On November 10, 2012, Troop K police responded to a domestic dispute between a male and female in the parking lot of Hilltop BBQ and Steakhouse Restaurant in Moodus. Richard J. Blakeman, age 50, of Seymour became combative with investigating troopers, according to police.
During the struggle with Blakeman, a Great Dane that had been in Blakeman's vehicle exited the vehicle and attacked the troopers as they were attempting to arrest Blakeman.
According to police, as a result of the attack, troopers were forced to shoot and kill the dog. Two troopers were injured during the struggle, were treated for their injuries and released.
Blakeman was charged with breach of peace, interfering with a police officer and assault of a police officer. He is being held on $10,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in Middletown Court on 11/13/2012.
The incident is currently under investigation. Just a friendly reminder to keep comments civil and not defamatory.
I feel the Police officer that shot monty was wearing his ego on his uniform. This is cruel and inhuman. People go to prison for animal cruelty. To me this isn't only animal cruelty but he broke the hearts of many people who know and love Monty. He caused an emotion tear on more people then he could ever imagine. And that's not right. Monty, You are and will always be a wonderful dog. You were so kind and pleasant to have around. I feel we should honor you like we honor all the heart wrenching deaths our family has fought in the last year. "Carry on Monty." Always loved && Never forgotten. <3
First and foremost we are responsible for our actions, or at least we're supposed to be. If we caused a disturbance that resulted in the police being called we are responsible for everything, we initiated it. Naturally if the police shot the dog for no reason they are responsible, but if a 200lb dog charges at you you'd better react. The dog should not have been able to get out of the vehicle. If you are off your property your dog has to be under your control at all times, if they are in a vehicle they cannot have a window open etc that would allow them to get out. Even on your own property your dog or pet has to be under your control at all times, these rules apply to all pets, not just dogs. Anytime there is a disturbance pets should be taken away, you cannot tell how they would react
Monty was still considered a threat after he was shot in the chest and clearly incapacitated to the point where he COULD have been tased. . According to the officer himself who shot first, Monty was not running toward them when he was shot up the second and third time. After he was shot the first time, their best judgement was to shoot and kill. Appearantly a taser would not have worked on him at that point. The officer told me hself that he could tell Monty wasn't an 'attack' dog in any sense.
Monty was 150lbs. and when he was shot dead he was not charging in any sense. I made sure to ask the officer when I spoke to him. I apologized to him for the whole thing, but Monty was better than that.
And I agree with robin hood. The police saw Monty in the car. Why is it not protocall to have Animal Control come immediately. Did the situation call for absolute immediate reaction? Blakeman was sitting in his car. They could t have spared 5-10 minutes? I guess we all see what we want. The workers at the restaurant turned me away and looked at me like a piece of garbage. I pride myself in my ability to communicate, does anyone care about what happened? Or is all the focus just on the drunk man? I can't rest... Only hope Monty can.
As far as Animal Control coming, no one can approach a situation including emergency personnel or AC etc until it is under control, they could become a hostage or injured, I am almost certain that is policy throughout the nation. My dad was an officer and my Uncle one of the top troopers in Ct, most would much rather be out helping people than getting involved in domestics, domestics are the worst situations to deal with. I don't envy them at all. Observor is right regarding going to the source, it might help.
That's where we are different. I understand your 'not wanting to be involved' attitude. thanks
Police and Troopers have sticks and mace and guns and radios they can use to call all their friends who also have sticks and mace and guns. This is known as the Kobayashi Maru, the no win scenario.
The officer that dealt with my father, and as a result, was being threatened by a naturally protective dog, was right in shooting him. As he did, once. I do agree and even apologized for it, as hard as it was.
It is the responsibility for the dog owner to know this and keep the dog out of harms way, even if there were no police the dog should not have been able to do anything. I have had dogs forever and I am real sick of dog owners, most just get a dog and never learn about them or their potential, most are very irresponsible and do not realize it. We have a female rescue that does not like other dogs, we know this, we keep her on a leash and under control at all times. It does not help that every jerk with a pit or other type of dog thinks parks or a hiking trail is the time to let their dogs off leash, now we and they have no control over the situation, I therefore carry mace and I use it, I will stop it before it can start by macing your dog, your dog is off leash, you are legally responsible for everything that happens, everything.
You have a tense situation, on top of that you have an extremely large dog that has already bitten someone and been shot. Any animal that had been wounded and hasn't gone down is extremely dangerous, they don't understand what is happening other than their pack is under attack and they have been injured and are in pain. They are considered an extreme danger to everyone even their owners. The only recourse you'd have is if there was video and at best you could argue along with the ASPCA for a national policy regarding pets in these situations. Generally I'd say they'll ask the owner to keep the pet under control once, and they mean once, once the situation is out of control it's over.
If you haven't been following my posts, I am the one looking for and finding facts. And again, reality. Officers have to deal with the situation 'at hand'. Not how it should be. Now you think that my father was complying until he got out of the car? No. Anything else that I can reasonably counter? And ma'am, if I evade responsibility so well, what the heck am I doing wasting my time with you? I'm here to claim responsibility, and if I didn't, your ignorance would let you do NOTHING else but believe that my sweet Monty was something he's not. My responsibility is to make absolutely sure that he did absolutely have to killed in the way he did. Understand?
There are no answers other than what happened, I'm sorry but there aren't. Everything has a Cause and Effect, I hope they still teach that. What you can do is look to educate people so that this never happens to them and their pet, but you have to be totally up front with the facts, you can't spin it. There is a lot to be learned here for pet owners, citizens, police and troopers. I can't say X because I wasn't there. I can't judge anything by anyone and I'm not, there are only a few truths based on what is known of dogs and past incidents. Once a dog is involved in a confrontation it is over, in a police situation there is no time to wait, because in the past wounded dogs have grabbed children and people and fellow officers have even been shot by fellow officers trying to control a wounded dog, its Pandoras box and job 1 is to shut it. Because there is no telling what a wounded animal will do they have to err on the side of protecting the people, if it ran and killed a child because it was wounded and in pain how would you comfort those people? It is a tragedy beyond the beyond, there is no winning if you shot the dog or not, if you wait and it attacks someone you're wrong, if you shoot you're wrong, there are no winners. This sucks but it goes back to where it initiated.
And by saying "it's over"' only says to me it's their 'choice' on how to diffuse that situation. You all do have valid points, but apply those to this scene. Half of the variables don't exist. And, I would expect to see a shot in his chest, and 3 in his ass. Does that make sense? Any sense at all to you? And, the info on Monty's wounds is a mystery right now. Noone has them. Noone knows where they are. Why? Again, for the final time. They did not have to kill him. That's it.