Terre Haute police respond to viral video showing officer kicking dog
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — Terre Haute Police Division introduced a reaction Wednesday morning to a viral video from a “Ring” doorbell digital camera of a THPD officer kicking a doggy on a porch that has been circulating on social media.
In accordance to a THPD Facebook write-up, officers were being dispatched close to 7 p.m. Monday night time to a house at the 1700 block of Ohio Street in Terre Haute, Ind. in reference to an aggressive white pit bull. A background check conducted by THPD allegedly showed that a white pit bull at the exact same residence experienced formerly bitten an 11-calendar year-old lady.
Upon arrival at the household, officers encountered two dogs and explained “both dogs seem[ed] aggressive and keep on[d] to lunge” and bodycam footage exhibits one officer try to get in touch with a neighbor about the puppies. Bodycam footage afterwards shows the officer stepping on to the canine owners’ porch, which THPD stated traces up with the viral movie of the doggy staying kicked.
“The 911 phone was essentially telling the police officer, dispatcher that they experienced two dangerous canine in the community,” Terry Modesitt, Vigo County prosecutor explained. “This is the callers text “that have been terrorizing the community.”
THPD said officers afterwards made get hold of with a male owner of the canine, which is allegedly shown on bodycam footage though not introduced, and the owner was cited for two counts of non-immunized animal, two counts of harmful animal prohibited and two counts of animal restraint.
The prosecutor’s office did start an investigation into the condition.
“As considerably as whether or not or not if a person was intentionally abusing an animal or irrespective of whether they have been undertaking it to protect others that had been scared the animal could harm,” Modesitt mentioned. “So after examining all this and on the lookout at the statue, at this place I built a determination that I do not sense any criminal offense has been fully commited.”
In accordance to THPD’s Facebook publish, right after the video clip was posted on the internet officers once again reached out to the male resident and he explained to officers that he did not wish to file any complaint. The department has also allegedly presented all movie, reports and overall body camera movies to the Vigo County Prosecutor’s Office to assessment and ascertain if any legal guidelines had been damaged.
“Having considered all of the video clips in their entirety and all stories, the prosecutor’s business has delivered us a created perseverance that no legal exercise was identified to have happened on the portion of the officer,” THPD wrote.
THPD has denied the increasing narrative on social media that officers were responding to a theft simply call and have reiterated that officers have been sent to the spot in reference to the puppies. The section also reported that it will be conducting its have interior investigation into the issue and that for the duration of this process, the sergeant will be positioned on administrative responsibility assignment.
The home owner has mentioned that he will not be filing any problems in accordance to the Vigo County prosecutor.
The departments total response that was accompanied with bodycam footage can be study beneath:
We have gained a variety of messages alerting us to a Ring video clip that was posted to social media and reportedly signifies a sergeant with our division allegedly responding to a burglary. This small online video depicts the sergeant’s come upon with a pet dog on a porch. Based on this shared narrative and quick segment of movie, we definitely have an understanding of the notion and outrage expressed by numerous. We maintain the maximum regard for our police K9s and think about them all aspect of our relatives. Numerous of us have our possess animals and would no additional want to see them damage than our own small children. That getting explained, we have started an investigation into this matter following supplying all private online video, body digital camera video, and stories to the prosecutor’s office for an impartial overview reliable with coverage. Though this investigation continues, there is some typical data that we can provide to suitable some of the misinformation being disseminated.
Officers have been not dispatched to this home for a burglary?
On November 29, 2021, at around 7:05 P.M., the Vigo County Central Dispatch received a call complaining of an aggressive white pit bull in the 1700 block of Ohio Road that had been “charging at absolutely everyone that goes by. RP suggested that he has bitten a youngster and a mailman in the earlier and is incredibly really intense.” The reporting person also encouraged that this is an ongoing difficulty.
A test exposed that on May possibly 2, 2020, at about 7:50 P.M., officers have been sent to the same address for a white pit bull that experienced bitten an 11 yr aged woman. At that time, officers claimed that an grownup female resident had indicated that her daughter experienced remaining the gate open up and the dog experienced gotten out and went right after the juvenile target. The adult woman was cited for Failure to Restrain a Canine Resulting in Chunk or Assault.
This is the data received and the get in touch with history regarded to officers when responding to this call. Any claim that officers had been responding to a described theft is untrue.
What does the system digicam movie notify us?
Though the Ring movie depicts approximately 76 seconds of this call displaying officers moving into the porch to test and make get in touch with with the doggy entrepreneurs, the human body camera online video depicts 1 hour and 13 minutes of time for this contact. The 1st 3 minutes and 46 seconds of the physique camera footage depicts the arrival of the sergeant thru the brown canine jogging from the porch. At 1 minute and 3 seconds, the body digicam shows the two the white pit bull and the brown puppy functioning at the officer from the east. The two puppies look aggressive and go on to lunge at the sergeant from independent sides. At 2 minutes 11 seconds, the officer tries to discuss to a neighbor to the east when the brown pet dog again lunges at the officer frequently. At 2 minutes and 52 seconds, the sergeant gets away from the brown puppy and commences talking with a female neighbor about prior problems with the dogs. At 3 minutes 31 seconds, the sergeant is found stepping onto the porch in line with the Ring video clip. At 5 minutes and 52 seconds, the officer points out to a neighbor an opening in the fence the place he thinks the canine got out from. The rest of the human body digital camera video depicts officers ready for a male resident to get there and officers talking to him about the animals.
For the duration of the online video, the male was cited for 2 counts of non-immunized animal, 2 counts of hazardous animal prohibited, and 2 counts of animal restraint. We have provided the initially 3 minutes and 46 seconds of the entire body digicam footage to supply a greater being familiar with of what led up to the Ring video clip. The Vigo County Prosecutor’s Place of work will also be releasing the entire footage later on currently. Though very long, the later on exchange amongst the resident and officers provides considerable perception into the situations of this incident.
If the connect with was for intense dogs, where by did the burglary claim originate?
Following the authentic get in touch with accomplished, at approximately 10:49 P.M., the male resident contacted law enforcement yet again and described that right after speaking with his household, he believes anyone may perhaps have gotten into their home and that is how the pet dogs escaped. Nothing at all was reported missing at that time and no movie was readily available depicting an intruder. This assert continues to be beneath investigation, but there are currently no witnesses or online video indicating an intruder was current or that the pet dogs worried one particular off.
What is getting completed?
On studying of this video clip, we contacted the male resident and asked a number of instances if he wished to make a criticism, and he declined. The section has also delivered all video clip, stories, and system camera movies to the Vigo County Prosecutor’s Office environment to critique and figure out if any regulations were broken. This is our policy to be certain that we are not investigating our personal workers when there are allegations that may well violate legislation. Getting seen all of the movies in their entirety and all stories, the prosecutor’s business office has delivered us a published determination that no criminal exercise was identified to have occurred on the component of the officer. The prosecutor’s office also independently contacted the male resident and offered to fulfill with him or any member of his household to permit them to look at the total body digicam footage. The prosecutor’s office environment indicated that this present was declined.
Although the carry out in the video has been decided by the prosecutor to not constitute a criminal offense by the officer and the entire body digital camera footage is in sharp contrast to the initial social media narrative, we will still be objectively assessing the conduct to see if it violates any departmental procedures or directives. During this course of action, the sergeant will be put on administrative duty assignment.
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