Police Officer Couldn't Shoot Injured Deer

[jerrybob]

As a certified hunter ed. instructor....I realize that not everyone can shoot an animal. But....I believe this police officer made a terrible judgement call.....hate to think what would have happened if an innocent bystander was injured or killed.

Oh, deer: Did Indiana cop give gun to stranger to put injured animal out of misery? | Fox News

 

[TripleR]

Not surprising that he could not shoot the deer, when my son was a Police Officer, he was routinely sent out of his zone to dispatch an injured deer. There is no way an Officer should ever give his gun to a civilian for any other than reasons than of an emergency.

 

[LD1]

There is no way an Officer should ever give his gun to a civilian for any other than reasons than of an emergency.

While I would normally agree, I think this is going to get blown WAY out of proportion.

IMO, I think sometimes we all just need to take a step back and look at whats right and whats wrong. And I dont mean what the "laws" say is right and wrong. But from a humane and common sense standpoint.

The "guy" that coundnt bring him self to end the misery of a suffering animal hands his weapon off and allows someone else to do what needs to be done.

If that "guy" were just an average joe like most of us, it wouldnt even make news in a local paper, let alone national news.

On the flip side, how many people would be going ballistic if the officer left, or called for back-up and let the poor animal suffer another 30 minutes????

 

[Gale Hawkins]

I agree there is enough real news that should have been a non event.

 

[wdchyd]

A few years back there was a deer down the road....hit, bleeding and suffering

the local Hooksett LEO waited an hour for NH Fish& Game to show up and put the deer down (one quick head shot)

This story was told to me by the guy that pleaded for the officer to shoot the animal and put if out of it's misery or give him the gun......I don't blame the LEO for not giving the gun to the bystander but he didn't have the stomach to do the deed and wanted no one else to dispatch the deer

Seemed like a waste of LEO's time and taxpayers money to sit and wait for the inevitable to happen........BAAAANG

 

[TripleR]

While I would normally agree, I think this is going to get blown WAY out of proportion.

IMO, I think sometimes we all just need to take a step back and look at whats right and whats wrong. And I dont mean what the "laws" say is right and wrong. But from a humane and common sense standpoint.

The "guy" that coundnt bring him self to end the misery of a suffering animal hands his weapon off and allows someone else to do what needs to be done.

If that "guy" were just an average joe like most of us, it wouldnt even make news in a local paper, let alone national news.

On the flip side, how many people would be going ballistic if the officer left, or called for back-up and let the poor animal suffer another 30 minutes????

I understand your point, but I can see so many ways for this to bite the Officer in the behind. In the litigious society in which we live, it seems someone is lurking behind every corner waiting for a payout on a lawsuit. How is an Officer to know the person to whom he is handing the firearm can legally possess one, mental state, competence etc. I just wouldn't do it.

 

[MoKelly]

I agree that the police officer shouldn't have handed his gun to a stranger. It could have been a very bad decision. However, given that it all worked out and everything was fine in the end, I question who the heck made a big deal out of the situation and reported what the officer did? It seems more and more folks just can't mind their own business. I am also suprised that the whole incident wasn't captured for all to see on a cell phone video.

MoKelly

 

[kco]

A few years back there was a deer down the road....hit, bleeding and suffering

the local Hooksett LEO waited an hour for NH Fish& Game to show up and put the deer down (one quick head shot)

This story was told to me by the guy that pleaded for the officer to shoot the animal and put if out of it's misery or give him the gun......I don't blame the LEO for not giving the gun to the bystander but he didn't have the stomach to do the deed and wanted no one else to dispatch the deer

Seemed like a waste of LEO's time and taxpayers money to sit and wait for the inevitable to happen........BAAAANG

I had a similar situation in 1987. Sitting at home around 10 pm and two ladies knocked at the door to say there was an injured deer on the highway 1/2 mile from our place. I told them I'd check it out.

I just have a 12 guage but took it and a few #4 shells. The doe tried to get up when I approached behind it. Her hind legs collapsed as she tried to move. I put the lights on her and put her out of her misery with a shot to the base of the skull. I hauled her to the shoulder of the side road and she was cleaned up within a day.

Unlike now, the area(Priddis, Alberta) was very quiet in those years and there were no vehicles the whole time.

Legally I was supposed to call the police. They likely would have had to come from Okotoks (1 hr away) or perhaps Turner Valley (1/2 hr away). If I had called they likely would have told me to wait for someone but that did not make sense given the doe's suffering.

In those days I'm sure even if the police had found out after the fact I would not have been in trouble. I think it would be the same in fairly isolated area I live today, but perhaps not so if one lived closer to a large city.

 

[Bird]

I'm sure I'll never forget something that happened when I was 12 or 13 years old. While getting ready to go to church one Sunday morning, we heard a horse and we heard dogs barking, but didn't know what the commotion was. Well, when we got in the car to go, at the bottom of the hill and across the road, two big dogs had a horse down and had literally torn one ear out of its head. When we stopped and got out of the car, that scared the dogs off, but no way that poor horse was ever going to get up again. Dad called the sheriff's office and a deputy came out, but said he couldn't shoot the horse because he didn't know who it belonged to. (The owners didn't live on the property and no one seemed to know how to contact the owner). That poor horse laid there in the mud for 3 days before it died, and I could never forgive that deputy.

 

[LD1]

I understand your point, but I can see so many ways for this to bite the Officer in the behind. In the litigious society in which we live, it seems someone is lurking behind every corner waiting for a payout on a lawsuit. How is an Officer to know the person to whom he is handing the firearm can legally possess one, mental state, competence etc. I just wouldn't do it.

I am not saying I would hand over my gun either if I was a LEO.

And I understand the risk involved and all the what-ifs. I am sure the officer understood them as well.

But like mokelly said, nothing happened, it should be a non-issue. The article even mentions the fact that it isnt a criminal violation.