From: Anne Romanello [romanello@carolina.rr.com] Sent: Thursday, January 16, 2003 2:42 PM To: Gail Fowler Subject: we are grieving Why were they released with "we made a mistake" instead of "we are distraught that we have caused you such pain. We are so sorry for the way we treated you. We shall never recover from hearing your screams of grief when we killed your pet. We are sorry your Tennessee vacation has turned into a nightmare. We will not rest until we discover the root causes in this tragedy, and keep you appraised of our findings and corrections. We will make sure nothing like this happens again in this state, and we will communicate our finding to LE in every state. We will strive to make positive changes happen as a result of your mistreatment and the death of your pet. We are grieving with you." Somebody there please do something! Anne Romanello Charlotte, NC From: Health Matters [healthmatters@carolina.rr.com] Sent: Thursday, January 16, 2003 2:40 PM To: Charles Womack Subject: we are grieving Why were they released with "we made a mistake" instead of "we are distraught that we have caused you such pain. We are so sorry for the way we treated you. We shall never recover from hearing your screams of grief when we killed your pet. We are sorry your Tennessee vacation has turned into a nightmare. We will not rest until we discover the root causes in this tragedy, and keep you appraised of our findings and corrections. We will make sure nothing like this happens again in this state, and we will communicate our finding to LE in every state. We will strive to make positive changes happen as a result of your mistreatment and the death of your pet. We are grieving with you." Please, someone do something! From: Philip DeWilde [philipdewilde@rogers.com] Sent: Thursday, January 16, 2003 1:55 PM To: Charles Womack Subject: Bad Form So your town has found Eric Hall's action "by the book" and legitimate, eh? Well this is my second letter to you and I can say that I, my friends and family will never step foot any where near Tennessee again! If pulling over an innocent family , terrorizing them and murdering a family member, on an unverified phone tip is standard procedure and by the book for your police force, well then, we'll drive around, thank you. I'm some how sure if this had happened to your family on their holiday, that the officer would no longer be carrying a badge or gun to say the least. For Shame Philip DeWilde http://www.philipdewilde.com From: BDELT1@aol.com Sent: Thursday, January 16, 2003 1:30 PM To: Gail Fowler Subject: Dog killers I hope I never have to travel thru, near, in close proximity of Cookeville, TN.. If there is not other way around neanderthal city, I will be sure to leave my pet at home and take no money and pump no gas while in Tn. Officer Hall stated that he was protecting himself, yet he shot the dog within 3 seconds after he exited the car.. And this idiot is assigned to a domestic violence unit. What a bunch of idiots and they think the rest of America will believe them when they said they are sorry. All of America is not inbred. I hope tourists stay out of your area and both cop units are sued to max by this family whose only mistake was driving thru TN. B. D. Thornton From: jack maclean [jmac@iapdatacom.net] Sent: Thursday, January 16, 2003 12:19 PM To: Charles Womack Subject: patton murder Mr. Mayor, please see the last paragraph of this news story, and wake up your police chief. Stonewalling will only hurt him, Cookeville, and police in general. It's exactly what most people are expecting him to do, and it reinforces negative stereotypes about police and about the south. RELATED STORIES Officer shot two other dogs Dog's death still stirring furor PRINT THIS STORY | E-MAIL THIS STORY PETA, Humane Society offer to help train police By LAURA AYO, ayol@knews.com January 14, 2003 An animal-rights organization has offered to help Cookeville police implement animal-handling training procedures, and a second organization is expected to make a similar offer today, officials there said Monday. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and the Humane Society of the United States said the offers were being made in response to the Jan. 1 fatal shooting of a North Carolina family's pet dog by a Cookeville police officer during a traffic stop along Interstate 40. Dr. Randy Lockwood, vice president for research and educational outreach for the Humane Society, and Daphna Nachminovitch, manager of the domestic animal issues department for PETA, said the number of calls their organizations have received about police shootings of animals has grown over the years. "It's reached a critical level," Lockwood said. "One incident a year has turned into one or two a month." Nachminovitch said PETA receives a minimum of a dozen calls a month. Those numbers prompted the organization to send a letter to the U.S. Department of Justice last week calling for a national animal-handling training program for law-enforcement officers. PETA also sent a letter Monday to Tennessee's governor urging him to use his office to ensure similar training is implemented in police academies statewide, she said. "This case was the last straw," she said. Both organizations have helped other law-enforcement agencies implement training procedures for officers so they can recognize the signs of an aggressive animal, interpret the level of danger of the situation and learn how to subdue an animal without resorting to lethal force, according