Austin, Writing

Justice for Cisco: Dog Killed by Austin Police

Last night I noticed a Facebook page spreading like wildfire amongst my Austin friends. The page’s name is Justice for Cisco and it tells the story of a man’s dog who was was senselessly shot and killed by an Austin police officer on April 14th. According to the dog’s owner, Michael Paxton, the police officer was responding to a domestic violence call and came to Paxton’s address by mistake. The officer drew his gun on Paxton, who was standing in his driveway. Paxton’s Blue Heeler, Cisco, came from the backyard and started barking at the police officer. Unable to move due to having a gun pointed at him, Paxton could not restrain his dog. Paxton told the police officer that Cisco would not bite, but the officer shot Cisco in the chest and killed him right in front of his owner.

According to a message by Paxton’s friend, Candace Michele, on the “Justice for Cisco” page, “Nothing will likely happen to Officer Griffin for any of this, as his supervisor arrived after everything took place, and she defended his actions. Mike was given the officers’ information, as well as a phone number to call, if desired. No apologies, no sympathy. Nothing. The officer even told Mike that Cisco should have been on a leash!

I don’t know Cisco’s owner, but being a dog lover, this story had me in tears. Just from looking at the Facebook page and reading the stories you can tell that Mr. Paxton loved his dog dearly.  I can’t imagine going through something this horrific and traumatizing. It boggles my mind that so many still have complete disregard for dogs. I read this story on the heels of another about a puppy set on fire for fun in the Dallas area. Both stories make me sick to my stomach.

Not only did Cisco not appear to be a threat, but the cop was at the wrong house with his gun already drawn!

I have tremendous respect for (good) police officers. It’s a challenging job that many, including myself, don’t have the balls to do. Sadly, this story is one of many where Austin police officers have gotten a little trigger happy. There have been a number of reports where the APD’s use of force has come into question. Those cases typically involved human casualties.

I hope there is some sort of accountability for this senseless shooting and that Mr. Paxton has received some solace from the outpour of support.

If you’re interested in helping Mr. Paxton spread awareness, more details can be found at the Justice for Cisco page.

There is also a Change.org petition calling for the reprimand of Officer Griffin.

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93 Comments

  • Reply Ivan Toblog April 16, 2012 at 4:03 pm

    My understanding is that officers are supposed to wait for backup before confronting a domestic violence situation

    Had he done so, this incident might never have occurred

    A similar thing happened here, but two dogs were shot

    STUPID… STUPID… STUPID…

    • Reply JR March 4, 2016 at 12:01 pm

      APD refuses to follow it’s own policies and the Federal and State laws. APD is corrupt from the Chief Hubert on down.

  • Reply joanna April 16, 2012 at 4:52 pm

    @my… I didn’t notice any difference between this story and the one you posted. Can you clarify? Did I miss something?

    • Reply hipstercrite April 16, 2012 at 4:53 pm

      Thanks for asking, Joanna. I was confused too. Maybe they’re just link baiting?

  • Reply Disgusted by power trip April 17, 2012 at 3:10 am

    This tragic event makes me so sick! Just because he’s a cop he thinks he can shoot a dog? Black guy don’t like dogs? Give me a break — blue heeler — seriously, not a life threatening incident super cop.
    Can’t believe this jackass is who we have protecting our streets. What if it was a screaming 3 year old white child charging you? Dumb ass

  • Reply Jess April 17, 2012 at 3:57 am

    I work as a humane agent and I will tell you that everyone says their dog does not bite.

  • Reply Mari April 17, 2012 at 12:26 pm

    @Jess if there is a stranger on my property and my dogs can sense I’m being threatened you better believe they will bite to protect me. If you’re on my property not in a threatening manner my dogs will be your best friends. The difference is in the dogs perception of the situation. The obviously cannot tell a cop from any other person on the street. The cop was trespassing on this mans property and his dog felt that the pack was being threatened. This was murder and the cop should be held accountable for his actions, legally and civilly.

  • Reply Weiss April 17, 2012 at 2:56 pm

    The protocol for Austin Police when arriving at a domestic violence situation is to have there gun out and ready because they do not always know if a weapon is involved.

    Secondly – dash camera shows the dog charging towards the officer after he told the ower to get control over his dog and he did not do so. The police officer did not shoot the dog until it was at his feet. The police office has the right to shoot his gun even if it is at an animal if he/she feels threatened or endanger.

    It’s a very hard situation to deal with but the owner should have had control over his dog. I am sorry that the dog died but as an owner of a dog myself I know that I have to be in control over my dog at all times. If my dog were to bite someone I would be responsible.

