Doggycide in Ansonia, Connecticut

Ice the pitbull

Police are called to investigate reports of a roaming pitbull that bit a man. The clusterfuck that ensues ends with the wrong dog being shot and killed for displaying the “extremely aggressive behavior” of standing by calmly and wagging its tail:

Ansonia police shot Ice in the front yard of his home on Judson Place the night of March 3.

Police officers were responding to the report of a dog attack and roaming pit bull. In the 911 call, a resident said the dog had “chewed up” a person, and was loose.

When they arrived on scene, Ice was the only pit bull roaming. The dog was in the woods behind his owner’s home.

The backyard is fenced in on three sides. The fourth side is enclosed by an embankment.

Ice was able to get out of the yard by jumping up the embankment and down into a neighbor’s yard.

Ansonia police said the dog charged at them, and showed “extremely aggressive behavior.” A police report for the incident said Ice was running back and forth and couldn’t be contained by police.

But Ice was not the dog that bit the man. That dog — a mastiff named Zeus — was still inside the home, where the attack took place.

Police claim the dog had to be dispatched because of its alleged aggressive behavior and evasion of capture. Watch this video of the shooting; maybe someone with better vision than mine can identify the precise moment when the dog began displaying “aggressive behavior” while standing there on the sidewalk with its tail wagging – before it gets shot and bolts:

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Doggycide Bingo Index

Confirmed hits:

Dead Ice

Ice was standing passively

Cop shot rather than taze/spray/club

No apology offered

No discipline taken against shooter (actions excused)

Children and others crowded nearby

Video refutes cops’ claims that Ice was aggressive

Officials excuse the officer’s actions

Total: 8/25
No bingo.

(via @radleybalko)

Tags: Ansonia, CT • Ice the pitbull • dogs • Racquel Trapp • Jonathan Troesser