Remember the federal cop who shot that dog near Annaplis, MD? He was found guilty today.

[Stinky The Clown]

No jail for officer in Bear-Bear shooting
By SCOTT DAUGHERTY, Staff Writer
Published 11/19/10

An off-duty civilian police officer with the U.S. Army overreacted when he shot and killed an off-leash Siberian husky he thought was trying to maul his pet inside a Severn dog park last summer, a county judge ruled yesterday in Annapolis District Court.

In light of the officer's clean criminal record, however, the judge granted Sgt. Keith E. Shepherd, 32, formerly of Severn, two probation before judgments for two misdemeanor animal cruelty and gun charges stemming from the Aug. 2 shooting inside a fenced-in portion of the Quail Run community dog park.

"I don't think there is any real chance this will happen again," said District Court Judge Thomas J. Pryal, before ordering Shepherd to pay $500 in fines and complete 80 hours of community service in the next six months. He also placed Shepherd on one year unsupervised probation.

Ryan and Rachel Rettaliata, the owners of the dog named Bear-Bear, praised the verdict yesterday in court but later declined outside the courtroom to comment about the sentence. Charlotte Weinstein, an attorney preparing to file a civil lawsuit on behalf of the Rettaliatas, said her clients "don't like it, but they understand."

>snip<

More here: http://www.hometownannapolis.com/news/for/2010/11/19-44/No-jail-for-officer-in-Bear-Bear-shooting.html

[Angry Dragon]

1. Take his gun away for awhile

[pipoman]

2. Hmmm

sentenced him two probation, huh?

He needs to loose a million dollar lawsuit for punishment.

[hlthe2b]

3. He should lose his job at a minimum IMO.

and that family should reap a big settlement with punitive $$ attached. None of this "replacement value" for a 'mere' dog. What this asshole did is tantamount to murdering a member of their family without cause.

[Stinky The Clown]

5. I agree

[Booster]

4. Not nearly enough, but I'm glad he was at least convicted.

[Stinky The Clown]

6. Bear Bear's owners are ready to file a civil suit

[Booster]

9. Good for them. I hope they clean his clock.

[HCE SuiGeneris]

7. Two sets of laws. Most of us here do not qualify for the alternative set. n/t

[ThomCat]

11. Clearly true. :(

The rest of us would be in jail for years for far, far less than this.

He got very privileged treatment. :(

Let's hope he doesn't fare so well in the civil suit.

[TorchTheWitch]

8. too bad he didn't torture it first and plays football

Then there would be all kinds of forgiveness and demands to be allowed to keep his job going on here.
:puke:

[madinmaryland]

10. I was not there and neither were you. Though the godfather would

have killed the dog to protect his family. nt