    • Reply Weiss April 17, 2012 at 2:59 pm

      The person who called in to 911 gave the wrong address to the dispatcher so that is why the Police were at this address and not the correct address. The guy also was not listening to the officer when he told him to put his hands up. Which to me when a police officer tells you to do something like this you do it or you face the consequences.

    • Reply hipstercrite April 17, 2012 at 3:20 pm

      Hey Weiss,
      Where did you see that video? This is what I saw. http://www.weareaustin.com/news/top-stories/stories/vid_1269.shtml

    • Reply Texas Seraphim April 17, 2012 at 3:55 pm

      Actually, in the state of Texas, if a person is on your property and your dog attacks them, then you are not liable. It is only off your property that this becomes an issue(spoken from personal experience). And I don’t know what dash cam video you saw, but the one from the officer’s car shows the street the entire time, and the incident can only be heard. Therefore, I don’t see how you can determine what Mr. Paxton was doing or where Cisco was. Could you post the link to the video? If that were the case, I would agree. But considering the time that it took the incident to occur, I doubt Mr. Paxton had time to react. Having grown up around law enforcement (my uncle is a Texas ranger and my aunt is a cop), I know how difficult their job is. But they also need to be able to calmly handle a situation and react properly under pressure. If I were walking from my backyard and suddenly had a cop with a 9mm in my face, I’d be flustered too. Neither my aunt nor my uncle has ever discharged their weapons in the line of duty (and my uncle has been in law enforcement for over 24 year, my aunt over 12 years). I’ve always felt officers should only resort to employing their weapons as a very last resort. The officer does have the right to protect himself through any means necessary, but I certainly think his reaction was not necessary. How rapidly he resorted to discharging his weapon is frightening.

    • Reply Cody April 18, 2012 at 4:31 pm

      Weiss,

      Please stop pouring nonsense of which you know nothing about. CLEARLY, you didn’t watch the video. It does NOT show the dog charging.

      If an 220lb+ officer feels threatened by a 50lb blue heeler, then he shouldn’t be an officer.

      The owner was in reasonable control of his dog. The officer then pointed a gun at him and told him to get his hands up. The OFFICER is the reason why Paxton had to relinquish reasonable control of his dog. How could he? He had a gun on him and his hands in the air. Which brings me to the next point…

      How do you know he was not listening when he put his hands up? He DID put his hands up. It was after he MURDERED his dog right in front of him that he wanted to move towards his dog. Anyone would react the same way.

      Please get your facts straight before you continue on.

    • Reply Mad May 11, 2012 at 2:48 pm

      The dashboard camera is facing to the front and there is no showing of the dog charging towards the officer! Watch the video again! All you can see is the officer walking in front of the police car and then he disappears out of view of the cam. The dog came around from the back yard not in view of the cam, nor can the owner and the officer be seen. What cam are you watching? The officer was at the wrong address and Mr. Paxton had been playing with his dog, Cisco, in the backyard, then Mr. Paxton came to the front yard to get something out of his truck, at which point he faced a drawn gun from the police officer.

  • Reply Weiss April 17, 2012 at 3:03 pm

    It is so sad that every time an Austin Police Officer uses his gun everyone gets in an up roar about it. We are always going to question a police officer using there gun then why even let the police have gun’s.

    If you are stupid enough to get in to trouble then you are stupid enough to get stopped by the police, taken to jail, and if you run or try to hurt a police officer you should be shot on the spot. Plain and simple.

    • Reply hipstercrite April 17, 2012 at 3:22 pm

      The only problem is, Mr. Paxton didn’t do anything wrong. How traumatizing is this? Can you imagine just going about your daily life and suddenly a cop is on your property, holding a gun at you and then shoots your dog?

      • Reply dan solomon April 17, 2012 at 5:33 pm

        That’s not the only problem. Even if you are a suspect in a domestic dispute, the police are not entitled to shoot your dog.

        The fact that this was the wrong house is the kicker here, the final bit of irony that reminds us that it could happen to literally any of us. But even if it had been the right house, the fact that a neighbor called the police because he or she thought that there was something going on would not have made killing the dog any more just or appropriate.

      • Reply Norm April 17, 2012 at 10:26 pm

        Weiss, Thank God you are not in law enforcement! My family is/was, and this is NOT the way law officers (good ones) behave. Also, I would question law officers arriving at a domestic with guns drawn — stupidest thing I ever heard. Most domestics require back-up and careful assessment of the situation; not throwing fuel on a fire with hostile and aggressive behavior. Get real.

        • Reply Weiss April 18, 2012 at 2:49 pm

          It’s part of policy that APD have their guns drawn when they show up to a domestic violence situation to protect themselves in case someone has a weapon.

          You would feel very different for this police officer if you were in his shoes and or if you have ever been attacked by a dog personally or helped someone being attacked by a dog.

