Detroit police shot and killed a man’s dog chained up legally at his home for ‘[__no reason__](http://www.metrotimes.com/Blogs/archives/2015/06/19/lawsuit-detroit-cop-killed-residents-french-mastiff-for-no-reason)‘, now the deteriorating city’s taxpayers will pay the price.
The Detroit City Council [__approved an agreement__](http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/detroit/2016/02/25/detroit-police-pay-100000-shooting-dog/80946756/) to settle with Darryl Lindsay, who brought a suit after police shot his dog Babycakes, a French Mastiff while chained in his home’s yard, on a cold January day in 2015 as you can see in the video below.
Detroit agreed in legal proceedings last November to settle the suit, this week’s vote was the final formality where the city agreed to the payment in a city council meeting.
Lindsay’s civil rights Attorney [__Christopher Olson__](http://www.wisleylawfirm.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=44&Itemid=72) [__said__](http://www.fox2detroit.com/news/local-news/97707997-story) in a local television interview, “We don’t live in a world where police are permitted to just show up to your house, trying to do some police business, and willy-nilly kill our pets.”
Olsen is no stranger to these lawsuits, and was featured in another [__puppycide caught on camera__](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/23/lexie-dog-shooting_n_5614051.html) in a Huffington Post story in 2014.
In fact, shooting and killing a family pet violates the Constitution’s 4th Amendment, because in a quirk of law, pets are legally considered property.
Killing a family pet is considered an illegal seizure of property.
But most people can’t afford lawyers to enforce that right.
Babycakes was chained up on a ten foot leash and in accordance with state law.
Two officers jumped the fence beyond Babycakes’ reach and were able to secure the backdoor.
Detroit Officer Darrell Dawson, according to dashcam video, was several feet away from the dog.
The cop radioed to dispatch that he was going “take down the dog”.
Officer Dawson then drew his service weapon, and shoot the dog, claiming he was in fear of Babycakes, who was chained safely out of his reach.
Cops were at Lindsay’s house seeking a suspect unrelated to the victim for questioning.
Darryl Lindsay was only questioned and never criminally charged in any case whatsoever.
Later, officers could not describe the person of interest related to the questioning of Lindsay, nor could officers explain why so many officers were there in order to question someone.
It not known of Officer Dawson was disciplined after shooting Babycakes, other than reports that a Lieutenant later counseled Dawson in properly entering private property.
But we know that without discipline for the officer, and behind his shield of qualified immunity and taxpayer indemnification, little will change at the Detroit Police Department for this dog killing cop.
