind the blue wall of secrecy. You’d waste so much time and money trying to sue them that you’d go broke and be disappointed in the end. Untouchables.
Jia Long
says:This cop really wanted to shoot this dog. It was completely unnecessary. The dogs was scared and trying to escape. This is how you treat an escaping murderer not a scared dog. This cop should be fired and never allowed to handle a gun again. He clearly has mental issues. There have always been cops like this that give others a bad name. A little quality control when hiring police officers maybe??
John
says:This guy needs to be fired for starters. Then animal cruelty charges need to be levied, at the least. CAREER’S OVER, PAL.
Tiarie
says:Imagine that the police will some day be the only ones with guns.
Andy
says:This is disgusting and that officer should be fired!
ik
says:LETS DO THE SAME THING WITH THE OFFICERS KIDS….
FUCKING CANCER POLICE.. ONE DAY … ONE DAY PEOPLE…
YOU CAN SUCK MY DICK PUSSYSS…. IF I HAD A GUN I HAD KNOW IT..
FUCKING SHOOT PEOPLE IN THE FACES. BITCHES.. HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHA
Radene
says:First – the neighbor was wrong in calling 911. 911 is for emergency situations and require different outcomes – he could have should have called animal control. I would like to know exactly what he said when he called 911. Second, apparently the dog sitter was not home so the police did not know if the dog was in its own garage so I guess animal control had to take or capture it. Once in animal control care the police had no right to kill this animal. Sounds like a desk job is in order. This is pitiful –
WHAT GOOD IS IT TO BE THE VOICES OF ALL ANIMALS AND CREATURES WHEN THERE ARE SO MANY ANIMALS THAT NEED A FAMILY
I HAVE A STORY TO TELL, MICHAEL TERPENING AND I WERE AT THE ANIMAL SHELTER DOWN OWN BATTLE CREEK. WE DELIVERED FOOD FOR THE CATS AND DOGS AND MR. TERPENING
WE RESCUED SOME OF THE DOGS AND AS WE G OT TO THE TRUCK WE HEARE A WOMAN SCREAMING TERRIBLE FILTHY LANGUAGE. MR TERPENING AND I WENT TO CHECK OUT WHY SHE ANIMAM CRE WAS SCREAMING. SHE TOLD US THAT ONE OF MY HAND RAISED KITTENS SCRATCHED HER. WNEN I ASKED WHERE THE KITTEN WAS SO I COULD FIND A HOME FOR HER SHE SAID THAT SHE THREW IT AS HARD AS SHE COULD AND BROKE THE KITTENS. NECK I WANTED TO REPORT THIS HORRIFIC ANIMAL ABUSE TO THE MANAGER, MR TERPENING SAID NO BECAUSE THE SHELTER WOULD BLACK BALL US AND NOT GIVE US ANIMALS TO GET ADOPTED
Patti
says:What a freaken asshole that cop is!!
Janet LeClaire
says:I was taught to be respectful of the police or any authority figure, but how can anyone respect them when they do something so unnecessary and horrific as kill a poor defenseless animal. Dogs often show more compassion then some humans and in this case, the officers that tazed and shot this dog to death acted like savages, not compassionate human beings. This scene gave me chest pains and made me sick! My heart goes out to poor Chloe and her family and if there is anything I can do to help seek justice, please contact me.
Mary
says:I don’t understand this….. what can be done to make this STOP??? We all are outraged – who do/can we take this to, in order to get attention to this infuriating behavior?? Something is seriously wrong with some members of our society – I am sick over this, and there seems to be more stories like this each day…..
Sally
says:The most telling line in the whole article is “…display of the ignorance of police departments around the country on how to deal with dogs.” It is tragic and everywhere. Just too sad; makes your heart hurt.
deb
says:Coward. Big gun little dickey. If a cop were at my home and shot my dog I would unload my gun on the cop. Where in the fuc do we find these losers.
Lisa
says:I am completely sickened! I watched as this dog sat there and did NOTHING to warrant such an attack. This was just that…a vicious attack against the dog! What dog wouldn’t try to run away if they were being shot at?! Good grief, get a brain people. Clearly this officer has issues with his gun and his authority needs to be evaluated and the gun removed from his hands. To Chloe’s family–I mourn with you for your loss.
Lisa
says:I am completely sickened! I watched as this dog sat there and did NOTHING to warrant such an attack. This was just that…a vicious attack against the dog! The officer who clearly has issues with his gun and his authority needs to be evaluated and the gun removed from his hands. To the owners of Chloe–I mourn with you for your loss.
Lisa
says:Sorry…duplicate message–well…sort of.
kim
says:this is sickening………… everyone in this video should be fired…. why shoot after its been caught???? you bastards are heart less and its people like you who are monsters and are to protect us from…. think about that.. that was someones pet…. heartless bastards. it was not at all aggressive it was afraid of you and why shoot it 5 times?????? my god…….. sick bastards is all i can say….
michael
says:why do real officers have to even respond to call when animal cotrol was there?doesent animal control know how to handle the situation. its 2012,what happend to tranculizrs????FIRE THE COP.