to Nachminovitch and Lockwood. Lockwood said police departments have also sought help from the Humane Society in how to deal with aggressive animals, especially in circumstances where animals are being used to protect contraband or drugs. "Most police officers do not want to be in a position to have to kill animals," he said. In addition, Nachminovitch said PETA recognizes that in certain circumstances, law-enforcement officers must use lethal force with animals. As of Monday, Nachminovitch said the Cookeville Police Department hadn't responded to PETA's training offer. A phone call to Cookeville police officials wasn't returned Monday. Laura Ayo may be reached at 865-342-6341. Get Copyright Clearance Copyright 2003, Knoxville News-Sentinel Co From: Pamela Sturt [pamelafletchersturt@peoplepc.com] Sent: Thursday, January 16, 2003 11:40 AM To: Gail Fowler Subject: Patton and his family To the Mayor of Cookeville: I wish to add my voice to the undoubtedly thousands of others who have contacted you about this matter: If there had been no videotape of this incident, then I might think that the Cookeville officer who shot Patton was simply not sure if the dog was behaving in a threatening manner, and, being only human, made an honest decision that was a mistake. However, the video clearly shows that the dog was not threatening anyone, and in fact appeared to be walking away. This officer should not be allowed to carry a dangerous weapon of any kind. It is heartbreaking that this poor dog lost his life for no reason; even if his family had been guilty, it certainly was't the dog's fault. It is heartbreaking that this family lost their dog and in such a violent manner right in front of them with no power to do anything about it. It will be heartbreaking when someone loses their teenage son, or their father or sister or aunt, etc., when Officer Hall makes another "mistake" sometime in the future. If this had been a person that he shot, would he be relieved of his duties, at the very least? I urge you to recommend that the police department take away this man's weapon. And I urge you to work with the Humane Society to educate other officers about animals and how they act when they are threatening, and how they act when they are not. Even if Patton had been behaving in a threatening manner, which, again, the video clearly shows he was not, I fail to believe that the State Police, together with the Cookeville Police, could not ahve found some other method of subduing him besides shooting him to death. The family was certainly not a threat, kneeling handcuffed on the ground. Don't police officers shoot humans who they perceive as a threat in the leg or something if possible and only shoot to kill if there is no other choice? Why was Patton not accorded the same treatment? This is despicable. From: Greg Hamilton [gh@gallagherdesign.com] Sent: Thursday, January 16, 2003 11:40 AM To: Gail Fowler Subject: I can't find any info on the site - please direct me to the correct source. I can't find any info on the site - please direct me to the correct source. COOKEVILLE, Tennessee (CNN) -- Police video released Wednesday showed a North Carolina family kneeling and handcuffed, who shrieked as officers killed their dog -- which appeared to be playfully wagging its tail -- with a shotgun during a traffic stop 'Could have been avoided' Cookeville Police Chief Robert Terry released a statement on the department's Web site Wednesday night describing the department's regret over the incident. The Cookeville Police Department site was not responding Thursday morning. "I know the officer wishes that circumstances could have been different so he could have prevented shooting the dog," Terry wrote. "It is never gratifying to have to put an animal down, especially a family pet, and the officer assures me that he never displayed any satisfaction in doing so." Terry said he and the vice-mayor of Cookeville met with the family before they left "to convey our deepest sympathies" for the loss of their dog. "No one wants to experience this kind of thing, and it's very unfortunate that it occurred," he wrote. "If we had the benefit of hindsight, I'm sure some -- if not all of this -- could have been avoided. I believe the Tennessee Highway Patrol feels the same way." The department is conducting an investigation to determine what, if anything, could have been done differently, he said. Police also plan to be in contact with the Smoak family, Terry said. I'm so infuriated after reading this article, that I wiil be following very closely the outcome of 'your' investigation. Gregory Hamilton From: Wayne Roberts [wroberts@ENZY.com] Sent: Thursday, January 16, 2003 11:13 AM To: Charles Womack Subject: Police actions Mayor Womak, Dear sir, I have recently read an article about the police incident with the dog shooting. I have to write to say that that type of action is simply appalling. Add to the fact that this officer has obvious mental issues, how can a person be allowed to commit an act of animal cruelty and go unpunished. Also the fact that this family was at no fault and the pet showed no aggression. I have viewed many polls about courses of action that should be taken and I would hope that you find it just that action should indeed be taken against the officer. In the very least a formal apology and restitution to the family. This type of behavior out of a civil servant is unacceptable and should be dealt with swift and severe. Thank You Wayne Roberts From: Kimberle