Fired my pistol in SD tonight...

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Keep stretching B...maybe someone will actually take your comments defending that sheriff's department seriously.
 
5whiskey,

Sounds like you did fine given the circumstances. Glad everyone (including the dogs) is OK.

As for firing at a dog inside a suburban area, I will share a story that I posted here a couple of years back;

A few years back, I Lived in an urban area, fairly nice neighborhood, was supervising my kids, and some other neighborhood kids, playing in my yard.
I hear a child screaming across the street and see him being attacked by a dog, the dog was tossin' him like a chew toy. I ran across the street and finally, after much kicking and punching, managed to get the dog to release the childs thigh, the dog then lunged at me, I drew my 1911 and fired 1 round into the dogs head point blank, and dispatched him. I re-holstered my weapon, and began to asess the childs wounds as my wife called 911.
Apparently someone else had as well, seconds later no less than a half dozen patrol cars pulled up, I was not really paying attention as I was busy rendering first aid to the victim. Next thing I know, I have several officers drawn down on me and ordering me to the ground felony-stop style. I get a knee in my back and on my neck, cuffed, dis-armed, and after being thrown onto the hood of a black and white,and searched again, locked in the back of said black-and white.
After the situation was explained to the officers by witnesses, and by me, the officers explained quite clearly that the initial call they got was for "shots fired" they roll up and see me covered in blood and armed, and a victim on the ground. their first impression was to neutralize the obvious threat...ME. They were so happy that I had helped them out that they left me a citation for unlawful discharge of a weapon.
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Note: I am NOT judging the police response here, I understand it fully, and , other than some un-necessary language, have no problem with it, (well, other than that citation) :) The boy had to have several surgeries, but he came through fine. The dog owner got really pi$$ed at me, but soon forgot about it when the lawsuits started piling up.
 
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okay, then i must have missed something. How close did that one dog get to the closest person in your group? why fire the three shots if it appeared that your yelling stopped their advance?
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because i'm not comfortable with two large, aggressive seeming dogs being within 25' of me and small children

I don't mind questions like "are you sure the backstop was adequate?". I don't mind comments such as "yeah, you need to keep the group closer together for events such as this" or "you need to overcome that safety fumble with more training". Or even "you could've just fired one warning shot". If there is any other way my tactics were deficient then tell me please. To question the decision made on grounds of morals does not comprise the response I was looking for. I acted as responsible as can be reasonably possible at the moment, balancing the need to be safe with the use of a firearm with the need to protect small children, without shedding any blood in the end. In other words don't give me some garbage such as...

Before I use a firearm in SD against a dog, I will have teeth marks in me already so as to easily defend in court.
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#1 I'm not letting teeth marks get into small children when I'm there if there's any way I can prevent it.
#2 This is the polar opposite of the attitude "yeah doggies, I'm gonna shoot that boy for trespassing. Yee-haw". There's extremes on both ends of the spectrum.
#3 I'm not you ;)
 
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Once it is over, the emergency is over so it is not legal to dial 911 which is limited to emergency.
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Right. By that logic it would be illegal for a woman who has been raped to dial 911 after the rapist has left the scene, right?
 
I would suggest going back to the house in question and telling the owner that their dogs "Threatened" your group. They might then take whatever actions are necessary to keep the dogs under control in the future.
It is a good idea to notify the police or animal control in case the owner doesn't take care of the situation.

As for how you handled the situation, it worked and no harm was done.
I take your description of the attitude of the dogs at face value because I wasn't there.
 
because i'm not comfortable with two large, aggressive seeming dogs being within 25' of me and small children
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But you were comfortable enough not to dial 911 immediately to report two apparently very dangerous dogs on the loose that you fired three shots at? That is amazing to me.
 
THE DOGS DIDN'T BITE ANYONE. NOBODY WAS HURT.

What do you expect, the friggin' SWAT team to show up?
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Dont be silly. I would expect the sheriff or one of his deputies to show up. Not at all unreasonable, wouldn't you say?
 
Showing up eventually to notify the neighbor is good enough for me. Doesn't sound like rushing out there sirens blazing would have done a damn bit of good. They had bigger things to worry about at that moment if the 4th in that town is anything like the 4th in mine.
 
So you dont think vicious and attacking dogs on the loose in a neighborhood where children obviously reside warrants your or the sheriff's attention? You dont consider citizens shooting their guns off in the street in order to defend themselves from serious bodily harm is enough to tear you away from traffic duty? I find that even more interesting.
 
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Once it is over, the emergency is over so it is not legal to dial 911 which is limited to emergency.
Right. By that logic it would be illegal for a woman who has been raped to dial 911 after the rapist has left the scene, right?
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Ummm not an acceptable comparison!
Since this situation did not involve physical contact I guess you should have asked...
"So if a guy says something lewd to a pretty girl insinuating sexual contact..." At which I would say it likely isn't worthy of a 911 call afterwards... should he approach her further after the remark he needs 2 CoM!!!!
Brent
 
Ummm not an acceptable comparison!
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So shots fired is not enough to justify a call to 911? Calling in a pair of vicious attack dogs on the loose would result in an arrest of the caller. Seriously ... that's just amazing.
 
That's not the real question.

Traffic duty? Yes. But would a no-injuries call of some dogs scared off with gunshots into a ditch tear me away from my assault with a deadly weapon call? No. Drunk Cooter shooting up his neighbor's house? No. Murder investigation? No.

You seem to deny that crimes more serious than justifiable dog-scaring happen on the 4th. You must live in a concrete cube 40' underground.
 
Did the OP claim a shots fired report? Or did he report a dogs on the loose complaint?
Me? I wouldn't even bother reporting "shots fired" if I was the one who safely discharged the lead into a ditch bank!
Shots fired complaint is reserved for those times when pistol slugs whizz by my head in my yard 'cuz some yay-hoo didn't bother with them safe gun handling rules and refused to step out of the woods when I walked over to tell him if he shot my truck it would result in sever pain for his 2000 body parts...
Brent
 
No...I live in the urban sprawl that is Hampton Roads, VA.

And I am 100% sure that my 911 call to report my shooting off three warning shots on a public street to fend of two vicious attack dogs would have resulted in the response by the local police with at least two cruisers. And I would not have been arrested for making my apparently "illegal" call to 911...
 
Since when has traffic control trumped shots fired in any municipality?
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Apparently there was no such call by anyone or, it would likely have drawn a response similar to the one that happened to me in my earlier posting.

Also, since no person, or animal was injured, and no property damaged, why call 911 ? The only thing that would accomplish is 5whiskey possibly having to waive his 5th amendment right by admitting to firing his weapon at a pile of dirt. Unless the dirt files a complaint, I don't see the emergency.

Fact remains, he did call, and the Sheriff handled it as he saw fit. Having a "nit" shortage today ?
 
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