          Thank God for Police Officers and Military for doing all they do to protect us they have an unforgiving job no matter what the situation is!

    • Reply Liz April 19, 2012 at 9:05 am

      teh point is that he used his gun unnecessarily to SHOW OFF. And then lied about what happened.

      • Reply Janna April 19, 2012 at 2:59 pm

        Well it sounds like the owner must have left out some information as well because there is new information on the bobby bones morning show website an article I heard about but have not had the chance to read that the dog has been agressive in the past and has also bite someone. If that is true then both of their stories have been stretched.

  • Reply Sylvia April 17, 2012 at 3:43 pm

    To Weiss,

    First of all, the cop said “get your dog”, he shot the dog when he was still saying the word “dog”. The dog owner had a gun pointed at his head, how on earth could he possibly do anything to retrain his dog?

    Mr. Paxton should have had control over hid dog? On his own friggin property with an intruder? And you call yourself a dog owner?

    From the cop said “Show me your hand” to he shot the dog, there were like 4 seconds! If a person (cop or not) came to your property for no reason and put a gun at your head. You wouldn’t have the time to react. He was not listening to the officer? He didn’t out his hands up? Excuse me? Were you there?

    Watch/Listen to the dash cam again. Get your facts straight before posting something so stupid.

  • Reply Eric April 17, 2012 at 4:04 pm

    I am sorry Weiss, you are a dolt. First of all, protocol related to a Domestic Violence call for the Austin police force, or any other police force in this country, is to NEVER enter a domestic violence situation without backup. Second, the ONLY thing the dash cam captured other than the officer reaching for his weapon and NOT waiting for backup, was the verbal exchange between the officer and the dog owner. You can clearly hear the police officer tell the owner to put his hands up, then the dog barking, then the dog owner telling the officer “please don’t shoot my dog, he won’t bite”, and then the shot. Fourth, it’s clear from the verbal exchange between the officer and dog owner after the shooting, the dog owner had his hands up. He DID comply with the officers demands; the officer NEVER asked the owner to control his dog. It’s obvious you are intentionally trying to distort the facts surrounding this event. Yes, it is very unfortunate this happened, and yes, the officer does have the right to defend himself if he feels he is in a “life threatening” situation, but it should not distract from the fact that this officer did not follow protocol. He was at the wrong address, he did not wait for backup, and he rushed into a potentially volatile situation. The officer was in the wrong. The end result was a completely innocent person’s pet getting shot and killed on his own property! This is EXACTLY what happens when rookies (2.5 years on the force) don’t follow proper protocol. This is EXACTLY why the public is upset. At a minimum, the dog owner should receive a public apology and the officer should be reprimanded and put on unpaid leave for a period of time.

  • Reply Eric April 17, 2012 at 4:31 pm

    I am sorry Weiss; I apologize for the mistake I made in my previous post… A second AFTER the officer told the owner to “show me your hands, show me your hands”, he did tell the owner to “get your dog”, and a split second later he shot the dog. It was after the dog was shot, the owner said “why did you shot my dog”.

    …your still a dolt.

    • Reply Ken April 17, 2012 at 5:00 pm

      So it makes you a better person to call someone a name just because you do not agree with them. Why can’t everyone be adult about this and agree to disagree and leave it at that.

      • Reply Ken April 17, 2012 at 5:06 pm

        I did not see that Weiss said anything bad or ugly to you. I do see the Weiss stuck to speaking about the topic even if Weiss did have some miss information that is still no reason to call Weiss or any body else a name for that matter.

  • Reply Texas Seraphim April 17, 2012 at 4:46 pm

    I agree, Eric. And I still cannot understand how this man expected to keep the peace in a potentially violent situation when he enters it in that manner. Coming in with his gun drawn and screaming could only make a situation worse. As a 24 year old female, if I were in that situation, I don’t know if I’d even remember how to raise my hands. His actions were reckless. I’d also like to note the utter insincerity of the APD sergeant’s apology. If you are apologizing to a citizen for an incident publicly, it might be prudent to at least know the man’s name.

  • Reply Ken April 17, 2012 at 4:54 pm

    The officer had the right to shoot the animal if he is afraid for his safety just as the castle law says that you are able to shoot someone if you are afraid for your property or safety.

    The dog came at him and on the camera you can hear the whole thing which backs up what the police officer said.

    I would just always make sure you have your dog undercontol wither it is on your property or not!

  • Reply Ken April 17, 2012 at 4:59 pm

    I think what Weiss was trying to say was that the audio on the camera tells the story.

    And I got similar information from the this link http://www.kvue.com/news/local/Public-outrage-building-up-over-Austin-Police-Officer-who-fatally-shot-a-dog-147681755.html

    And just becuase you do not agree with someone else’s opinion does not mean you have to call them a name.