Ganzer [kimberleganzer@msn.com] Sent: Thursday, January 16, 2003 11:01 AM To: Charles Womack Dear Mayor of Cookeville: I just read about the tragic incidence which occurred in Cookeville involving the Smoak family and their dog Patton. I think that you as the mayor, need to get the police force training regarding companion animals, this situation was handled heinously, and there is no excuse for it. Have you ever considered using stun guns on animals if they may be out of control, which this one was NOT by the sounds of it! To use a shotgun at close range, that is utterly insane. Would the officers shoot a child if it ran out of the car with a toy gun, with a shotgun in the head? A family pet is in essence a child, many people view them that way, including myself. This situation was handled too quickly and hastily for the officers to use any intellect they may have! Unfortunately, the repercussions of this situation will go far beyond being sued by the Smoak family. I think immediate action needs to be taken in changing some procedures, as I had mentioned, how about stun guns, not shotguns?? How about training classes for your officers, like, All about Companion Animals, Having Respect for People's Wishes?, etc.?? I have owned animals for over thirty years, and it does not take that long at all to know the good from the bad. I will not be traveling to your city any time soon, if I did, I would surely not bring my animals! Sincerely, Kimberle Ganzer-Wiley Minneapolis, MN. From: Just Me [k9luvr@hotmail.com] Sent: Thursday, January 16, 2003 10:00 AM To: Gail Fowler Subject: Comments of Service To The Governor of TN and Mayor and Chief of Police of Cookeville TN Below is a copy of the letter to the editors of several newspapers. However it does not convey the full brunt of my feelings in this case. Anyone that says this was not an unjustified over use of force is in the same category as this coward. That is to include the illustrious, illiterate, illegitimate members of THP and TBI. If wishes could come true, I would wish the worst wrath of hell to befall those involve with extensive wishes brought upon the cowardly so called officer in question. This officer should have the worst of luck fall in his path with a guarantee of being the longest living person to ever be. This would include the loss of his job and all benefits he would normally receive. I would also say any V.A. benefits by the Veterans Administration but this coward probably never performed any duty to his country. Then he would live under the worst physical and emotional pain that could ever be thought of for every moment of his ever-lasting long life. He should also be placed in a facility such as West Tennessee High and not allowed to be placed in protective custody. Actually a better place would be Attica NY, Angola LA, or San Quentin CA. As to the justification for the stop in the first place, probable cause was listed as being a possible crime having taken place such as a robbery. A family with kids and a dog? Had there been a report of an actual crime having taken place with the description match the people and vehicle? Give me a break. It’s not likely. But then on second thought we are talking about the Tennessee Law Enforcement, Justice System, and Political Regime. Please send my thoughts to those involved. Especially the cowardly officer. Please send my deepest condolences to the family that lost their beloved family member through such felonious actions by a sniveling yellow bellied coward and his “good ol’ boy” friends. Editor I am writing in reference to the Cookeville Tennessee Police Officer that maliciously killed the family dog. In reviewing the official tape clipping from the mobile unit, I find this is a total disgrace. As a former career Military Working Dog Handler, Trainer, and Instructor, I find it appalling to find the officer was in justified fear of his life. The behavior shown by that animal was that of just looking for some attention and displayed no aggression what so ever. This act of cowardice should be dealt with in severest penalties to the officer. I would urge this case be forwarded to an independent investigator that has the expertise in Law Enforcement and animal behavior for evaluation. I doubt this will happen though because it will be covered up and forgotten. Forgotten by all but the family, animal lovers, and people like myself that that have a background in true professional law enforcement/working dogs that can weigh the facts in a non-partisan way. R.T. Ford Bristol TN/VA HAVE A GREAT DAY AND A BETTER TOMMORROW {:-) _____ MSN 8 helps eliminate e-mail viruses. Get 2 months FREE*. From: Amy Cook [ACook@hom.org] Sent: Thursday, January 16, 2003 10:13 AM To: Charles Womack Subject: smoak family Dear Mayor, I was very saddened to hear about the recent tragic events surrounding the Smoak family and their dog. I hope that the officer involved with the brutal murder of this family pet (right before the family's horrified eyes!) will be taken seriously by your investigators, and that he will be fully punished after the investigation is complete. Most importantly, it is unfortunate that the officers involved did not respond to the family's pleas, asking them to close the doors to prevent the escape of their dogs from the car. Nor did they listen when Mrs. Smoak tried to tell them that the animals were neither mean nor aggressive.If the officers had only listened to the family, this unfortunate situation could have been prevented. I