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The Danville Police Department fired Officer Murrill McLean and will discipline some of his supervisors for their actions after McLean shot and killed a miniature dachshund named Killer on June 8, according to a Friday news release from Police Chief Philip Broadfoot.
“This entire matter has been an embarrassment to the Danville Police Department, the City of Danville and to me personally,” Broadfoot said.
McLean’s firing is an abrupt reversal of the stance the department took on the shooting. Broadfoot defended his officer’s actions and said he acted within the department’s policy during two news conferences in June.
“The fact of the matter is that the dog was running loose, that it placed officer McLean in a precarious situation, and that officer McLean made a judgment decision in a fraction of a second that cannot be reversed,” Broadfoot said during a June 11 news conference. “I’m not expressing regret over the decision.”
He also talked about Danville’s leash law, which requires pets to be leashed when off their property. Killer was not on his owner’s property at the time of the shooting.
Broadfoot called another news conference on June 15 after the community’s negative response surprised him, he said. He stood next to Paulette Dean, the executive director of the Danville Area Humane Society, who also spoke and took questions.
Dean said Killer almost bit her several years ago when she tried to rescue abandoned kittens on the 100 block of Berman Drive, where the dog and its family lived. She said that the shooting of Killer was not justified, though, and that other methods should have been used.
Broadfoot apologized for the dog’s death that day, saying that the shooting was upsetting to the department and the community. But he still supported his officer’s decision-making process.
On June 16, Danville City Councilman Adam Tomer harshly criticized the department’s response to the shooting.
“I am not upset with the police department as a whole over the handling of the shooting of the dachshund, but I am angry and disgusted at the action itself and the way the leadership has handled it within the police department,” Tomer said during the city council meeting.
Nothing more developed until Friday’s news release.
The police chief looked into the matter more thoroughly after hearing about bloodstain evidence that was not included in the police investigation. He ordered an internal affairs investigation after re-interviewing McLean in person on June 24 and visiting the scene.
“My observations immediately raised questions in my mind about how the shooting actually occurred,” Broadfoot said.
The investigation determined that McLean’s reports of the shooting were “misleading and factually inaccurate,” according to the news release.
“A proper investigation would have shown that where Officer McLean was standing during the attack would have provided him the time, distance and means necessary to consider other options before using his firearm,” Broadfoot said.
Internal affairs also found that several supervisors violated department policy during the initial investigation.
“As a result of the investigation, Officer McLean has been terminated from employment and disciplinary proceedings have been initiated with the supervisors for violating department policy,” Broadfoot said.
The owner of the dog, Tawaiin Harper, said he hates seeing someone lose their job, but he supports the department’s decision.
“I think they acted on the situation to try to calm the neighborhood down and the community,” he said Friday.
After the second news conference, Harper said he thought the police hadn’t done a thorough investigation, and he asked Broadfoot to re-investigate the shooting.
“I’m a little more satisfied with the investigation they did this time,” he said.
Harper said he hasn’t talked to a lawyer and is waiting to see what else happens before he does. The family isn’t planning on getting another dog.
“A person being fired still has chances in life to pursue another job or another career,” he said. “When you take the breath out of somebody, there’s no more chances.”
Tomer, the city councilman, said he’s pleased with the results of the new investigation.
“I have respect and admiration for how Chief Broadfoot admitted the department made a mistake, and how he took corrective action with regards to the event,” Tomer said. “I’m sure it hasn’t been easy for those involved.”
On June 8, McLean went to the 100 block of Berman Drive to serve warrants at about 8:50 p.m., according to a June 10 release from the Danville Police Department. The 11-year-old miniature dachshund owned by the neighbors next door approached the officer from behind and lunged at McLean, who fired one shot that hit and killed the dachshund.
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Reader Reactions
I wouldn’t trust him to watch my back if I was in Iraq ! If I moved and scared him he’d shoot me or anyone!!! He just thinks he’s a big man cause he’s behind that gun!“ Watch out Soldiers,“ watch you front & Back if he’s next to you! Cause if he’s next to you, he just might end up shooting one of you cause he scared. For gosh sakes don’t show him your teeth or bark or growl!!!! He’ll kill you dead!!!!
How did the dog get his guts blown out if it was comming stright toward’s Mclean?????? He would have shot him in the head not the side!!!!!!! Truth be known; I’ll bet the dog was passing by and didn’t even see that BIG COWARD standing on the porch! I’d say to his FACE what I’m saying here but sooooo MUCH MORE!!!!!
I’m sure when Mclean(Does he need to borrow tweezers: that’s why he needed to put the gun there: can’t find it, huh!!!) took those pictures of the gun laying between his legs (poor baby) that he was thinking about being there with the others! Did he look worried and concerned about his fellow man in that pic?????? Surrrrre? He looked like the Cowardly t#rd he is!!!! I get so tired of ones trying to make all kinds of EXCUSES for mclean!!! There’s “NO EXCUSE” for him killing that dachshund!!!OR LYING!! NONE, NONE,NONE WHAT SO EVER!!!!! He acts just like a fly on Sh#t that just won’t go away! Make our City & DPD look STUPID once again because of this “McCowardly IT!“ Mclean’s the butt of jokes all over the world! He’ll just be a bigger BUTT joke this time around! I have Nothing nice to say about that coward!!!!
