East Peoria Police refuse to return body of dog shot by police

[damnedifIknow]

Bella, an 8-year-old pit bull, was shot and killed when police answered a dog at large call after she escaped from her yard on Thursday. She was shot in her side in the neighbor's yard as she ran for home. According to Shane, Bella was on private property at the time the officer fired the fatal shot.

Bella almost made it to her front porch before the officer shot her a second time in the chest, killing her.

Although the officers who responded say Bella was "threatening and annoying." Shane says Bella was only barking, and had never bitten anyone or showed any kind of aggression. To make matters worse, East Peoria police allegedly threatened to use a Taser on Shane if he went near Bella, or tried to touch her body.

Then they took Bella's body to an undisclosed area, where it is currently being held at Tazewell Animal Control. Police have ordered Animal Control not to return Bella to her family so she can have a proper burial. The plan is to behead Bella and then cremate her body. East Peoria Police have told the family Bella has already been destroyed.

The family wants a necropsy done for investigative purposes, so police are doing their best not to allow this to happen. This case stinks of a cover up, as necropsy findings have shown an officer guilty of murder and lying in past cases."

Facebook: Justice For Bella

http://www.examiner.com/article/east-peoria-police-refuse-to-return-body-of-dog-shot-by-police

[newfie11]

1. It seems to be open season on dogs for cops

First they come for the dogs and I said nothing.

Then they came for me

The cops are out of control!!'
They could have taised this dog. It was running home, not trying to attack them.

[damnedifIknow]

4. Dashcam video on Facebook page

Last edited Tue Sep 2, 2014, 12:27 PM - Edit history (1)

Looks to me as if the dog stopped in front of this officer and was shot and then ran away and was shot again. Looks like Bella and another dog were playing. This killing of pets has to stop.

[Warpy]

2. They are doing one part of a necropsy by beheading her

They will be examining her brain for signs of rabies.

Poor Bella. She was the wrong breed in the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong cop.

[LeftyMom]

3. The beheading is for a rabies examination. Was she not up on her shots?

If there's a concern about rabies that may also be why they're not going to return her remains. That and an obvious discomfort with returning 3/4 of a dog seem more likely than a coverup.

An officer isn't going to be found guilty of murder based on a necropsy. The law simply doesn't work that way. The worst that could possibly happen would be felony animal cruelty, and that seems highly unlikely to result in conviction given the circumstances. The civil penalty is unfortunately the replacement value of the dog plus vet expenses, I don't know if the vet expenses provision could even include the costs of an independent necropsy.