understand from the video that was released to CNN that the dog that was killed was actually wagging his tail while approaching the officer. This officer could be totally unfamiliar to dogs, and know that this example of body language is not an indicator that the animal is fierce and threatening. This case has received national coverage, and I'm sure that you've received many letters and calls in regards to this matter. Please listen to the general public, and do not take this matter lightly. Please reassure the people of our nation that this type of behavior is unacceptable from law enforcement and will not be repeated. Thank you for allowing me to voice my concern. Sincerely, Mrs. A. Cook Michigan, USA From: Becky Pyle [bpyle@nje.com] Sent: Thursday, January 16, 2003 7:57 AM To: Gail Fowler Subject: Smoak Family The officers involved in this incident should be dismissed from their positions. This is totally unforgivable. They do not deserve to be police officers nor represent your police department. Shooting an innocent dog, what cowards. BECKY PYLE 530 W SPRING STREET COLUMBUS, OHIO 43215 228-4000 BPYLE@NJE.COM Life with Christ is an endless hope, without him a hopeless end. Confidentiality Notice: This e-mail message is intended by Norman, Jones, Enlow & Co. for the use only by the individual or entity to which it is addressed. This message may contain information that is privileged or confidential. It is not intended for transmission to, or receipt by, anyone other than the named addressee (or a person authorized to receive and deliver it to the named addressee). If you have received this transmission in error, please delete it from your system without copying or forwarding it, and notify the sender of the error by reply e-mail or by calling (614) 228-4000 (collect). Thank you. From: Pamela G. Wisecarver [wisecarverp@rcschool.net] Sent: Thursday, January 16, 2003 7:20 AM To: Charles Womack Subject: city council meeting tonight This is in regard to Officer Eric Hall and the shooting of the Smoak's dog. I sincerely hope that you and your council will punish the officer for his pitiful judgment concerning this event. Maybe make him put his shotgun shells in his pocket and by the time he gets his gun loaded, some officer will make the right decision. Yes, I'm being sarcastic-I'm disgusted by what happened and hope there is legal recourse for the Smoak family. Pamela Wisecarver Whitesburg, TN ____________________________________________________ IncrediMail - Email has finally evolved - Click Here From: nautilus8@juno.com Sent: Thursday, January 16, 2003 6:52 AM To: Charles Womack Subject: What? I am outraged that you would stand by and allow your police department to cover up having a trigger-happy, unstable officer on its force. Have you even considered the economic impact of keeping him in your department? Nobody across the country feels safe anywhere near your city. Whenever any of my high school gifted students ask me what I think of Tennessee Tech as a choice for college, I will NOT recommend your university for fear of my students' safety. Nobody is safe around a policeman whose first instinct when he gets "scared" is to pull the trigger. What an outrage!!!!!!! Mark Lovvorn From: pnacy@earthlink.net Sent: Thursday, January 16, 2003 6:45 AM To: Gail Fowler Subject: Death to dogs After viewing the video of the execution of the Smoak's happy puppy, I now know where to go. You see, my neighbor's dog just brought a tennis ball towards me in a threatening manner, all the while "wagging its tail." Of course, we all know that means war. What's the best caliber for the money to make his brains splatter like a melon under a truck tire? I don't make a lot of money, so don't jack me around on this one. Please have your highway patrol or other law enforcement get on this right away -- the puppy is asleep on its back right now with the ball still in its mouth, and I'd like to make my neighborhood safe once again without the chance of yet again having that dangerous beast beckon me to play "fetch" or to have me "shake his hand." I'm sure your law enforcement officers would be proud to know that I'd never again fall for any of those tactics, so be sure that they do something about my predicament right now. If I could just blast his little slobbery, smily face into the fifth dimension, then maybe I could get to work on time. Hurry! From: Ana Yong Soler [ays@elp.rr.com] Sent: Thursday, January 16, 2003 12:01 AM To: Charles Womack Subject: Please fully investigate police shooting of family dog To Whom It May Concern: Please accept this letter as a petition requesting the immediate and full investigation regarding the unfortunate killing of a family dog by a police officer in Cookeville. I request that the police officer(s) involved in this incident be held responsible for their extreme negligence. According to a news article by Mary Jo Denton, Herald-Citizen Staff, the Smoak family of North Carolina were mistakenly pulled over in Cookeville and their family dog was shot fatally in the head. I understand that James Smoak was traveling in the family station wagon with his wife, their 17-year-old son, and the family's two pet bulldogs, Patton and Cassie. Mr. Smoak had placed his wallet on top of the car while pumping gas and forgot about it. The wallet flew off somewhere on the highway. Another driver had seen the wallet fly off the car and had seen money coming out of it. She reported what she witnessed, causing the THP to follow the Smoak's