    • Reply Texas Seraphim April 17, 2012 at 5:32 pm

      Actually, I’m 99% sure that he called him a dolt because he is misconstruing the facts. We don’t know that the dog was right at his feet, and from the sound of the audio the owner did not have time to get his dog.
      Also, the situation in Florida is utterly different than this one. A police office is trained to protect his community. Tax dollars go to ensuring the men and women in uniform have proper training to do their job effectively. I think people (myself included) are upset because his decision to use deadly force was not necessary. If the dog had bit him, or even attempted to bite him, I would understand. However, that’s not the case. The officer acted rashly and, it would seem, out of fear. If he fires his weapon out of fear, what happens if it’s a child that startles him next time? Or what if a child had been right behind the dog? He made a poor decision to act so rashly and in such a manner. Any dog will react that way when they feel their owner is threatened. I’m sure Cisco sensed his owner’s fear from having a glock suddenly waved around in his face. And it is completely irrational to expect dogs to be utterly controlled at all times. They are animals. It’s like guaranteeing a horse won’t buck…it’s just not possible.

      • Reply Ken April 17, 2012 at 6:17 pm

        Just because someone is misinformed does not mean that you have to resort to calling them a name. No one on earth is perfect and if any one thinks that they are then they will have a hard life ahead of them. The only person who is perfect is God and he alone.

        I think that people should not post if they are not going to not act like an adult and be respectful of other peoples views, misinformation, or other wise. Everyone has the freedom of speech in this country!

        • Reply Janna April 17, 2012 at 6:19 pm

          Couldn’t have said it better Ken!!!!

        • Reply Janna April 17, 2012 at 6:49 pm

          I guess we should not give police guns any more because no matter what they do they are wrong in the public’s eyes.

          Every time a Police officer uses there gun there is an up roar about if the officer was following policy but what you don’t hear usually is that the supect was out at 3 AM in the morning, smoking weed in the car, and tried to run the police officer over with it’s car. I know that this is not the case with the dog but I if I am fearful that someone or some animals to going to attack me I will use my gun to protect myself.

  • Reply Janna April 17, 2012 at 5:21 pm

    The Police Officer was investigating a 911 call and had every right to be there. The audio on the camera has the police officer asking the owner to get his dog. Why did he not get his dog? Even if the police officer had just told him to raise his hands I would have put my hands down and got my dog so that it did not try and attack the officer. What is this would have been a neighborhood child who was invited on to the property and the dog attacked them or bite them?

    I would suggest owners be vidulent over watching there dog’s because they can bite and will do so; even if it is on your property or out in public.

    • Reply Texas Seraphim April 17, 2012 at 5:33 pm

      I doubt a child would approach the property in such a threatening manner. Heelers are actually wonderful with children, and very protective of the owners. He was just reacting to the fear he sensed in his owner.

      • Reply Janna April 17, 2012 at 6:24 pm

        Some dogs are not always good with children and every dog acts different even with in the same breed. We as humans do not always know what a dog is going to do so we have to be very watchful while our pets are around others so that they don’t attack or bite.

        I understand the dog was reacting in fear but the police officer did state for the owner to get his dog and I don’t know why the owner did not call his dog or try and put the dog in the house so that he could speak with officer. All he would have had to say is let me put my dog up in the house because he is propective and I don’t want him to do anything like bite you.

        • Reply hipstercrite April 17, 2012 at 6:33 pm

          Janna, you’re right. Dogs are unpredictable. However, it sounds like the owner didn’t even have the opportunity to restrain his dog. It all happened so fast. The officer told him to put his hands on his head and within a few seconds he shot the dog.

          • Janna April 17, 2012 at 6:57 pm

            I under stand what you are saying about the incident being so fast and I get that and that the owner may have not had time to do anything about it. But that may have been the same case with the police officer he only had a split second to react and did what he through was appropriate. I am sorry that the dog died but it does not sound like the police officer broke any police rules if there is in fact no rules on how to handle a situation like this with any animal that is threatening or trying to attack you. Now if there were rules/polices and the Officer did not follow them then yeah I would be like he did not follow procedure.

    • Reply Jon May 14, 2012 at 7:18 am

      Because the minute the cop says “Dog”,he shoots the dog. There is absolutely no way to control the dog in that situation. The cop didn’t give the owner a chance to voice command Cisco or physically restrain him. And I believe if he had tried to physically move to restrain Cisco,the cop would have shot him as well. I’m sure that was what was going through his mind in the few seconds this whole thing plays out.

