Ms. Willis, <div>Thank you for bringing this to our attention. My sympathies to you for what you had to endure. The Mayor has provided you with the recommendation I would have made. I feel your questions are fair and hope answers will be provided during the course of an investigation. I will follow up with the Mayor. Please feel free to contact me.</div>
<div>Sincerely,</div><div>CM David Lingua, Ward 3</div><div>Town of RIverdale Park<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Tue, May 13, 2008 at 12:52 AM, Anne Marie Willis <<a href="mailto:maryland_amwillis@yahoo.com">maryland_amwillis@yahoo.com</a>> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex;">May 12, 2008<br>
<br>
To:<br>
Mayor Vern Archer<br>
Ward 3 Representative David Lingua<br>
Riverdale Police Captain Teresa Chambers<br>
Senator Paul Pinsky<br>
Representative Tawana P.Gaines<br>
Representative Anne Healey<br>
Representative Justin D. Ross<br>
Animal Management Division Officer Cathy Pacanowski<br>
Riverdale Towntalk<br>
College Park Dog Park<br>
All Dogs Club<br>
Neighbors of Riverdale and friends of Animals<br>
<br>
Citizen Complaint of Riverdale Police Animal Abuse<br>
<br>
Today, Monday, May 12th, 2008 I witnessed the cruel<br>
and excessive force in the shooting and killing of a<br>
dog by the Riverdale Park Police Department.<br>
<br>
At about 3:30 p.m. I came out of my house at 5316<br>
Taylor Road to leave for work. Suddenly, I heard<br>
police sirens and saw un-marked cars speeding south on<br>
Taylor Road towards Edmonston. Then I heard gun shots.<br>
I walked down to the end of my driveway to see what<br>
was going on. I saw a light brown dog running back up<br>
Taylor Road. Then I saw an un-marked car turn around<br>
and head back up Taylor Road. By that time, I figured<br>
out that they must have been looking for the dog. The<br>
dog then reappeared and ran over to my neighbors' yard<br>
and hid behind one of their cars, looking at my front<br>
yard through the chain-link fence. It looked scared. I<br>
went around to open my front gate in hopes that the<br>
dog would come in my yard, so they could catch the<br>
dog. I have done this many times before for other<br>
wandering dogs. Once I contain the dog, I check for<br>
tags and/or call Animal Control to say that I have<br>
found a dog. This scenario did NOT happen.<br>
<br>
As I opened my front gate the officers in the<br>
un-marked cars yelled at me to get back in my house<br>
"NOW". I walked back to my car and then I saw three<br>
marked Riverdale police cars pull up. They jumped out<br>
with guns drawn, running toward my neighbors' yard<br>
where the dog was hiding. Two officers had automatic<br>
weapons. I got into my car but since my driveway was<br>
blocked by a police car, I had to be in close ear shot<br>
the following violence. After closing my eyes, and<br>
praying that they not shoot the dog, I heard MANY<br>
ROUNDS OF GUN FIRE. My heart sank. All those police<br>
and guns for one dog. Very excessive violence.<br>
<br>
I was finally able to get out of my driveway and<br>
called my neighbor on my way to work. I had seen her<br>
speaking to the police. She said that the police were<br>
in her yard, putting the dog in a bag. The police had<br>
told her that the dog had bitten someone up the<br>
street. She said that this was all the information<br>
they provided.<br>
<br>
This incident terrorized me and my neighbors, and the<br>
following questions haunt me: Were the Riverdale Park<br>
Police 100% sure that the dog really bit someone or<br>
was it just play nipping? Was gunfire in our<br>
residential neighborhood absolutely necessary? Could a<br>
tranquilizer gun have been used? Should this situation<br>
have been calmly and professionally handled by Prince<br>
George's County Animal Control? Did the police<br>
officers act ethically, with minimum required force?<br>
Could the police have caught the dog, confirmed the<br>
story, and spoken to its owner? Did the dog only<br>
understand Spanish? This incident reeks of ANIMAL<br>
ABUSE, CRUELITY, AND EXCESSIVE POLICE VIOLENCE!!! It<br>
created unnecessary danger to the residents of Taylor<br>
Road with speeding cars and gunfire.<br>
<br>
This incident scared me, seeing the recklessness of<br>
our police department. I feel less safe in my own<br>
neighborhood. I am deeply concerned for animal welfare<br>
in the neighborhood and for my own dogs' safety. I<br>
expect a thorough, unbiased investigation and full<br>
public disclosure to help restore my peace of mind.<br>
<font color="#888888"><br>
Anne Marie Willis<br>
5316 Taylor Road<br>
Riverdale, MD 20737<br>
<br>
<br>
</font></blockquote></div><br></div>