car. Mr. Smoak soon began to notice that a THP squad car was following him. When Mr. Smoak reached the 287 exit area in Cookeville, three other police cars suddenly appeared, and the trooper then turned on blue lights and pulled the Smoak car over. Mr. Smoak immediately pulled to the side of the road. He was ordered to toss his car keys out the window and get out with his hands up. His wife and son were also ordered to do the same and the Smoaks fully complied. They were handcuffed and placed in the patrol car. Concerned about their beloved dogs left in their car, the Smoaks repeatedly asked the officers to close the car doors so the dogs would not run out onto the highway, but the officers refused. Inevitably, one dog came out of the car and headed toward one of the Cookeville police officers who was assisting the THP. "That officer had a flashlight on his shotgun, and the dog was going toward that light and the officer shot him, just blew his head off," said Pamela Smoak. "We had begged them to shut the car doors so our dogs wouldn't get out, and they didn't do that." When the officers did discover the mistake, "they said, 'Okay, we're releasing you and we're sorry,'" Smoak said. If one of the officers involved simply took a moment to close the car doors, Patton would still be alive. His family would not have had to witness his head being blown off as they sat helplessly handcuffed for a crime they did not commit. At the very least, the police should have closed the car doors so that the dogs did not run on the highway and cause a traffic accident. This type of extreme negligence is completely unacceptable and has caught the attention of concerned people worldwide who will be following the outcome of this incident. Please keep me updated on the investigation. Thank you in advance for your time and attention regarding this very serious matter. Sincerely, Ana Yong Soler El Paso TX USa ays@elp.rr.com From: Jeffrey S. Groby [jsgroby@charter.net] Sent: Wednesday, January 15, 2003 11:15 PM To: Charles Womack Subject: You are kidding, right? Saw the video of the dog shooting. What an embarassment for you and your police department. Too bad things like this happen, makes police look unprofessional and makes the mayor look like a circus clown..... jsg From: Pat Hickey [caustic1234@hotmail.com] Sent: Wednesday, January 15, 2003 9:53 PM To: Charles Womack Subject: A Complete Disgrace Dr. Womack, After witnessing the video made available on CNN of the traffic stop, I am appalled and sickened by the actions taken by your officers. I have yet to see an angry dog bent on causing injury to anyone charge while wagging his tail in a nonchalant fashion. Your officer overstepped his use of power by firing upon the animal. If the officer was that afraid of a tail wagging dog, he should not be patrolling any area of Tennessee while armed with a deadly weapon. There is no telling what that officer might do to a marauding eight year old in a big wheel. And after reading the accounts of this stop, the procedures employed by your men leave me with a deep rooted fear of ever visiting or driving through your state. I fear that I may be mistaken for an armed felon, wrestled to the ground and beaten, all based on some other person’s claim. If a few dollars blowing out of a wallet inadvertently left upon a car warrants the physical take down of an innocent family and the firing of weapons at their family pet, I seriously would consider revising your tactics in dealing with potential criminals. I am outraged as a supporter of the officers of this country (I have relatives and close friends who uphold the law as officers) that this has happened. I am outraged as an American citizen that these people were treated as criminals based on a tip from a passerby. I am sickened that I live in a state that borders a state in which this heinous occurrence took place. Outraged and disgusted in Raleigh, Patrick Hickey 5612-B Thea Lane Raleigh, NC 27606 919-859-3202 From: GBat476034@cs.com Sent: Wednesday, January 15, 2003 8:55 PM To: Charles Womack Subject: Comments "Welcome the public's comments"......Like hell you do......What are you rednecks doing in TN anyway......making criminals of yourself and you should be treated as such......officer Eric Hall is a first class SOB and unfit to wear the badge and represent the people of Cookeville or the state of TN or even Iraq. Each and every one of you who defend Eric Hall are the sorriest sons of bitches in the world and deserve no consideration past the point of a gun......after all.....isn't that what you do? The whole damn world saw it.......and you sorry bastards won't even admit to it even when caught on tape......so we are supposed to believe your story now.....right? It is my most sincere wish that all you sorry bastards go to prison....thats where you all belong.....starting with the mayor.....should the legal procedure take a different course and you sorry bastards should somehow get away with your crimes.....then perhaps the citizens of Cookeville should decide to deal with you in there own way......none of you bastards deserve any better.........by the way.....don't let this little nasty gram get you down.....there are thousands more on the way.......after all.....you deserve it.......YOU ARE ALL A BUNCH OF SORRY SONS OF BITCHES........Bill From: kays [kats5@ptd.net] Sent: Wednesday, January 15, 2003 8:14 PM To: Charles Womack Subject: Dog Shooting on Jan 1, 2003 This is unbelieveable - that these police officers