Meee42 I have a LOT of respect for you and your comments on here! I have every since this started! No disrespect toward you intended from my comments. None what so ever!
I’ll stand by the dachshund KILLER till the very END! He’s NOT going away just because McCowardly killed him. WE the people are here to be this little dogs voice!!!!!!!!!!!!! I’d do the same if it was a child and the murderer was trying to get away with it! Mclean’s a COLD BLODDED KILLER! Jeffery D. started out the same way. Animals to Kids!!!! I didn’t stand behind him either. HE GOT WHAT WAS COMMING TO HIM. Just wish it had been sooner with the animals and not a child. BUT the family of him failed to protect kids & animals from him!!!! I’ll always fight for animals & children; that have no voice! IN this case an animal,12#,11 year old Dachshund “Killer!“ God Bless you little KIller! And Killer’s family!!!
That might be true Luvy, but I doubt it. In todays military if they whine hard enough they let them out. It is not like it use to be.Wish him well for the sake of the Other soldiers there anyway. What he did was wrong, wishing him harm is wrong, two wrongs don’t make a right. I think that losing his job is a plenty. I feel sure that he has lost lots more than just that.
WAY TO GO OLIVEOYL!!!!! You’re so right! I’m glad you pointed that out!!!! You’re need to help investigate this!
blutrk, You’re right on the money! Sooo right!!!!!!
People might not like the truth but it is what it is!!!!!!!!I don’t think he volunteer! I think he got caught in a war. He thought he was gonna lounge around and do nothing & draw monthly check fron the goverment!!!! JUST GOT caught up!!!!! Haha !!!
I have to wonder if THAT (going to Iraq) may have been what was on his mind at the time. Not that it is an excuse, it isn’t. Anyway, Luvy you maybe just a little too upset when you speak of this. It is understandable. But you do need to take a breath and try to be calmer.What he did was wrong however wishing him harm in Iraq could cause another soldier to get hurt defending him or visa versa. They all do have to look out for one another while over there. I wish him well in Iraq, just like the rest of our soldiers.
Tell it like it is Luvy!!! McLean should have learned how to run fast since he was in Iraq running from the enemy.
How could Killer be attacking the officer when he was shot in the side? If he was attacking the officer he would have his brains blown out.
Now that former officer mclean is out of a job a return to Iraq and full-time duty status probably sounds pretty good. Imagine the hate,bitterness and anger he can take with him along with the automatic weapon he’s so proud of. Look out women and children of Iraq. They will make a much better target than a 11 pound weiner dog.
That’s my opinion!!! Not yours!! And I didn’t pick out your SN and direct it to you! He didn’t make a judgement he intentionally KILLED the Dachshund; then he RIGHT OUT LIED!LIED!LIED over & over!!Many times!I hope he gets all he deserves (what he did to killer) back to him! What goes around comes around!!!!!! His day will come!
To luv dachshunds:
Dear luv dachshunds while it’s true ex policeman Mclean is not fit to be a police officer for the many reasons we have discussed here and most of us are glad he no longer serves aa an officer
on the D P D, I will not go as far as to wish him harm while serving in Irac.
I feel he is human and therefore made a wrong judgement in the matter of the dog, killer.
I can understand your out rage but it is going too far to wish this man harm over there.
“IT” is what “IT” is!!!!!I call “Mclean a LYING Coward!!!“ HE IS ONE because of how he was “Afraid” of the little dog so much that he shot & killed it; and a Bigger “COWARD” because he then lied to COVER HIS WRONG ACTIONS! If he hadn’t done wrong he wouldn’t have lied!!!! To me that’s the signs of the “Biggest COWARD” I’ve EVER SEEN! It “SCRRRRRRREAMS COWARD!!!“ A LOT of people go to Iraq and Never see battle!!!!! The way he is now he needs to be somewhere it’s okay to shoot & kill anything or anybody that moves & scares him! REALLY in a “MENTAL Institution before he ends up killing a child or innocent person!“ BUT NOT HERE IN THE USA! People keep saying he has no job, BULL; I’m sure he didn’t go to Iraq for free for his country!!Did he????? I doubt it! He’s a low as whale Sh#%! I hope he ends up having to pick up, he & his family, and move completely out of Danville!!! I’ve nEVER thought I’d say that about anyone but I sure hope it happens to him! Or he go to Iraq and NEVER come back!!!!!It would serve him right to get back just what he did to this little dachshund!!!! I call him a “Flewgahagen” that’s the precise moment dog doo turns white!!!And a LYING COWARD!!
I’m a 100# woman and I’m NOT afraid of a dog!!!! I can run! Shame he didn’t learn hom in preschool!!!! He was over seas in Iraq I’m sure he had move his BIG A$$ there! Cause he would be such a BIG TARGET! Shame they didn’t get him!!!!
They should disable it . This man has family who are NOT responsible for his behavior. It is dangerous to post his personal info online. I disagree with what he did, but I can hardly call him a coward. The man has Volunteered to be in the Military and he is at the mercy of whoever is President at the time. People that do that are no cowards. People need to stop posting his personal info.
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