January 2007
Time: 5:15 AM
Dear Freedom of Speech,
At or about 5:15 am I woke up to hear sirens going off and my dog barking and howling at the sirens. After going out side and quieting my dog down and making my dog get in his dog house I came back inside to hear someone knocking on my front door.
Officer Travis Jones and his partner were at my front door. I answered the door and he told me they had a complaint that my dog was barking. I told him yes he had been barking just like the rest of the dogs in the neighborhood were because of the sirens and that I had addressed the problem by going out and putting him in the dog house.
He told me my dog had been barking all day long? And that he could write me a citation. I told him my dog had not been barking all day long? And that he could write me a citation. I told him my dog had not been barking all day long it's 5:00 in the morning and this is the first time you have been out here how could he have been barking all day??? and that if he wanted to write me a citation go right ahead.
At this point I was standing with my storm door open about two feet and his partner jerked the door out of my hand and opened it up like he was going to grab me or try to step into my house. I told him don't grab my door and hold it wide open your letting all of my heat out.
At this point officer Jones in a very loud and aggressive manor told me to just keep my F***ing dog quiet. I told him that he could not talk to me that way, or try to bully me, that I had my two daughters sleeping in the living room and he had woke both of them up with his loud, hostle and vulgar language.
I told the officer have a nice night and shut my screen door. Officer Jones had started down my steps he turned around and came back to the door going "what did u say what did u say" in a threatening manor. I told him I said have a nice night and shut my door. Then I had to try and explain to my daughters that everything was ok and that no not all police officers act like that or use that kind of language.
This is not the first time I have been witness to police officers acting in this manner and this problem needs to be addressed. Not only does it show their lack of training in dealing with situations like this it also gives the whole department a bad name.
I called to talk to the watch commander Eric Higdon and he basically told me that I must have been acting hostile to his officers and that they had been called there to deal with a problem. I told him I understood why they were their but trying to bully me (grabbing my door out of my hand) or using vulgar language in front of my 11 year old and 7 year old girls (Just keep your F***ing dog quiet) was not the way to handle it.
I will be sending a copy of this to the Mayor. If that does not get this problem addressed then I will be sending a copy to the media and see if they would like to run the story.
Thank you for taking the time to read my email concerning our problem.
My wife and I read Freedom of Speech all of the time and we appreciate what you are doing for our community.
Thanks again,
Taxpayer