      • Reply Jon May 14, 2012 at 7:23 am

        Barking at a person is not attacking. It is exactly what a dog is supposed to do to a stranger on their property shouting at their master and pointing a weapon in a threatening manner. I have a Blue Heeler and had a Red Heeler. They are protectors.Cisco was in essence “yellin’ at the officer to leave his master alone. If it had been his wife or girlfriend doing the same thing,would it be OK to shoot them? I have seen cops attacked by loved ones,they Mace them or Tazer them. They don’t shoot them. I think this guy is afraid of dogs. You can tell the way the sentence comes out and the gunshot during his demand to restrain the dog.

  • Reply hipstercrite April 17, 2012 at 6:25 pm

    Everyone play nice! This is a happy blog playground.

  • Reply Eric April 17, 2012 at 6:48 pm

    To Ken:
    I will not apologize, for calling Wiess a “dolt”, it was the least offensive thing I could call him. I used that term in reference to his statement – “Secondly – dash camera shows the dog charging towards the officer after he told the ower to get control over his dog and he did not do so. The police officer did not shoot the dog until it was at his feet.” His statement is so blatantly false it is nauseating and insulting; the dash cam shows nothing of the sort. Wiess fabricated the statement from what he heard in the audio, and in my opinion, it is a poor interpretation. The dog owner had approximately 3, maybe 4 seconds to react from the time he was told to put his hands up, and the officer told him to get his dog.
    Then Wiess posted – “If you are stupid enough to get in to trouble then you are stupid enough to get stopped by the police, taken to jail, and if you run or try to hurt a police officer you should be shot on the spot. Plain and simple.” What do this have to do with what happened?
    If you want to make excuses for Wiess’ stupidity for publicly posting his “interpretation” of the video/audio, so be it. I am entitled to my opinion.
    Yes, a police officer has the right to use deadly force if he fears for his life, I agree with that. Police officers have a tough, thankless job; rife with problems, but it is their career choice. Watching the first few seconds of this video, and listening to the audio from his own dash cam, this officer made a critical mistake by not waiting for backup before entering the property, he created this situation. On the edge of the video you can see the front door of the pet owner’s home, why did the officer go straight for the back yard and not the front door.
    I also noticed I ended my last post with a grammatical error. I told Wiess …your still a dolt, the correct grammar is …you are still a dolt.

  • Reply Ken April 17, 2012 at 7:06 pm

    I did not say you had to apologize for calling Weiss a name I said that it was not adult like and that there is no reason for name calling even if a person misstated or misinterpeted what happened.

    I think that the comment about getting into trouble with police and being stupid that you should get shot referes to the fact that every time a police officer uses there gun there is an investigation making it to look like the police officer is always at fault when the police officers side of the story is never heard. There is nothing mention about why the suspect was out so late at night, why the suspect ran, or why the suspect put up a fight with the police. That is how I took it but again you are entitled to your opinion or what you believe what Weiss meant by that statement.

    And again I never said that you were not intitled to your opinion. In fact I welcome everyone’s opinion and a way to debate this topic in an adult like manner.

  • Reply weiss April 17, 2012 at 7:14 pm

    Yes I am sorry about the misunderstanding with the dash camera comment. I was listening to a radio station this morning that had talked about this same situation. And they had played the audio and stated that the dog was coming at him trying to attack him and that when the dog was shot he was at the feet of the officer.

    I am not perfect but that still does not need to resort to name calling.

    • Reply Weiss April 17, 2012 at 7:26 pm

      I thought that because they said the dog was coming at him to attack him and that it shot at his feet that it was caught on camera.

      Again sorry for the Misunderstanding.

  • Reply John April 17, 2012 at 11:23 pm

    I can see both sides to this, as a former PO I know that there are a lot of police officers who for some reason are afraid of dogs. And those are also the ones who have never had a dog. I have responded to many a stray dog call or calls where the dog has gotten out of the neighbors back yard, I have never had to shoot a dog. And neither have my fellow officers that have or have owned dogs. I believe the officer was wrong, many times the address is wrong, untill you assess the situation and have backup, there was no reason to go in hot like he did. This is where innocent people and innocent dogs get hurt or killed. In a world where your fellow man is the deadliest creature, a 50 lb canine is the least of your worries. The pepper spray would have taken care of him if needed.

    • Reply VickiNZ April 18, 2012 at 8:30 am

      Thanks John. You have put this in perspective

  • Reply Helpbenandvic April 18, 2012 at 12:02 am

    They don’t make cops like they used to. These days they’re all nothing but cowards. Disgusting. The coward that shot a little dog should be fired for cowardice.

  • Reply Tony Dukes April 18, 2012 at 3:42 am

    Get over it, put yourself in the place of the cop, be thankful we have cops, of course you folks raising hell on this site were stupid enough to vote for the anti Christ anti constitution, scum bag Obama, go figure,if you’ve ever gone to the aid of a dog attack, might change your mind.