would not have any regard for people's animals. They were requested to close the car door - they ignored this plea. And when a dog approaches with his TAIL WAGGING, any fool knows that is NOT aggressive. Obviously that officer did not know what he was doing - he was merely trigger happy and shot without thinking. He should be fined and suspended for his stupidity and lack of training. Kay in PA From: DMXLORDS@aol.com Sent: Wednesday, January 15, 2003 8:12 PM To: Charles Womack Subject: Hi Hi My Name is Robert Eyler I am From Frederick Maryland I am writing to you about the cop who shot the family's Dog I hope and pray for your towns sake you dismiss this man .. as me and my family have been threw your town many many times on our way down south for Vacation I never Ever dreamed that you could Employ such a trigger happy Freak there was NO NEED for what this man Did and that Poor family will have to suffer for along time being a Dog owner Myself and I own Rottweilers which also come with me on Vacation I guess my dogs would have been killed as well just for being the breed that they are You can bet Next year I wont be coming threw your town Ever again after this!!!!!! now you may sit there and read this and think WHO CARES if you come threw your town Well while i have been there I spent a lot of money so i! f I am writing to you I am sure you have gotten other complaints I just hope this Family Retains an Attorney (as I would) and sues the Hell out of your Police Dept.! I am sure I wont get a reply from you it would be Nice to hear what you feel about this mans Actions? From: jack maclean [jmac@iapdatacom.net] Sent: Wednesday, January 15, 2003 7:52 PM To: Charles Womack Subject: so it was really your police When i sent this message over a week ago, the word was that the state police committed that awful brutality against the smoak family. Now it turns out that it was your people. Cookeville and its police organization have now become famous across the country, and videotape has made it much more difficult to cover up police malfeasance. There is no way you can avoid the responsibility for this and the obligation to remove the misfits and their non-managers from your police department. But you can take the lead and show the country that the town at least has a decent mayor. ----- Original Message ----- From: jack maclean To: mayor@cookeville-tn.org Sent: Monday, January 06, 2003 2:16 PM Subject: Fw: attention THP captain Randy Hoover The brutality your men executed against the Smoak family just reinforces the general public's conviction that police can't be trusted. It hurts your effectiveness, and that of good police all across the country. If you ignore this opportunity to get rid of the men responsible for that tragedy and to publicize your actions, you are just adding to the perception that "the cops are as bad as the criminals". We have come to expect whitewashing and coverups. Please don't succumb to that temptaion. Please exercize real leadership and do the right thing. jack maclean From: Ward [wcamp@houston.rr.com] Sent: Wednesday, January 15, 2003 7:41 PM To: Gail Fowler Subject: Smoak Family tragedy I am sad and angry at the incompetence of all the law enforcement personnel on that evening. So many things were obviously wrong in the video and yet your police chief compounds the matter with a quick note to discount the events of that evening in order to protect the “stupid” officer Hall and his own image and reputation. Clearly, the video and the Smoak testimony complicate your chief’s explanation for the unexplainable. The fact that the dog did not attack is all the evidence needed to remove the officer from duty and charge him with the crime of killing a family pet. The officer has a shotgun and three other armed officers and is afraid of medium size dog?? And your police chief has the nerve to defend the action and even make excuses about not having control of the situation. How sad is that? Cookeville will now be remembered as an ignorant redneck country town…not because one “stupid” man failed in his job to serve and protect absolutely no one but his own “chicken hide”…but because of the horrible memo your police chief wrote that has been read on talk radio stations to millions of listeners. Viewed by TV audiences around the world, a friend of mine in Queensbury, Australia saw the video and was in shock as we all are…except your police chief. I will always remember the name of Cookeville, TN and how you showed yourselves to the world. Congratulations! Ward Camp wcamp@houston.rr.com From: Barngrama@aol.com Sent: Wednesday, January 15, 2003 5:56 PM To: Charles Womack Subject: dog shooting As a citizen of this United States of America, I have to say that I was appalled to view the video of that innocent family being treated as felons and that family pet being shot to death, even as the woman begged the police officer to please not shot her dog. It is a nightmare that runs through my mind over and over again. It did not have to happen and this is something that America as a country needs to address. We have to start to trust that you are innocent until proven guilty - I thought that is something that we as a people have built this country on. Since when does one officer have the power to decide that these people are guilty and therefore their dog is dangerous. He was wrong on both counts and he needs to be taken out of that position of power! The video of that dog coming out of that car is a picture I see everyday as my