Pit Bull Shooting in New Iberia, Louisiana

[size=+1]IPSO, pit bull’s owner see shooting differently[/size]
By Jeff Moore THE DAILY IBERIAN

A New Iberia man says Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies used excessive force when they shot and killed his pet pit bull after it got loose Monday night.

Iberia Parish Sheriff Sid Hebert said deputies had no other choice.
Gerald Jones, of 415 Edward St., said he arrived home Tuesday morning to find his 2-year-old pit bull, Amy, and her puppy missing. When he called the sheriff’s office, deputies told him they had shot the dog.

“To me, it was an unjustified shooting,” he said. “Why didn’t they use a tranquilizer gun on her?”

Hebert said deputies responded to 612 Ashton St. after residents there reported the two dogs being on their porch. The residents said the dogs were keeping them from leaving their home, according to Hebert.

“The dogs seemed extremely agitated and irate,” Hebert said.
“The dogs then ran from the front porch and approached the deputy with teeth exposed and growling.”

Hebert said the dogs pinned one deputy up against the residents’ car. The deputy “repeatedly” struck the dogs with his baton, he said, but the animal continued to attack.

“The last animal was so uncontrollable that it lunged towards the closest deputy’s face,” Hebert said. “The dog was dispatched by his service revolver and taken away.”

While he admitted the dogs were loose, Jones said he doubted they acted aggressively. He said the dogs never tried to bite anyone before.

“I don’t raise my dogs to be mean,” he said. “The kids in the neighborhood even ride on his back.”

Hebert said the deputies were justified in the shooting. According to state law, officers may kill any dangerous or vicious dog without being held liable.

“The methods used by the deputies followed all departmental procedures,” he said. “The ultimate decision to save the officer’s life was based on the lethal force option.”

Deputies cited Jones for animals at large. Jones said he picked up the puppy at the pound.

“I was gonna sell him, but now I’m keeping him,” he said. “That’s all I have left.”

The incident is at least the fourth time in recent years a dog has been shot in New Iberia.

In 2002, Benjamin Hebert filed a lawsuit against the New Iberia Police Department after officers shot and killed his pet Rottweiller, Agnes. A judge dismissed the suit, ruling that the shooting was justified.

Pit bulls were shot by officers in separate incidents in 2002 and 2003.

Police said in both cases, the dogs attacked neighbors after getting loose.

 

The shooting happened sometime last week

 

Whats up ScrappyDoo. Im from that area i heard about this but didnt get the full story but i guess no one will know what really went on. Did you know the owner of the dogs. and what part of LA you from?

 

once again, improper containment that leads to a news story. good dog or not, the owner is a moron.

 

I am from that area.

My vet lives across the street from them. He said that the dog was really nice and the dog was just in the neighbor's yard. The neighbors called the police and said that the dog was growling and snarling at their door and they could not get out of the house.

 

Poor guy. That's a bad situation. I guess the officers, didn't want to call for animal control first. Could of came out differently.

 

ya know,,every time i see a news post,,i HAVE to pick it apart.wondering what's true, and what's BS(most of it). because it's always overblown on their side. i'd love to see a video of somethin like this. and to hear all the reports before they knew there was a video. just to put things into contrast
one thing that sticks out just a little,, is the person saying one dog was SO uncontrollable that it lunged towards the deputys face...my pit is 17" tall, normal size for a female. so that dog had to sprout wings, the officer was trying to kiss it, or the person saw what they "thought"happened. with that "big-ole mean pitbull" that kept them in the house