MD police assault Mayor, kill dogs in mistaken drug bust

[Kamakazie Sith]

The case is the latest embarrassment for Prince George's County officials. A former police officer was sentenced in May to 45 years in prison for shooting two furniture deliverymen at his home last year, one of them fatally. He claimed that they attacked him. In June, a suspect jailed in the death of a police officer was found strangled in his cell.

It does seem like Prince George County will punish officers that violate the law.

[Aaron]

makes me wonder if the officer that shot the dogs was just afraid of dogs...
I have seen officers with a what could be considered a dog phobia react to little dogs, that are clearly being friendly, with fear.

Of course the officer could just as easily saw them running away and thought "this is my chance" and yelled "THEY"RE COMING RIGHT FOR US!!!" and then opened fire. But I really hope not.

I could easily see this officer having issues with dogs if he was a Vet who served overseas, where dogs are feral and dangerous. US police forces seem to have a fair number of Veterans. Mind you if this was the case, how'd he get in?

[Kamakazie Sith]

makes me wonder if the officer that shot the dogs was just afraid of dogs...
I have seen officers with a what could be considered a dog phobia react to little dogs, that are clearly being friendly, with fear.

Of course the officer could just as easily saw them running away and thought "this is my chance" and yelled "THEY"RE COMING RIGHT FOR US!!!" and then opened fire. But I really hope not.

I could easily see this officer having issues with dogs if he was a Vet who served overseas, where dogs are feral and dangerous. US police forces seem to have a fair number of Veterans. Mind you if this was the case, how'd he get in?

I was just thinking about that question, and I don't believe I was ever asked if I had a phobia of dogs during the psyche evaluation.

[Aaron]

I was just thinking about that question, and I don't believe I was ever asked if I had a phobia of dogs during the psyche evaluation.

Was there anything in the evaluation to look for PTSD, which is where I usually she this phobia? Not that an officer couldn't pass and then have it come out later on.

[Aaron]

Sorry she=see.

[Kamakazie Sith]

I was just thinking about that question, and I don't believe I was ever asked if I had a phobia of dogs during the psyche evaluation.

Was there anything in the evaluation to look for PTSD, which is where I usually she this phobia? Not that an officer couldn't pass and then have it come out later on.

Yeah, there were quite a few questions designed to look for PTSD.

They also considered your history, and if you were ever in a combat zone. You wouldn't be disqualified if you answered yes, but it would mean they would ask other questions.

[Aaron]

Yeah, there were quite a few questions designed to look for PTSD.

They also considered your history, and if you were ever in a combat zone. You wouldn't be disqualified if you answered yes, but it would mean they would ask other questions.

I imagine such an evaluation would be standard for all US police forces then. Whether the officer in question has PTSD or not doesn't change his actions, it just provides an explanation other then him being a shithead.

Either way he should be in cells.

[Kamakazie Sith]

Yeah, there were quite a few questions designed to look for PTSD.

They also considered your history, and if you were ever in a combat zone. You wouldn't be disqualified if you answered yes, but it would mean they would ask other questions.

I imagine such an evaluation would be standard for all US police forces then. Whether the officer in question has PTSD or not doesn't change his actions, it just provides an explanation other then him being a shithead.

Either way he should be in cells.

Exactly.

[Stargate Nerd]

Cops have way too much power in this country.

The power isn't the problem (indeed, if you neuter them too much, they won't be able to do their jobs). The real problem is the lack of accountability. Police officers are unionized, and they act like a typical union: closing ranks against outsiders even though their primary duty is supposedly to protect and serve the public, not each other.

Yeah that's probably a better way to say it. I don't want to neuter cops either, but like you said there should be accountability when a cop fucks up. I'm afraid the police is just a part of a bigger societal problem in the US though.

[Death from the Sea]

makes me wonder if the officer that shot the dogs was just afraid of dogs...
I have seen officers with a what could be considered a dog phobia react to little dogs, that are clearly being friendly, with fear.

Of course the officer could just as easily saw them running away and thought "this is my chance" and yelled "THEY"RE COMING RIGHT FOR US!!!" and then opened fire. But I really hope not.

I could easily see this officer having issues with dogs if he was a Vet who served overseas, where dogs are feral and dangerous. US police forces seem to have a fair number of Veterans. Mind you if this was the case, how'd he get in?

I was just thinking about that question, and I don't believe I was ever asked if I had a phobia of dogs during the psyche evaluation.

lots of people are afraid of dogs, most of them have had some kind of bad experience as a child with dogs or just never been around dogs and so they don't know how to act with them and don't understand that a dog jumping up and down in your face is not always an aggressive movement.

and I don't see where that would come up with the psyche evaluation, if you asked that then you would have to start asking alot of other questions that would easily turn the interview into an all day thing. Which lets face it is not going to happen.