dogs jump out of my! truck when I open the door. That dog was not in a threatening stance and was not making any kind of motion toward that officer. He was scared and trying to get to his masters. What a shame!!! All I can hope for is that you and your family have a family dog and that you can picture in your mind that happening to you and your beloved pet. If you don't shed a tear over that, your state is in big trouble. Someone needs to answer for this horrible mistake and I am one of those people that hopes the owners of that dog can collect enough money to come to your state and hire the best attorney they can hire. If I can find them and help them, I will. I spend hours every day trying to get to them personally. Please do what is right and take this gun happy person you call a police officer and strip away his ego. This guy has no business with a gun in his hand - what will be next??? If a person threatens him, will he be so quick to fire that gun??? GOD, I hope not. There was no excuse for his decision - it was bad through and through. Truly, Toni M. Levine Tampa, Florida From: Ron [rpndarg@comcast.net] Sent: Wednesday, January 15, 2003 5:36 PM To: Charles Womack; > Dear Mayor Womack, The Officer in question in the dog shooting case should be arrested, charges of animal cruelty and endangerment being only two that come to mind. He allowed the dog to jump from a car and play along an interstate highway, thus endangering everyone who was on that stretch of I-40 at that time. Most people will try to avoid hitting animals on a steet, which could easily have led to a massive accident. This police officer failed to protect the public, which should be his first priority. If he felt threatened by the dog he should have closed the doors and let animal control take care of it. I won't even mention how a human being can shoot a dog like that in cold blood at point blank range, while its family is handcuffed on the ground next to their car, looking on in horror. I hope the Smoak family takes this case to the highest court possible. This "unidentified officer" is a poor excuse of a human being and a disgrace to the police force. He should be fired immediately without any retirement or benefits and also be banned from any employment which requires carrying a weapon. Hopefully enough people protest this incident and let others know what's happening in the town of Cookeville. Ron Pope Kodak, TN From: James R. Griffin [jiffin@cookeville.com] Sent: Wednesday, January 15, 2003 4:28 PM To: Gail Fowler Subject: Police Shooting of Dog and Follow-up Dear Mayor and City Council, I have included below a commentary column from the Knoxville News-Sentinel on the police shooting of the dog. This writer does an excellent job in capturing my feelings about this subject. Furthermore, it is crucial that a truly independent review be made of this case be done by outside experts. Just having a Cookeville Police Department appointed review by another police chief is definitely not sufficient in my opinion. Police reviews of this sort have a way of covering up their own shortcomings to protect their own. It is apparent that deadly force was unnecessary in this case as any number of actions could have been pursued before deadly force was used. In fact the situation could have been far more tragic if one on the Cookeville officers had shot one of the Smoak's as they protested the dog's killing. I can only imagine the wrongful death law suit judgment in such a situation and its impact on Cookeville. As it is, the Cookeville Police definitely need more training and demonstrated professionalism than what we saw in this video tape. Regards, Jim Griffin Cookeville ____________________________________________________ Commentary: Thank heavens here's a camera that didn't lie By Sam Venable, News-Sentinel columnist January 10, 2003 An apology? Cops pull an innocent family off the road, handcuff them at gunpoint, blow the family's dog to smithereens right before their eyes, and all they can offer is an apology? Of course not. The cops are much more humane than that. They also gave 'em a plastic bag for the animal's bloody corpse. How's that for charity? It's right here in black and white on a report written by Tennessee Highway Patrol Lt. Jerry Andrews: "When we determined that there had been no robbery . . . we released them and gave them a plastic bag to secure the dog." It's a good thing, too. Otherwise, the family might have been charged with littering. Given the horribly botched nature of this blue-light blunder, I wouldn't be surprised by ANYthing. On New Year's Day, the James Smoak family of Saluda, N.C., was driving home after visiting Nashville. On Interstate 40 near Cookeville, they were pulled over by a combined force of highway patrolmen and Cookeville police. The cops suspected an armed robbery had just occurred. They'd been tipped that the Smoaks' car was trailing "a large amount of money." Thus, officers initiated what's known as a "felony stop." Indeed, money was flying through the air. Smoak had stopped for gasoline down the road. He inadvertently left his billfold on top of the vehicle. When he reentered the interstate his wallet went sailing, emptying its contents. How flying money equates to armed robbery is a mystery to me. But in post 9-11 America, rationale invariably exits any time suspicions are raised. For all the police knew, the Smoaks' car carried dangerous felons. That's why, once it was stopped, officers drew their weapons and barked commands