Most of the time, people consider their pets as part of their family. They would do everything they could just to make sure that their furry friend is safe and secure. No matter what kind of dog they have, they want to make sure that their pet is well taken care of at all times. So when a police officer in Commerce City, Colorado killed a chocolate lab-pit bull, her owner was devastated. What's even more heartbreaking is that she was killed in a brutal manner.
A cell phone footage of the dog's death circulated online before it was used as an evidence in the case against the police officer that killed Chloe, the lab-pit bull mix in the video. The video, taken by a neighbor, showed that police officers responded to a call about a "loose, vicious dog." Once they arrived at the home of Gary Branson, Chloe ran towards the officers. In response, the police used a Taser on Chloe even though a catchpole caught and tethered her. This was before the officer shot the helpless dog five times.
The incident that happened on November 24, 2012 prompted Branson to act for the death of his beloved pet. The officer, Robert Price, was charged with a felony aggravated cruelty to animals. However, on his trial with an Adams County jury, he was found not guilty. This was because the police documents after an internal affairs investigation was conducted showed that Price was "within policy" when he shot Chloe.
With the failed lawsuit, Branson decided to sue Commerce City itself for their failure in giving justice to the pet. But to avoid letting the case reach federal civil court, the city settled with Branson and paid him a whopping $262,000.
According to the Animal Law Center, this was the largest settlement of its kind throughout American history. A statute implemented in Colorado prohibits pet owners to seek losses that go beyond the market price of their pet. But with the recent federal court rulings that use Fourth Amendment violations and loss of property, pet owners now have the option to collect for damages beyond their pet's economic value.
Apart from the settlement, Commerce City also paid $125,227.38 in legal fees.