Jimmy
says:That cop is NOT fit to be “serving” the public!!!! REALLY???? You shoot a restrained dog……4 TIMES!!!! That was the best decision you could make???? That dude is LUCKY that wasn’t my dog as he would meet the same fate!!!! This department MUST remove this idiot from a badge as he evidently feels he should fire his weapon, in a neighborhood at a defenseless and restrained dog. I am pro-gun and a responsible gun owner and the ONLY time you fire your weapon is if someone tries to attack you and you fear for your life, that was NOT the case as this video clearly shows!!!!
Gina Green
says:I will never call the police about a stray dog. My dog got out of the house while I was at work. The police were next door because the neighbor’s burglar alarm was accidently tripped. Little (and I do mean little, as in small 20 something pound dog) Red growled at them so they tased him and called animal control to pick him up. My neighbor begged them to let him put Little Red in his house until I got home but they wouldn’t hear of it. He assured them Red would not bite, has never been agressive to him or his children or anyone else for that matter, however they tased him anyway and hauled him off to animal detention. When I arrived to pick him up he was so traumatized, it took him days to get over it.
Chrissy
says:There is a cure for this problem. Hire an attorney and sue the SOB’s. I didnt see anything about a wrongful death suit having to be a human in wording of the law. Ill see your technicality and raise you one!!!!!
Laura Calentine
says:What ever happened to the day when, if you saw a strange dog wandering the street, YOU called it to you, took it in and tried to find the owner? Why call the police about a stray dog? Where do these people live that a cop actually shows up for a stray dog? Crazy!! Around here, you bring it in, feed it, and try to find it’s owner. IF you can’t find the owner, you either keep it or take it to a shelter. If people would do the right thing and stop calling the damned cops for a stray dog, a lot less of this would be happening. They don’t want to take time to mess with it, it’s faster and easier for them to shoot it and not have to deal with a dog.
Stephanie
says:I won’t call to an unknown dog that was in my yard. I have three very small children and refuse to risk it. I just shoo them out of my yard, but I do live out in the country and there are many many dogs that are just strays/feral and have no home to go to so animal control would be a death sentence for them no matter what. I did have a very sweet girl pitbull who became friends with my malamute while we were on our walks that didn’t like her petsitter and came to live on my back porch for a week. She even followed us off leash on our walks until her owner got back who thought it was funny until he realized his petsitter never told him his dog was gone and still took his money for the week -_-
Christy
says:I am more then sick to my stomach. ….. this is TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE. ….. If this happened to one of my pets I would pursue to the fullest extent of the law. … let’s face it the dog was a pitbull mix thats why they killed it! !!! I hope those officers will loose their job and never be allowed to “PROTECT AND SERVE” again!!!
Joni Pickering
says:Why didn’t they shut the door if they watched the dog just sitting there for so long?
Laura Calentine
says:Too stupid to know how to push the button I guess. Maybe their finger only curls, not extends.
Renee
says:lack of training? more like lack of brains!!!! we seriously need to get all these ignorant cops off the force! luckily i’m not judge and jury because i’m all for an eye for an eye. wonder how much he’d like being caputured around the neck with a catch pole and shot?
DoxieMom
says:I think this issue is more than a lack of training. To shoot a dog being restrained by animal control hardly seems to be an issue of training. I question this cop’s motive for shooting the dog who was not posing any threat at the time. Perhaps he should be psychologically evaluated to make sure he doesn’t make the same error of judgement with a human being.
patricia silva
says:it appears that dogs and petty thieves are now fair game for police officers. god forbid that a family pet gets loose occasionally or that a kid
should grab a candy bar at the corner store. punishment is death by police officers. i guess they do not learn to wound only to kill at the police academies
Helen Davis
says:Lesson. Repeat. Lesson. Do not call the police. Repeat. Do not call the police. Ever. They no longer receive appropriate training… to handle animals… or people. Danger. Alert. Alert. Alert.
linda
says:i agree, jeez, who can you trust anymore, that cop was quick to judge and i hope something is done soon, he is a danger to people himself, i have a big pit also but she is so gentle, i would be scared if she got away from my home and that was done to her, i protect her more than she protects me cause she is part of our life, it was clear what went on in that video,
I know first hand we are not safe. This guy was just dying to kill something! We are not safe here in Commerce City, CO. Martial Law is just around the corner. Secure your homes and be prepared. The Police can do whatever they want. Keep reading stories and watching Videos. This stuff is real folks. Do not call the Commerce City Police for help you are asking for trouble and you will get it! I live less than one mile from where this happened and this is not the first incident of this volume. Rest Dear Chloe you deserve it. I only hope this won’t happen again. Just remember this guy is out there with a gun. Do you feel safe? He could be your neighbor…
Scott Sessions
says:I agree with you wholeheartedly! Be sure to show up on April 15th!!!!