Man versus octopus becomes a tale of friendship in rarely captured instance of underwater restorative justice.
Animals
Police and animals: a story of love, hate, and fear.
RECENT POSTS
Evening LinkUp: An iPhone stun gun and lawyered pets
Will budget cuts increase returns to prison? The state’s recidivism rate dropped somewhat this year, but cuts to rehab may make the decline temporary. (californiawatch.org)
Two new lawsuits filed against the Defense of Marriage Act The Department of Justice says that even though Obama opposes the act, they’ll defend the law in court. (Wall Street Journal)
Can you turn an iPhone into a stun gun? Maybe. If you have an external power source. (policeone.com)
A loophole in state law let’s some public employees out of paying traffic tickets And an assemblyman is trying to put a stop to it. (Sacramento Bee)
Fighting over the family pet: 5 crazy custody cases Yes, there are lawyers who specialize in post-divorce pet custody. (San Francisco Chronicle)
The Blotter: Monday, November 8
Five weekend shootings leave three dead In Oakland this weekend. None of the victims’ identities have been revealed. (San Francisco Chronicle)
And then another shooting this morning in East Oakland Caused the victim, who was driving a minivan, to crash into a house, causing a gas leak. He is in grave condition. (Inside Bay Area)
San Jose’s acting police chief promises changes In a department hit with low morale and allegations of racial profiling. (The San Jose Mercury News)
Safeway worker nearly hit by shoplifters’ car As the employee chased after them. They were later caught by police. (sfexaminer.com)
They save lives, and only want a belly rub in return The lives of police dogs. (Marin Independent Journal)
Evening LinkUp: Shark attack and burried hearts
Does a city chastising the Vatican violate church/state separation? The 9th Circuit skirts the issue. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Shark kills boogie boarder In SoCal this morning. Authorities have shut beaches in the Santa Barbara area. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Police find burried human hearts with pictures pinned to them in Colma cemetery The pictures feature couples, who police are trying to locate. The hearts appear to have been surgically removed from autopsied bodies. (SF Appeal)
Crime doesn’t pay In fact, here’s a breakdown of roughly how much each offense costs society at large. (Slate)
The Rape Accusation Against Meg Whitman’s Son Which a Princeton panel dismissed for lack of evidence. (Gawker)
The Blotter: Wednesday, October 20
Eyewitness backs up San Jose cop In 2009 case involving a police officer shooting a man in the nose and stun-gunning his wife. (The San Jose Mercury News)
Cab or cop car? A party-goer mistakes the two and is busted for a bindle of cocaine. (Inside Bay Area)
Organization that searched for Hasanni Campbell trying to start camp The group calls of vigils and fundraisers for now, and will focus on summer camp. (Inside Bay Area)
Sea lion shooter gets 30 days and $51,000 fine The fisherman claimed the animal was eating his fish. Meanwhile the sea lion, named Sgt. Nevis, is recuperating in a backstage pond at Six Flags. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Coast Guard seizes ton of pot in waters off Mexico After intercepting ship, authorities see crew throwing bales of weed into water. (San Francisco Chronicle)
The Blotter: Wednesday, October 13
Two children found dead in Fairfield Mother is a suspect in double homicide and possible attempted suicide. (San Francisco Chronicle)
California to join multi-state investigation into foreclosures Which will target “robo-signers.” (Sacramento Bee)
Pink Handcuffs? That’s How We Roll in San Francisco Unclear whether brightly colored handcuffs have particular meaning, or are just an oddity. (blogs.sfweekly.com)
Sheriff: Mexican police commander was beheaded While investigating death of American tourist. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Oakland police to take course on dogs, wildlife After multiple animal-shooting incidents provoke community ire. (San Francisco Chronicle)
The Blotter: Tuesday, October 5
Deportation of criminals is up, say feds ICE touts new program that says it’s aimed at deporting undocumented immigrants who commit crimes. (Sacramento Bee)
Family of man who died in police restraints sues SF for $50 million after a report finds cause of death as homicide. (SF Appeal)
Dog killing in Oakland raises questions Officer’s judgment questioned. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Oakland mayor candidates on major issue: Crime Community policing, economic justice, and police layoffs. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Support, Counseling Available For Victims Of Anti-Gay Bullying A roundup of resources. (sanfrancisco.cityandpress.com)
Oakland will pay up for gun-planting scandal Jury awards parolee $175,000. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Man v. Wild: The urban edition
Henderson Images
Yesterday, Oakland police officers, responding to an accidentally tripped burglar alarm, shot and killed an 11-year-old, arthritic Labrador retriever. The officers left a note for the owners of the dog, saying that the lab had “advanced on officers in a threatening manner.” Besides being a tragedy for the family who owned the dog and a PR nightmare for the Oakland Police Department, folks around the web are pointing out that this is not the first time OPD has encountered an animal that’s met its end by a service pistol:
- Spencer PI points out that in 2009, Oakland police shot a pit bull while searching a home for murder suspects (who were somehow connected to a family friend of the homeowner). The dog suffered severe brain damage and was put down.
- In May of this year, police shot and killed a deer that had found its way into an East Oakland yard (where it seems, the house’s occupants were not aware there was a deer outside). After that incident (which was videotaped), Chief Anthony Batts decided to review OPD’s procedures for responding to such situations. An animal rights group at the time donated $1,500 to OPD for tranquilizer guns.