There had been five previous incidents involving the dog, including two dog bites, the report said.
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| After beating it in the head with no effect, the owner says the officer should have tased his dog rather than shoot it |
[What's the saying? "Here's your sign!" Why the hell is this dog allowed to continually roam loose and terrorize - and attack - people without law enforcement doing something about it. It's all fine and well that the police officer shot and killed it, but not all of us are walking around our yards with firearms strapped to our sides.]
“He tried using the baton a couple times and it still came after him,” said Sheriff’s Office spokesman Kevin Kelshaw. “On an aggressive dog, you have that option [to shoot],”
Deputy Scott Wright went to Russell Sampson Road Thursday morning to speak with Jimmy Setzer, who had complained about a black pit bull roaming the area, the report said.
Earlier that morning, Setzer said he saw the pit bull near the side of his garage. The dog had wrapped its chain around a small tree and appeared to be “vicious and was extremely aggressive,” the report said.
Setzer yelled at the dog, and it eventually got the chain loose and ran down the street, the report said. Setzer said he complained because he had seen the dog on his property before and was concerned about the safety of his two daughters.
Wright went to 10180 Russell Sampson Road to see if he could find the dog’s owners. When he got there, he saw a large male pit bull barking and growling on the front porch, the report said.
He walked onto the porch and saw a chain on the dog’s collar, which he thought was connected to the porch. But it wasn’t.
The dog ran toward him, and Wright backed up and drew his baton, the report said. He hit the dog on the head twice, but that didn’t stop the pit bull.
Wright drew his handgun and shot the dog eight times, and “the dog then fell to the ground and stopped moving,” the report said.
The report listed Christina Jeffers and Michael Mickler as living at 10180 Russell Sampson Road. They could not be reached for comment.
The dog also did not have current vaccinations, according to the report. [Imagine that! A pit bull owner who doesn't bother to vaccinate their dog.]
Animal control returned the dead pit bull to its owners.
(St Augustine Record - Oct 1, 2011)
Michael Wayne Mickler
DOB: 2-9-77
*Arrest Date: November 14, 2010
Arrested by: St Johns County Sheriff's Office
Charge: Battery
Total Bond: $1,000
*Arrest Date: July 14, 2007
Arrested by: Jacksonville Sheriff's Office
Charge: Driving while license suspended
Charge: Reckless driving
Charge: DUI
Total Bond: $1,503