[Kamakazie Sith]

I could easily see this officer having issues with dogs if he was a Vet who served overseas, where dogs are feral and dangerous. US police forces seem to have a fair number of Veterans. Mind you if this was the case, how'd he get in?

I was just thinking about that question, and I don't believe I was ever asked if I had a phobia of dogs during the psyche evaluation.

lots of people are afraid of dogs, most of them have had some kind of bad experience as a child with dogs or just never been around dogs and so they don't know how to act with them and don't understand that a dog jumping up and down in your face is not always an aggressive movement.

and I don't see where that would come up with the psyche evaluation, if you asked that then you would have to start asking alot of other questions that would easily turn the interview into an all day thing. Which lets face it is not going to happen.

We're talking about a phobia though which is quite different from the fight or flight response that you're referring to. A phobia is an irrational fear of something would explain why an officer would be motivated to shoot a dog in the back. (STILL DOESN'T EXCUSE THE ACTION).

An investigation into a phobia of dogs, common household animals, and other things that an officer is likely to encounter should be done. A good example is a phobia of closed in spaces which is something that was apart of the psyche background for my department.

[Aaron]

I was just thinking about that question, and I don't believe I was ever asked if I had a phobia of dogs during the psyche evaluation.

lots of people are afraid of dogs, most of them have had some kind of bad experience as a child with dogs or just never been around dogs and so they don't know how to act with them and don't understand that a dog jumping up and down in your face is not always an aggressive movement.

and I don't see where that would come up with the psyche evaluation, if you asked that then you would have to start asking alot of other questions that would easily turn the interview into an all day thing. Which lets face it is not going to happen.[/quote]

You don't ask questions in a back forth Q&A deal, rather you have them take a test (like the ones you take when you get back from a tour) designed to highlight any mental issues the recruit may have. It's not like you walk into the police recruit center (or however they do it in the US) and walk out that day with a report date. An extra few days for a psychiatrist to evaluate the test won't add much to the process.

[Aaron]

ots of people are afraid of dogs, most of them have had some kind of bad experience as a child with dogs or just never been around dogs and so they don't know how to act with them and don't understand that a dog jumping up and down in your face is not always an aggressive movement.

and I don't see where that would come up with the psyche evaluation, if you asked that then you would have to start asking alot of other questions that would easily turn the interview into an all day thing. Which lets face it is not going to happen.

You don't ask questions in a back forth Q&A deal, rather you have them take a test (like the ones you take when you get back from a tour) designed to highlight any mental issues the recruit may have. It's not like you walk into the police recruit center (or however they do it in the US) and walk out that day with a report date. An extra few days for a psychiatrist to evaluate the test won't add much to the process.

Edit: fixed the quotes and added this:

If something comes up on the test that is a concern than you do an interview.

[Viridian]

Given the use of K-9 units and drug-sniffing dogs, what kind of idiot with a canine phobia would apply to be a cop?

It's like using "I was drunk" as an excuse for doing something stupid: You are still responsible for getting yourself into that situation in the first place.

But really, I can see someone with a strong fear of dogs even wanting to join a police department - let alone a narcotics unit.

[Viridian]

(Okay, I am assuming that the bust in a drug investigation was being conducted by the narcs. The point still holds.)

[Aaron]

Given the use of K-9 units and drug-sniffing dogs, what kind of idiot with a canine phobia would apply to be a cop?

It's like using "I was drunk" as an excuse for doing something stupid: You are still responsible for getting yourself into that situation in the first place.

But really, I can see someone with a strong fear of dogs even wanting to join a police department - let alone a narcotics unit.

Depending on what the officers actual issue is, he may not even be conciously aware that he is afraid of dogs. Or maybe he is aware but is supressing it because he really wants to be a cop. Or perhaps the guy is just a flat out idiot, there's no shortage of that in the world, look how many people join the military and then pull out the "I didn't join to fight" card.

The above only applies if he isn't a complete shithead as noted before. If the news is anything to go by there's no shortage of abusive police.

[Darth Wong]

Lots of people have phobias without pulling out guns and shooting at whatever they're afraid of. If these cops were that unstable, then someone was criminally negligent in giving them guns to carry around.

[Aaron]

Lots of people have phobias without pulling out guns and shooting at whatever they're afraid of. If these cops were that unstable, then someone was criminally negligent in giving them guns to carry around.

There's no arguing with that. That's part of what I was discussing with Kamakazie Sith. Personally I have no doubt that part of all this is that they simply can. As I said before, despite whatever problem this guy has, it's no excuse. He belongs in cells.

[Darth Wong]

Maybe this "phobia" explanation from "Death From The Sea" can explain all those shootings of black kids. After all, these cops might have a phobia of black people!