[RP TownTalk] Citizen Complaint of Riverdale Police Animal Abuse

[Vernon Archer]

Ms. Willis,

I wish to thank you for providing us with your perspective on this
incident.  In the State of Maryland, the process of investigations of
specific conduct by police officers is laid out in the Police Officers Bill
of Rights.  The first step is to file a written complaint with the agency in
question.  I suggest that the person to contact is Police Chief Teresa
Chambers and make arrangements with her to file the complaint.

Based on an official complaint, an investigation of the incident will
ensue.  This is most frequently carried out by Maryland State Police.

If you are unable to make satisfactory arrangement to file your complaint,
please contact me and I will personally make arrangements for you to do so.

Sincerely,

Vernon Archer, Mayor
Town of Riverdale Park

On Tue, May 13, 2008 at 12:52 AM, Anne Marie Willis <
maryland_amwillis at yahoo.com> wrote:

> May 12, 2008
>
> To:
> Mayor Vern Archer
> Ward 3 Representative David Lingua
> Riverdale Police Captain Teresa Chambers
> Senator Paul Pinsky
> Representative Tawana P.Gaines
> Representative Anne Healey
> Representative Justin D. Ross
> Animal Management Division Officer Cathy Pacanowski
> Riverdale Towntalk
> College Park Dog Park
> All Dogs Club
> Neighbors of Riverdale and friends of Animals
>
> Citizen Complaint of  Riverdale Police Animal Abuse
>
> Today, Monday, May 12th, 2008 I witnessed the cruel
> and excessive force in the shooting and killing of a
> dog by the Riverdale Park Police Department.
>
> At about 3:30 p.m. I came out of my house at 5316
> Taylor Road to leave for work. Suddenly, I heard
> police sirens and saw un-marked cars speeding south on
> Taylor Road towards Edmonston. Then I heard gun shots.
> I walked down to the end of my driveway to see what
> was going on. I saw a light brown dog running back up
> Taylor Road. Then I saw an un-marked car turn around
> and head back up Taylor Road. By that time, I figured
> out that they must have been looking for the dog. The
> dog then reappeared and ran over to my neighbors' yard
> and hid behind one of their cars, looking at my front
> yard through the chain-link fence. It looked scared. I
> went around to open my front gate in hopes that the
> dog would come in my yard, so they could catch the
> dog. I have done this many times before for other
> wandering dogs. Once I contain the dog, I check for
> tags and/or call Animal Control to say that I have
> found a dog. This scenario did NOT happen.
>
> As I opened my front gate the officers in the
> un-marked cars yelled at me to get back in my house
> "NOW". I walked back to my car and then I saw three
> marked Riverdale police cars pull up. They jumped out
> with guns drawn, running toward my neighbors' yard
> where the dog was hiding. Two officers had automatic
> weapons. I got into my car but since my driveway was
> blocked by a police car, I had to be in close ear shot
> the following violence. After closing my eyes, and
> praying that they not shoot the dog, I heard MANY
> ROUNDS OF GUN FIRE. My heart sank. All those police
> and guns for one dog. Very excessive violence.
>
> I was finally able to get out of my driveway and
> called my neighbor on my way to work. I had seen her
> speaking to the police. She said that the police were
> in her yard, putting the dog in a bag. The police had
> told her that the dog had bitten someone up the
> street. She said that this was all the information
> they provided.
>
> This incident terrorized me and my neighbors, and the
> following questions haunt me: Were the Riverdale Park
> Police 100% sure that the dog really bit someone or
> was it just play nipping? Was gunfire in our
> residential neighborhood absolutely necessary? Could a
> tranquilizer gun have been used? Should this situation
> have been calmly and professionally handled by Prince
> George's County Animal Control? Did the police
> officers act ethically, with minimum required force?
> Could the police have caught the dog, confirmed the
> story, and spoken to its owner? Did the dog only
> understand Spanish? This incident reeks of ANIMAL
> ABUSE, CRUELITY, AND EXCESSIVE POLICE VIOLENCE!!! It
> created unnecessary danger to the residents of Taylor
> Road with speeding cars and gunfire.
>
> This incident scared me, seeing the recklessness of
> our police department. I feel less safe in my own
> neighborhood. I am deeply concerned for animal welfare
> in the neighborhood and for my own dogs' safety. I
> expect a thorough, unbiased investigation and full
> public disclosure to help restore my peace of mind.
>
> Anne Marie Willis
> 5316 Taylor Road
> Riverdale, MD 20737
>
>
>


-- 
Vernon Archer, Mayor
Town of Riverdale Park, Maryland
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