    God bless APD. Dump Obama, before he destroys America, God and Constitution in USA.

    • Reply weiss April 18, 2012 at 2:38 pm

      I agree 100% with you Tony Dukes!

    • Reply Scott Raquepaw April 21, 2012 at 2:55 pm

      The constitution and the country was destroyed years before Obama was elected. It was destroyed by the sheeple who blindly follow authority figures without thinking for themselves. How many people and pets have to be murdered by our militarized police forces before say enough is enough.

  • Reply VickiNZ April 18, 2012 at 8:29 am

    This terrible story has reached me in the UK where I thank heavens that Police Officers are generally unarmed. Fortunately there is no move to arm them as the likelihood of events like this would greatly increase.
    My own ACD was attacked by a dog while in our garden on Saturday so I can empathise with seeing your beloved pet killed before your eyes. (We were sure he was dead as the dog which jumped the fence to attack was an Akita-Bull Mastiff cross).
    Wherever the truth lies between the officer’s and the owner’s accounts its seems like the APD has some big learnings to take on board. I am appalled if my reading is correct and they have shown no empathy or sympathy for this tragic event. Please lets get some real justice for Cisco and his owner!

    • Reply Janna April 18, 2012 at 2:40 pm

      Actually APD has offered him any dog that he would like free from the Austin Shelter at this time. So yes they are trying to be empathyic and or sympathy to this owner who lost his dog. I know that does not bring back his friend Cisco but at least it is something.

      • Reply Liz April 19, 2012 at 9:01 am

        Well, they didn’t offer him anything until the public outrage. Not even an apology was issued until the story went viral. It has nothing to do with sympathy, they’re just trying to save their reputation now.

        • Reply Janna April 19, 2012 at 2:56 pm

          Well I heard on the radio this morning that there is new information that the dog has been agressive before and bite someone. It is a hard situation to deal with but if the dog did bite someone that changes a lot to the story.

          • Scott Raquepaw April 21, 2012 at 2:56 pm

            The dog was protecting his private property and the cop was trespassing. How else do you want a dog to react.

      • Reply Jon May 14, 2012 at 7:29 am

        If you have ever had an A.C.D. you would understand how unique they are and extremely intelligent. To be offered “any dog he wants from the shelter is somewhat insulting. As if you could replace a 7 1/2 year relationship with such an able and intelligent dog as a Queensland Heeler so easily.
        It would be wonderful if he rescues an A.C.D. though.

  • Reply Steven April 18, 2012 at 4:24 pm

    Remember this story the next time you have Jury Duty and a cop asked you for help with their case. Another proof positive story about cops lying to save their on ass!

    • Reply ben April 19, 2012 at 7:48 am

      WOW I read these commmets, from everyone and wonder how any of us can really say what happened since none of us were there. The only video of the incident was of the street and the officer drawing his weapon as he went up to the house. I read “How could he do anything when he had a gun in his face” Sorry I must not have the link to that part of the video. He went to the wrong address of the disturbance because from what I’ve read the caller GAVE the wrong address and said the male person in the disturbance may have a weapon so that explains why the officer drew his weapon. I know I would be ready if I was in that officers shoes and I was going to a call where someone may have weapon. Also, the dog had bit someone in the past so I would say that just because of its breed does not make it people friendly. A 50 dog could do some serious damage because if you’ve ever seen dog bites which I have they do serious damge in a short period of time. Tragic and sad, absolutely. Officers fault, no. He has a right to protect himself from not only life threatening sitations but also from dog bites. Enough said.

      • Reply weiss April 19, 2012 at 2:54 pm

        Ben I agree with you 100%. Thanks to everyone for sharing their thoughts and opinions because we all have the right to be heard no matter what side of the issue we are on.

  • Reply Liz April 19, 2012 at 8:57 am

    This makes me sick to my stomach. I understand that mistakes happen but the way this situation was dealt with was unnecessary and cruel. The officer was aggressive and arrogant, shouted out multiple orders in just seconds and shot the dog while he could have used his taser/pepper spray instead. Afterwards he lied about what happened, tried to blame it on the owner and refused to apologise. The police deparment automatically took his side.

    He has been pulled off patrol duty for his own safety due to public outrage and honestly I find it hard to feel sorry for him. Glad they published his name and I think they should publish a picture too.

  • Reply weiss April 19, 2012 at 2:52 pm

    I heard on the Bobby Bones Radio show this morning (Kiss 96.7) in Austin, TX; that there is now an article on the Bobby Bones website which has information on the dog having an agressive history in the past as well that the dog has bite someone. Now I have not been able to read the article but if this is true then there is more to the story than we all thought.

