PetKnows

For those in the Washington DC area, this story has been all over the news.  I had to comment.  I am sickened and horrified at the unnecessary killing of 2 black lab pets.  The mayor of Berwyn Heights, MD (Prince George’s County) was raided during a police sting operation in which his mother in law accepted a package at their home of 32 lbs. of pot, asking the undercover officer to leave it at the door.  The home was later raided by a SWAT team (unnecessary force!?!) and both pets were shot to death because the police feared them (wimps!).  The younger dog was actually shot from behind after it was fleeing from seeing its brother shot dead by the cops.  And, to date no one has been charged in this case.

Where is the due diligence here?  This seems like an unbelievably botched job on the part of the cops.  If they are setting up a sting operation and planning a raid - shouldn’t the cops known there were dogs in the home?  Shouldn’t they have also known they were docile pets who played with neighborhood children?  Should necessary precautions been taken?  And, I ask this question: this was a mayor, and elected official - not some gun slinging thug on the streets who is suspected of having a gun arsenal in his home to protect his meth lab and his gang of pushers.  Was it really necessary to raid his home with a SWAT team?  This is what happens when there is a political agenda behind a police sting of this sort.

I am outraged at this incident - to the point of being beyond tears.

Coverage of the story:

http://wbal.com/apps/news/templates/news.aspx?articleid=10368&zoneid=3

http://rawstory.com/news/2008/SWAT_team_kills_2_dogs_in_0731.html

http://www.theagitator.com/2008/07/31/mayors-dogs-killed-in-drug-raid/