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It’s a story that’s happening all too often these days – police enter an unsuspecting dog owner’s property, unannounced and without warning, and shoot the family dog.
West Virginia State Police were searching the area about 7-miles outside of Milton, WV, where a fugitive was on the run. Johnathan Jeffers was to be questioned for allegedly threatening his wife, but when police arrived, he fled the scene and reportedly fired a weapon at police.
Troopers began searching the area at about 3:00am on Tuesday. After several hours of searching for Jeffers, police emerged from the woods and entered unrelated resident Ginger Sweat’s property. Her dog, a 6-year old Beagle-mix named Willy Pete, ran to greet the officers who then fired a shot at the dog.
Sweat says officers fired one time and missed, at which time Willy Pete began running toward the porch where she was standing, waving her arms and begging police to let her put the dog inside.
Sweat says that despite her pleas, and Willy Pete running away, they fired three more shots, killing the dog.
Sweat’s two children, ages 7-months and 18-months-old were sleeping inside.
Despite Sweat’s assertion to police that her dog would not hurt them, West Virginia State Police Lieutenant Michael Baylous said the dog was a threat, and troopers did what they are trained to do.
“Try to avoid it, if possible, but the trooper who fired the shots, it’s my understanding, waited until the very last second to fire that shot, in hopes that that animal would retreat,” Baylous told WCHS 8.
A Facebook Page has been created in support of Willy Pete and his family in an effort to bring this case to justice as well as to put an end to senseless shooting of family pets by police.
According to the Page, Justice for Willy Pete,
Innocent animals are being shot every day for no reason by trigger happy, badly trained police officers. It is said that every 16 minutes in the USA, a dog is brutally and needlessly shot by law enforcement. This is an alarming statistic and they are getting away with it. This has to stop! Something needs to be done before more innocent pets are murdered.
Please sign the petition: www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/major-t-d-bradley-chief-of-field-services-investigate-the-shooting-of-a-family-pet-while-searching-for-a-fugitive-in-the-woods#
Rene
Jun 29, 2014 at 12:15 am
“The officer did what he was trained to do” who was the moron that made that comment again? An officer is trained to protect and serve. How is discharging a firearm near a woman and her children sleeping inside protecting?
Why did he shoot 3 more times? If he’s that lousy with a weapon he better not be looking for fugitives. A good cop could have injured the animal but not killed it. As an animal cruelty officer, i was taught you always shoot a person, aggressive animal, or anything else to injure unless there is absolutely NO way around it. I think a retreating dog was a way around it and should not have been shot at all. Maybe a good janitorial job is better for this so called officer
Linda E.
Jul 1, 2014 at 6:12 am
Well said Rene!!
Elizabeth P
Jun 28, 2014 at 11:15 pm
Willy Pete was heading back to the porch to Ginger Sweat, what threat was there? The trooper shooting at Willy Pete and Ginger Sweat BOTH INNOCENT bystanders is the search of a wanted man. Also in danger were the children inside. Willy Pete knew who the threat was that trooper
Michaelb
Jun 28, 2014 at 2:13 pm
Waited to the last minute to shoot him from behind?
Donna Earley
Jun 27, 2014 at 1:49 pm
TO MAKE CALLS IN SUPPORT OF GINGER SWEAT, HER FAMILY, WILLY PETE (RIP) SEE CONTACT NAMES AND PHONE NUMBERS BELOW…..PICK UP YOUR PHONE AND MAKE THAT CALL…DO IT FOR WILLY PETE….DO IT FOR YOUR DOG!!!! BE SURE TO SPEAK TO LT. MT BAYLOUS…CAUSE HE DON’T WANT TO TALK TO US.
West Virginia State Police > Contact US
West Virginia State Police Headquarters
725 Jefferson Road
South Charleston, WV 25309
Who to talk to at Headquarters
1st Sargaent Starsick @ 304-586-2000
or
First Lieutenant M. T. Baylous, OIC
304-746-2198
Main information number
304-746-2100
Major T. D. Bradley, Chief of Field Services
Captain A. L. Cummings, Deputy Chief of Field Services
Captain C. J. White – Professional Standards / Promotional Standards Officer
Captain C. J. White
304-746-2110
Tara Gabe
Jun 27, 2014 at 12:11 am
It sounds like today’s “Peace Officers” are the ones who should be banned from having guns. We need guns to protect ourselves from cops!
Tandi Noggle
Jun 26, 2014 at 9:14 pm
they say get a dog for protection…then shoot your protection. Nice.
Sheryl Washington
Jun 26, 2014 at 3:26 pm
Our Police officers come to the front door and ask to go back. They don’t kill our dogs.
Frances
Jun 26, 2014 at 2:13 pm
“officers fired one time and missed, at which time Willy Pete began running toward the porch”
If the dog was running away from the officers, how was that dog a threat to them? Sounds like the programed response they all give when they kill a dog even those running away.
Heather
Jun 26, 2014 at 12:43 pm
“It is said that every 16 minutes in the US a dog is brutally and needlessly shot by law enforcement.” Where did this statistic come from? You can’t just throw “it is said” in front of whatever bit of nonsense you want and make it true.
kathleen gentile
Jun 28, 2014 at 10:41 am
actually it is every 98 minutes somewhere in this country a dog is shot by law enforcement…..it has to stop