    • Reply Scott Raquepaw April 21, 2012 at 3:01 pm

      So now you’re using hearsay to try and prop up your argument. The cop was in the dog’s yard. There are non lethal ways to handle dogs and he chose not to use them. This is an example of what’s going on in the country not just in Austin. This is how cops intimidate the populace.

    • Reply Jon May 14, 2012 at 7:31 am

      I believe that has been proved to be bullcrap.

  • Reply Dion M April 19, 2012 at 9:15 pm

    I mean, whats the dog going to do? Pull out a gun? No. At best the dog will be able to draw a small amount of blood. How often do we hear about domestic dogs killing adult men, especially of this officers stature. Never, I’m pretty sure.

    • Reply Janna April 19, 2012 at 11:20 pm

      Have you ever been bitten by a dog before or malled by a dog? There have been some dog attacks that leave a lot of blood depending apon where you are bitten at. And there have been incidents where people have been malled by dogs and or other animals as well as killed. You may not hear about it that often but it still does happen.

      I also heard that the dog was agressive and bite someone in the past so with that information if it is indeed true then this is a different ball game.

      • Reply Scott Raquepaw April 21, 2012 at 3:03 pm

        Again all hear say! The cop has alternatives to killing a dog and he chose not to use them.

        • Reply Gekco789 April 27, 2012 at 5:09 pm

          Everything that has been posted here is hear say because none of us where there when the incident took place. All we have to go on is the officer and the owner. So is’s the officers word against the owners word. You can believe who ever you want.

  • Reply Burntbrains April 22, 2012 at 3:55 am

    Keep your dog in a fenced in yard. Or on its leash. Just because you’re not afraid of big dogs doesnt mean others aren’t. I hate people that just let them run up on you. “oh, he’s friendly. He won’t bite you.” Having him off his leash, it’s his own fault it got shot.  I don’t see why anyone would have a big dog like that in the middle of a city anyways. You don’t live on a ranch. You live right next to other people. People who don’t want to be harassed by your damn dog. Or hear it bark all day and night.

    • Reply Jon May 14, 2012 at 7:33 am

      Stay of the guy that has the dogs property then. The dog was not in public. He was in his side yard of his owners house. I hate when people trespass.

    • Reply Jon May 14, 2012 at 7:35 am

      A.C.D.’s rarely bark unless situation is serious. They have Dingo blood and Dingo’s do not bark.
      You sound like you have a lot of pent up anger and hostility. Better stay away from the cops,they will shoot you.

  • Reply Bill ward April 22, 2012 at 4:05 am

    Same as the kid getting shot. If you would just have Followed the rules it wouldnt have happened. If the dog was on its leash or locked up in its backyard. It Would still be alive. Just like the latest kid that got shot. When the cops turn their lights on-on you. You pull over and stop. If you speed off or get out and run and fight with a police officer packing a gun. Yeah, you could get shot. Same as the one before. The cops roll up on you. You don’t follow instructions and reach for a weapon.
    Again… Your going to get shot. I wouldn’t want the polices job. Dealing with crazy ass people all day. Some that would wish harm to come to you. I’d be jumpy too. In the dark, reach for something fast. I’d shoot you too.

    • Reply Gekco789 April 27, 2012 at 5:05 pm

      I agree with you a 100%! Follow the rules and no one will get hurt!

      If your stupid enough not to fall the rules then you get whatever happens to you!

      • Reply Jon May 14, 2012 at 7:36 am

        If you honestly believe that then you live in a fairytail land. I assure you that is not how it works.

  • Reply S.austin April 22, 2012 at 4:35 am

    What if a child had run his or her bike into Paxton’s car on the sidewalk. In Paxton’s driveway. Oops! What if it really pissed Paxton off and he came out yelling at the kid. With the dog off its leash. His dog should have been under control? There’s a leash law in the city limits!!! It’s Paxton’s fault the dog got shot.

    • Reply Jon May 14, 2012 at 7:38 am

      You are rude and foolish. His dog was in his YARD. No leash required in your own yard. The cop was the only one NOT supposed to be there.

  • Reply Rodidlly April 22, 2012 at 4:52 am

    Yep, chained in his yard. No threat because you can see the dog can only go so far. Loose and able to come towards you, THREAT! Should be a lesson for dog owners. Follow the rules! I wish the city would round up all the people who just let them run free. I guess mr. Paxton didn’t think the rules applied to him.

    • Reply Gekco789 April 27, 2012 at 5:06 pm

      Amen! Could not have said it better myself!!!

    • Reply Jon May 14, 2012 at 7:39 am

      Chained in his yard? That is sick. Anyone that would keep a do chained in their yard should be chained in the desert and left there.

