Traffic Stop Involving Death Of Family Dog Results In Lawsuit

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Last fall we covered a controversial story out of New Mexico where a family rushing their dying dog to the vet was pulled over and held at gunpoint by police. The dog didn’t make it. Now the family has filed a lawsuit and hopes that sort of thing never happens to anyone again.

A typo allegedly led to a wrongful traffic stop in Florida.

The dog had been hit by a car, so the family was speeding in their Cadillac Escalade, trying to get there before the pooch passed. That’s when they were pulled over, held at gunpoint, with the father and teenage son handcuffed.

Only after all that did the officer see the mother sitting in the front seat, cradling the injured dog and learned why the Caddie was speeding. Yet you can hear in the bodycam footage the family tried explaining the situation multiple times.

While police let the family go once they learned the whole situation, it delayed their arriving to the vet. Obviously, the family feels that caused their beloved dog’s death and we can see why they would.

A civil rights attorney hired by the family is moving forward to make an example out of the situation, telling local station KRQE that it’s sustainable for police departments to hire officers who “abuse the people that are supposed to be protected and served.”

She’s pushing for town of Bernalillo, where the traffic stop happened, to be held liable for assault, battery, false arrest, and false imprisonment of the family. It is curious that the officer who pulled over the family went so hard so fast against them simply for speeding.

If this isn’t settled out of court, which is usually the outcome, perhaps a jury will decide if the officer’s actions were justified or not.

Image via KRQE/YouTube

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