Interim Des Moines Police Chief John O’Leary gave an unexpected statement at the Jan. 13 Council meeting, where he said he will not be imposing any formal discipline on the police officers involved in the shooting of a dog in November.
O’Leary said while he regretted the outcome, in the minds of the officers they perceived Rosie to be a threat and felt the situation warranted the use of lethal force.
“I wish I could change the outcome, but I cannot,” O’Leary said. But he also said he completely supports the decision of the officers to use lethal force.
“The officers took the lethal action when they felt the dog was in a safe position to be fired upon as opposed to out in the open running down the road,” O’Leary said. “The officers did not believe the dog was contained.
“We believe the investigation reveals the officer’s decision and actions were motivated by their sworn duty to protect the general public. The officer’s genuine concern and dedication for the safety of the public has been overshadowed by how this incident was perceived and initially made public.”
He said the he has and continues to agree with the findings of the Use of Force Review Board which found the use of force was within policy.
He said some of the comments heard by police officers on the video from their dash cams of the incident were unprofessional and have been addressed.
“Clearly some of the comments made by the officers captured on video are disturbing. Some have been taken out of context and other comments were simply not professional and have been addressed,” O’Leary said.
Rosie, a two-year-old Newfoundland, was shot and killed by Des Moines Police Officers in November after officers were called to respond to a roaming dog call. Since the incident the officers involved have come under a lot of scrutiny not just from the local community but from all over the world.
The incident was reviewed by the King County Prosecutor, who found no criminal culpability in the officers actions.
An internal shooting review has been completed and Pierce County Animal Control is currently conducting a third party review. O’Leary said he believes the results of the Pierce County Animal Control Investigation should be completed in a couple of weeks. The results of the shooting review will be released with the results of the third party review.
He said, “We need to move forward, we cannot un-ring this bell.”
What was witnessed in Lora Perry’s Backyard is just a snapshot of the entire event, O’Leary said. Reaffirming he feels the officers did what they felt they had to do.
“This was not a situation of big game hunting,” O’Leary said.
O’Leary also spoke to a letter sent to Mayor Bob Sheckler by the Police Guild, asking for his resignation because of comments he made to the public about Rosie. “I personally do not agree with the letter or the request,” O’Leary said. He said it is ultimately for the Mayor and the Police Guild to decide, but he does not personally agree with it.
Sheckler met with the Police Guild briefly last Friday to discuss their demand that he resign. The meeting was cut short when Police Guild President Ross Stuth, who is also a Des Moines Police Detective, received information about a witness to the murder of a woman in Des Moines at the end of August. The meeting has yet to be continued, but Sheckler said last week they were planning on meeting again.
This is the first time Chief O’Leary has spoken about the shooting death of Rosie.
Vic Wright, Rosie’s owner Chuck’s brother, said the statement by the Chief is in line with the actions of the Des Moines Police Department up until now.
City Manager Tony Piasecki said about the Chief’s statement, “you have expressed how I feel very eloquently.” Piasecki said he could not agree more with what the Chief had to say.
Mayor Sheckler said he wants to look at forming an interlocal agreement with nearby jurisdictions for animal control to pool resources to try and make sure this kind of situation does not happen again.
Sheckler said Des Moines Animal Control Officer Jan Magnuson has taken a lot of unwarranted heat from this incident. “In my opinion Jan Magnuson is one of the most dedicated people in the field,” Sheckler said.
Magnuson was off duty during the incident and was not consulted about the use of deadly force.