Target: Tom Croskrey, Benton County, WA Sheriff
Goal: Provide better understanding of circumstances related to reported shooting of two dogs by deputies.
Body cam footage showing the reportedly fatal shooting of two pet dogs has stirred controversy in Washington. Three Rottweilers had apparently escaped from a residence after a door was left open. When the animals were spotted in the neighborhood, authorities were called. Witnesses had seemingly not reported that the dogs were behaving in an aggressive manner, however. Yet when the animals were discovered in an empty field by officers, deputies allegedly shot and killed two of the dogs.
The incident provoked outrage for a couple of reasons. For one, the dogs were seemingly shot from about 50 yards away, and the video footage apparently does not demonstrate the dogs posed an immediate threat to the officers. And when the shootings occurred, one of the officers allegedly laughed about the incident and congratulated the officer who had done the shooting. Full, unedited footage has yet to be released, despite the pleas of the dogs’ caretaker.
Sign the petition below to urge full transparency in this controversial case.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Sheriff Croskrey,
The proposed amendments to animal control guidelines are a positive and necessary step. But the incident that compelled this correction–the reported fatal shooting of two dogs by police officers—still needs to be addressed. Members of the public are questioning the actions of involved officers and the level of threat posed by the deceased dogs.
The best defense is transparency. Refusal to release full and unedited body cam footage creates distrust and suspicion. Please show good faith to the concerned citizens you serve by releasing this footage and putting this volatile matter to rest.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Pramod Tiwari
