A woman out walking her pet had the unfortunate experience of her dog being attacked and killed by a man and his pit bull. The man left after the attack and has been the subject of a number of webpage searches and pleas for information with a photograph taken as he left the scene.
WGN reported tonight that the dog is owned by a Chicago Police Officer and he has been cited for leaving the scene of the attack without reporting the incident. He has also been stripped of his powers.
Seriously? It's a Animal Bite Card, maybe a Damage to Property report. A civil suit wouldn't be out of the question, but minimally involved. And now your career is on the line? Not to mention the beating the Department is going to take in the media and in the minds of citizens who are just going to see another asshole copper thinking they're above the law and, truth be told, common decency.
UPDATE: Here's the Tribune report:
Chicago police on Tuesday launched an internal investigation against an officer whose pitbull killed a small dog at the Montrose Beach dog park last month, the department said.
Its animal crimes team cited the officer, a five-year veteran, for failing to report that his dog bit another animal within 24 hours of the incident, which occurred March 17.
Willy, a 2 1/2-year-old Pomeranian-Papillon mix, died three days after he was attacked by the pitbull, according to WGN-Ch. 9's Web site. His owner now faces a veterinary bill of nearly $6,000.
The station reported that the pitbull's owner refused to give his information to Willy's immediately after the attack, but dozens of witnesses went to police with descriptions and pictures of him. Police had even handed out fliers with hopes that someone would recognize the pitbull's owner.
The police internal affairs division launched an investigation into the actions of the officer, who was off-duty during the incident, the department said. The officer has informed the department of his involvement in the incident, and has been relieved of his police powers pending the outcome of the investigation.