The lieutenant later directed that the dogs be taken to an animal hospital in Goodlettsville and she later took one of the dogs home herself, according to a Metro police department spokesman. The dogs were later deemed healthy and returned to their owner.
Police spokesman Don Aaron said Wednesday that an investigation revealed that Lt. Morgan Ford made a series of decisions that violated police protocol early on the morning of Jan. 13.
 |
| Morgan Ford |
"There were significant issues with the way she exercised supervision and decision making," Aaron said. "Upon reflection, there was one poor decision made after the other in this instance."
Aaron said that on Jan. 13 between 1 a.m. and 1:30 a.m. officers searched in the vicinity of Brick Church Pike and Chesapeake Drive on a call regarding a missing minor.
He said that while looking in the neighborhood officers heard dogs barking at a home at 3426 Brick Church Pike.
He said the home had been damaged by floodwater and that no one was living in it, but that when officers looked inside they saw a mother dog and seven puppies.
"As much as they could tell, this home had been abandoned and the conditions inside the home appeared to be extremely poor, with animal feces everywhere," Aaron said. "Officers believed the health of the animals to be at risk."
He said the officers requested that Metro Animal Control come to the house to get the dogs but that Animal Control did not believe the dogs were in an emergency situation and declined to come.
You mean the Animal control officers were TOO LAZY to come. Put the animals into protective custody and let the owner come to the shelter and explain why he's forcing these animals to live in such squalor. If Codes deemed the house uninhabitable, why are these dogs forced to live in it? Why is there 'feces everywhere' if the owner is properly caring for these dogs?
Aaron said the officers communicated with Ford and broke into the home.
"Lieutenant Ford did not come to the scene, but directed that the dogs be brought to her at the Madison precinct," Aaron said. "Once the dogs got there, Lieutenant Ford had them taken to an animal hospital in Goodlettsville."
Ford and another officer each took one of the puppies home for the night, Aaron said.
He said the animal hospital found the dogs to be in good health and that Metro Animal Control retrieved the dogs the next day and that they were returned to their owner.
Aaron said the actions of Ford, a field training officer and a rookie cop were all investigated and that Ford was the only one decommissioned.
He said the actions of the field training officer also indicate departmental violations that will be dealt with in due course.
"Ford did not go to the scene. She did not alert the on-duty field captain as to what was occurring. She had the dogs brought to her and taken to an animal hospital," Aaron said. "I think we all are passionate about animals, but this is a situation that internally, by police department procedure, got out of hand."
Ford could not be reached for comment Thursday.
(The Tennessean - Feb 12, 2015)
No comments:
Post a Comment