Sometimes, a dog's life can be valued more than a man's

[syciprider]

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/m...2-bn01dog.html

A Vista man has been charged with the death of an Oceanside police dog after he grabbed the canine and leaped off the San Diego-Coronado Bridge following a police chase Monday night, authorities said.
Cory Byron, 27, also is charged with evading arrest and drunken driving. He survived the 200-foot leap into San Diego Bay, a California Highway Patrol spokeswoman said, but was hospitalized with a collapsed lung at UCSD Medical Center Tuesday.

Oceanside police said Officer Kedrick Sadler was patrolling with his Belgian shepherd, Stryker, when he spotted Byron become involved in a minor traffic accident on College Boulevard about 6:30 p.m. Instead of stopping, Byron headed west on state Route 76 and then south on Interstate 5, with Sadler and CHP officers in pursuit, police said.

Less than an hour later, Byron exited I-5 at the bridge and stopped his GMC pick-up truck near the highest point and got out. Sadler released Stryker, whom police said bit Byron and pulled him to the ground. Byron then allegedly grabbed the dog and jumped over the concrete barrier into the bay, where he was rescued by harbor police, according to authorities


So sad that there was no poetic justice for the police pooch here. It would've been so much better if he survived and used the scumbag as a flotation device.

[Bryan316]

Kill him.

Just let him expire.

[syciprider]

I think they should give gravity another chance to finish the job.

[JoshD]

Might seem dark but I'm sure many of us wish the dog lived and the guy didn't...ah well, I'm sure the man'll pay for it.

[Dr. Cheese]

I think the suspect is about to find out that killing cops gets you in deep trouble, even if the cop has four legs.

[Vince S.]

Originally Posted by Dr. Cheese

I think the suspect is about to find out that killing cops gets you in deep trouble, even if the cop has four legs.

I think there additional severe penalties for killing a police canine, plus the felony cruelty to animals charge.

[Disco_Gee]

Meh. There are far worse things happening in the world.

[jp1994]

I believe, in most places, the penalties for injuring/shooting/killing a police dog is the same as if it was a human police officer!

[eedre]

So can a poor little 300 lb feral kitty cat that rips a kid's throat out...

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl.../BA7OU7V53.DTL

[Bob Clayton]

at least the police officer died while doing his job.

[Febs]

Originally Posted by jp1994

I believe, in most places, the penalties for injuring/shooting/killing a police dog is the same as if it was a human police officer!

One of the comments to the article quotes the relevant section of the California Penal Code.

Edit:

Here is the complete code provision:

600. (a) Any person who willfully and maliciously and with no legal
justification strikes, beats, kicks, cuts, stabs, shoots with a
firearm, administers any poison or other harmful or stupefying
substance to, or throws, hurls, or projects at, or places any rock,
object, or other substance which is used in such a manner as to be
capable of producing injury and likely to produce injury, on or in
the path of, any horse being used by, or any dog under the
supervision of, any peace officer in the discharge or attempted
discharge of his or her duties, is guilty of a public offense. If
the injury inflicted is a serious injury, as defined in subdivision
(c), the person shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison
for 16 months, two or three years, or in a county jail for not
exceeding one year, or by a fine not exceeding two thousand dollars
($2,000), or by both a fine and imprisonment. If the injury
inflicted is not a serious injury, the person shall be punished by
imprisonment in the county jail for not exceeding one year, or by a
fine not exceeding one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by both a fine
and imprisonment.
(b) Any person who willfully and maliciously and with no legal
justification interferes with or obstructs any horse or dog being
used by any peace officer in the discharge or attempted discharge of
his or her duties by frightening, teasing, agitating, harassing, or
hindering the horse or dog shall be punished by imprisonment in a
county jail for not exceeding one year, or by a fine not exceeding
one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by both a fine and imprisonment.
(c) Any person who, in violation of this section, and with intent
to inflict such injury or death, personally causes the death,
destruction, or serious physical injury including bone fracture, loss
or impairment of function of any bodily member, wounds requiring
extensive suturing, or serious crippling, of any horse or dog, shall,
upon conviction of a felony under this section, in addition and
consecutive to the punishment prescribed for the felony, be punished
by an additional term of imprisonment in the state prison for one
year.
(d) Any person who, in violation of this section, and with the
intent to inflict such injury, personally causes great bodily injury,
as defined in Section 12022.7, to any person not an accomplice,
shall, upon conviction of a felony under this section, in addition
and consecutive to the punishment prescribed for the felony, be
punished by an additional term of imprisonment in the state prison
for two years unless the conduct described in this subdivision is an
element of any other offense of which the person is convicted or
receives an enhancement under Section 12022.7.
(e) In any case in which a defendant is convicted of a violation
of this section, the defendant shall be ordered to make restitution
to the agency owning the animal and employing the peace officer for
any veterinary bills, replacement costs of the animal if it is
disabled or killed, and the salary of the peace officer for the
period of time his or her services are lost to the agency.

http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/cacodes/pen/594-625c.html

Section (e) is interesting. I would think that the cost of restitution of a police dog are significant.

[syciprider]

Originally Posted by Febs

If the injury inflicted is a serious injury, as defined in subdivision (c), the person shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for 16 months, two or three years, or in a county jail for not exceeding one year, .

Ouch, that's a lot of anal sex.

[Ericman197]

I'm totally pro-dog and sympathize with Stryker, but there must be more to the story. I'm not sure why anyone would grab a police dog and then jump over the barrier. Of course, the guy might just be crazy... or the dog held on as he jumped. That isn't to say that I don't blame the guy 100%, but that being bitten by a dog REALLY HURTS and may cause someone to act erratically.

[i_got_a_mohawk]

Originally Posted by syciprider

So sad that there was no poetic justice for the police pooch here. It would've been so much better if he survived and used the scumbag as a flotation device.

+1

[IconBasser]

Originally Posted by Ericman197

I'm totally pro-dog and sympathize with Stryker, but there must be more to the story. I'm not sure why anyone would grab a police dog and then jump over the barrier. Of course, the guy might just be crazy... or the dog held on as he jumped. That isn't to say that I don't blame the guy 100%, but that being bitten by a dog REALLY HURTS and may cause someone to act erratically.

+1. It's not like the action was unprovoked, I mean, the dog did have his teeth in the guy after all. I'd be doing whatever I could to get it off, too.

[syciprider]

He fled over a minor traffic accident. This makes his sanity suspect in my book.

Or maybe he's got two strikes already under the 3 strikes law?

[A9X]

Good. I hope he pays a fine, goes to jail and has to pay for the replacement of the dog.

And for the Officer/handler of the dog, I hope he gets some time with the guy in a closed room with some telephone books. I know some Cops and Corrections dog handlers, and these animals are family to them, so he'll be gutted.

[jp1994]

Well, that's what I get for not reading all the comments below the story!

I was close though!

[Josh Ryan]

Originally Posted by syciprider

I think they should give gravity another chance to finish the job.

I agree 100%.

[Stanley Design]

I think he had no choice but to jump WITH the dog if he was going to jump at all. He most likely wanted to get as far from the dog as possible, but the dog was clamped onto the dudes arm, so he had to take him along for the ride. Or maybe he was insane and thought the dog was superman.