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Nala, a 7-year old Shar Pei, escaped from her Baltimore backyard on Saturday morning. While Nala’s owner was searching for her beloved dog, posting flyers and making calls to local shelters, a neighbor spotted to frightened dog about a block away and called police.
When police arrived, they successfully caught Nala, who was wearing a collar and identification tags, using a catch-pole. Witnesses said Nala was not behaving aggressively, but was understandably frightened. What happened next left everyone, including fellow officers, stunned.
According to reports, once Nala was restrained and under police control, Baltimore officer Jeffrey Bolger, shouted “I am going to [expletive] gut this thing.” That’s when he pulled out a knife and slit Nala’s throat, killing her.
“We have no words to describe this. To say that we are appalled at the allegations, I think, is an understatement,” Baltimore Police Deputy Commissioner Jerry Rodriguez said.
Officer Bolger, who has been with the Baltimore Police Department since 1992, was arrested, charged with aggravated animal cruelty and malfeasance in office, and suspended without pay. He was released on his own recognizance this morning.
“This is an outrageous and unacceptable breach of our protocol. The BPD does not condone and will not condone such actions,” Deputy Commissioner Dean Palmere explained.
Baltimore Police are investigating the incident, including whether the knife Bolger used was police issued and whether the other two officers at the scene followed proper procedure in reporting it.
“Obviously, my anger is toward this police officer. I don’t want him to have his job. I don’t want him to be able to go out on calls and react like that to a person, to a dog, to anything. That’s not OK,” Nala’s grieving owner, Sarah Gossard told WBAL Channel 11.
Janet Kelly
says:NO WOEDS FOR THIS AS HE SURE IS NOT HUMAN AND A VERY SICK PERSON
Mogilb
says:That piece of scum has some very serious problems and should be watched 24/7; he should never have been released! To so callously slit the throat of an animal, under control by members of his own police department, proves that he has a killer mentality and should NEVER be free to do that again and probably to a human being – which he is a poor excuse for!
Melissa
says:I wouldn’t be surprised if he tries to defend himself by saying he was fearful of the dog attacking, even though it was restrained and there were witnesses. The thing is, you don’t use a knife on a dog you are afraid of or is acting aggressively, you’d have to get way too close to do what he did.
I hope he does get fired, prosecuted to the fullest extent and has to undergo therapy for his issues.
Sam
says:If that were my dog that policeman wouldn’t be carried out of that scene in a body bag and I’d be in jail! That man is horrible! He doesn’t deserve his badge! I hope he gets more than a suspension!
annette brockman
says:I am so sorry for the loss of your beloved dog. I hope the man that did this gets jailed for a long long time.
We have got to train all officers in reading the body language of an animal. This is deplorable. And until we, the people, change or add to the laws, this will continue! I’m so sorry for your loss!!!
Angela
says:There is no training that would have stopped or prevented this officers behavior. The dog was restrained already when he committed this heinous act. This is obviously a disturbed individual and perhaps BPD needs to work on their hiring process to screen the applicants more thoroughly and continue monitoring their psychological fitness during their careers.
Michelle
says:If that had been my dog, I’d be headed to prison.
Denise
says:What this monster did (calling him an officer is an insult to all true police officers) is disgusting and unjustified. Send him to prison with the criminals he has sent there and let Karma run her beautiful course.
Renee
says:I am so sorry for the loss of Nala. She looks like she was loved very much. I can’t believe anyone who takes an oath to serve and protect would do anything so horrible to an innocent animal. Someone please lock me in a room alone with this flaming dumba#% AN EYE FOR AN EYE! Just glad they took action and threw his stupid a$% off the force. Hope he gets jail time and has to share a cell with someone he had arrested!!!!
Hmm it looks like your blog ate my first comment (it was extremely
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I as well am an aspiring blog writer but I’m
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Liz W
says:I am so sorry for your loss. There is no excuse for what that officer did to your dog. I hope he is punished to the full extent of the law and restitution to the owner for all that she has been put through by this officer. God bless the dog and the owner.
Sheila
says:This story disgusts me.. If this police officer can do this to a helpless, non violent dog what would he do to an aggressive suspect. I have three dogs who are a part of my family and if this happened to me you can bet that I would contact an attorney. Not for any other reason but to see this man pay for the cruelty he inflicted on this dog and the owner. Good job on the part of the police department to arrest and suspend him WITHOUT pay. In my city in Canada police officers are always suspended with pay and it makes me sick…..RIP Nala
It seems there is a lot of this going on with Police Officers today. Something is not right when a dog is restrained and frightened that an officer sees fit to do something like this. He needs to lose his job.
Pa
says:Sarah I am so sorry for the death of your beloved Nala. I too hope that this policeman is punished for his actions!
Jim Meagher
says:My deepest condolences to the dog owner. She needs an attorney a.s.a.p, and file a civil suit against the p.o.s/s.o.b asshole cop,for destruction of private property, mental anguish, and unprofessional, unethical police conduct!. Additionally, this asshole cop needs to be suspended indefinitely, kicked off the police force, and have his throat slit. No excuse, officer assclown, this was a shar pei, not a doberman, of pitbull, shame on you. If you did that I would’ve shot you, between the eyes!.
.
Rebecca
says:This wouldn’t have been ok no matter what breed it was!! Officers are trained to shoot if they feel in danger, not to knife an animal or person. They also state that the dog was not behaving aggressively. I think that the officer is crazy for behaving the way that he did.
Vicki
says:So it would be OK if the dog had been a Doberman or a pitbull? Wow unbelievable!
Angela
says:It sounds like you may need some of the same therapy that this officer needs! This act is not acceptable in any way shape or form no matter what kind of dog it is!! You, and people like you, are the ones that help perpetuate the stereotypes people have about certain breeds of dogs. That is part of the problem! Do some research before you bad mouth a whole breed. There are many positive stories about pit bulls who have protected and saved lives, while sometimes sacrificing their own! That is something that a police officer is supposed to do but failed miserably in this case!!