  • Reply 36 years in Austin 1976-2012 April 22, 2012 at 5:35 am

    I wish that police officer would “accidentally” mistakenly go to every house in my neighborhood looking for domestic violence calls.. Yap, yap, yap. All night long. Most the people around me have at least two dogs in their backyards they pay no attention too. Some have as many as five. There should be a test or a license you should have to take or get to own one. And I think mr. Paxton failed the test.

  • Reply Jose' can you see, by the dawns early light April 22, 2012 at 5:54 am

    Paxton is getting his 15. I’m sure even though it’s his fault his dog got shot, this stupid city will end up paying him thousands of dollars. Instead of giving Him a fine for a dog off its leash.

    • Reply Mad May 11, 2012 at 2:58 pm

      A dog does not need to be ON a leash if the dog is on its own property, which it was! The officer was on private property, not public property. If the dog would have been on public property, then the dog would have needed to be on a leash. Therefore, I hope the city pays Mr. Paxton both dollars and an apology, but no matter what, it still won’t bring back his beloved dog Cisco!

  • Reply Snowbear April 22, 2012 at 6:18 am

    Eric, there is only one point to be made.
    all the rest of what you said is moot.

    There is a leash law within the city limits of Austin.
    His dog was not on one.

    The end.

    • Reply Jon May 14, 2012 at 7:42 am

      Can’t you people read? Leash law IN THE CITY. We are talking he public areas people. He was IN HIS YARD. Private property people. NO LEASH LAW. Lord have mercy. You must be the same people that can’t even get a fast food order correct in the drive through!?

  • Reply Runtoothehills April 27, 2012 at 9:35 pm

    La la la, dee da dee dee da’ Pop goes the weasel!

  • Reply Runtoothehills April 27, 2012 at 9:37 pm

    Anddd youuu areee OUTA’ HERE!!!

  • Reply Kracker May 22, 2012 at 5:55 am

    cops in texas are stupid
    he should have shot the man too and covered the whole thing up nobody the wiser and you smart people wouldn’t have anything to argue about

  • Reply Austinite Could Face Ten Years in Prison for Photographing Police June 26, 2012 at 2:36 pm

    […] reversed the order. A few months back, here in Austin, the gratuitous shooting by Austin Police of the dog Cisco caught the attention of the world and over 100k likes on Facebook. The social media stir resulted […]

  • Reply Charles September 7, 2012 at 11:33 pm

    All USA residents are in severe danger from the police–they have become an unaccountable band of heartless thugs. They’d set every motorist they stop on fire if they could! I sincerely hope some bastard cop–and they are all bastards–massacres the beloved dog of a big billionaire, who will then spend his whole fortune to discredit cops, to make the public turn against them, and force legislators to require every cop to report for psychological testing–to get rid of the 4 out of 5 that are rotten. Because the ones who wouldn’t callously gun down a pet dog, won’t speak against their pals who do such monstrous things. The cops will be the FIRST ones in line to take the mythical Mark of the Beast!

  • Reply nonya October 6, 2012 at 10:06 am

    All of yall are dumb asses. First if you even tried to understand the cop was responding to a domestic violence call and if you knew any thing that is one of the most dangerous call to be on, and yes if you are a pet owner you must control your pet at all times, he did not, so his dog got killed. Get over it

  • Reply nonya October 6, 2012 at 10:14 am

    and ps how many people herd this be for oooo he dont bite just befor getting bit in the ass?

  • Reply Woof November 8, 2012 at 12:21 am

    @nonya and weiss … you are both dolts and I don’t care about name calling. The cop was wrong as was the person phoning in with the domestic violence incident. Plain and simple. He did not wait for backup and the address was wrong. Now…Mr Paxton and his dog were on their land. A leash is not required in such cases. Mr Paxton had a gun aimed at him and his hands raised. Can you imagine what would have happened had he put his hands down to calm his dog and then allow for the fact he was given less than a nanosecond of warning? He would have been shot. A nervous trigger happy and flexible with the truth cop is scary indeed. I hope he has been sacked and hasn’t ruined or terminated any other innocent lives.

  • Reply Reasons Why Austin is the Best Place Ever July 1, 2014 at 12:29 pm

    […] we have issues with our police department, drunk driving and pedestrian fatalities, and we have more condos than we know what to do […]

  • Reply JR March 4, 2016 at 12:03 pm

    Come to http://www.fb.com/supportforshiner and see the current state of the Puppycide battles in Austin, Texas and across the USA.

    RIP Cisco, Shiner Bock, Papa, Roscoe, and so many more that the media and APD hide from Austinites.

    new article in the Statesman on my Police Accountability efforts: http://www.mystatesman.com/news/news/local-govt-politics/citizen-review-panel-once-tasked-with-transparency/nqPdM/

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