at the occupants to exit one at a time, hands aloft. Which is precisely what Smoak, his wife and their teenage son did. I'm sitting here, watching a patrol car-mounted video of the event. Although the Smoaks surely are scared out of their wits, their behavior is exemplary. They raise their hands, as ordered. They walk backward, as ordered. They drop to their knees, as ordered. They interlock their fingers behind their backs, as ordered. Exceedingly tense circumstances, for sure. And the officers act responsibly up to this point. Their mission is to secure the situation, and that's exactly what they're doing. As terrifying as it is for all involved - those with badges and those without - everything would soon be sorted out and the Smoaks would be back on their way. Even if days might pass before their pulse rates return to normal. But then this professional police action splits apart at the seams. On the video, James Smoak can be heard asking officers to shut the door of his car so his two dogs wouldn't get out. His wife, Pamela, can be heard saying the dogs "aren't mean." But the officers don't shut the door. One of the dogs hops out. Its tail is wagging. The dog scampers off the screen for a second or two. Then it runs back toward Cookeville police officer Eric Hall. Instantly, Hall raises his shotgun and decapitates the animal with a single blast. To say all hell breaks loose at that point is putting it mildly. The Smoaks are screaming. The cops are shouting. It is pure bedlam that easily could have escalated. Thank God the Smoaks were handcuffed by then. Otherwise, if one of them had lashed out at the officer - a perfectly reasonable reaction, given the circumstances - surely more than canine blood would've been shed. Incredibly, officials reviewing this case have ruled the police "acted reasonably." Horse manure. This is textbook CYA, and everyone who views the tape with an open mind knows it. Thankfully, this is one instance when the police video didn't, wink-wink, "malfunction." Otherwise, the real story never would have surfaced. Even with the clarity of 20-20 hindsight, it's obvious officer Hall needs to find another job. Definitely not dog catcher, either. He should never again be put in a life-or-death situation. You think it's tragic that a hair-triggered cop killed a dog? It certainly is. But we should all be relieved it wasn't much, much worse. Sam Venable's column appears in the News-Sentinel on Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. His column also is available on our Web site at www.knoxnews.com. He can be reached at 865-342-6272 or venob@knews.com. His latest book, "Rock-Elephant: A Story of Friendship and Fishing," is available at most bookstores and online from the News-Sentinel. Copyright 2003, Knoxville News-Sentinel Co. Click for permission to reprint From: Devonprint@webtv.net Sent: Wednesday, January 15, 2003 4:56 PM To: Gail Fowler Subject: PLEASE FORWARD to Mayor Charles Womack Dr. Charles Womack, Mayor CITY OF COOKEVILLE 45 E. Broad Street Cookeville, Tennessee 38501 Dear Mayor Womack: Re: Tennessee Police Officer Dog Shooting We are joining with animal advocates nationwide in demanding a full-scale investigation of the above incident and appropriate disclipinary aciton, depending on the outcome of the investigation, against the individuals reponsible for this tragic death of a family dog. As your Cookeville Police Chief Robert Terry, himself, said in his statement, this tragedy "could have been avoided." What, if anything, will the city and the police department do to ensure that it doesn't happen again and this innocent dog did not die in vain? We understand that no disciplinary action has been taken against the officer. This is incomprehensible considering the bizarre and totally brutal, chilling, and inappropriate behaviour of the officers in question ... particularly so in view of the "recorded request" made by the family to close their car doors so that the dog would not get out. Our hearts go out to the Smoak family, three innocent people traveling down a highway, who are now enduring emotional pain in the loss of the beloved family companion. Thank you for your prompt action on this critical matter. From: Devonprint@webtv.net Sent: Wednesday, January 15, 2003 4:39 PM To: Gail Fowler Subject: PLEASE FORWARD to Police Chief, Robert Terry Robert Terry, Police Chief CITY OF COOKEVILLE 10 E. Broad Street Cookeville, Tennessee 38501 Dear Chief Terry: Re: Tennessee Police Officer Dog Shooting We are joining with animal advocates nationwide in demanding a full-scale investigation of the above incident and appropriate disclipinary aciton, depending on the outcome of the investigation, against the individuals reponsible for this tragic death of a family dog. As you, yourself, are reported as saying, this tragedy "could have been avoided." What, if anything, will the city and the police department do to ensure that it doesn't happen again and this innocent dog did not die in vain? We understand that no disciplinary aciton has been taken againt the officer. This is incomprehensible considering the bizarre and totally brutal, chilling, and inappropriate behaviour of the officers in question ... particularly so in view of the "recorded request" made by the family to close their car doors so that the dog would not get out. Our hearts go out to the Smoak family, three innocent people traveling down a highway, who are now enduring emotional pain in the loss of the beloved family companion. Thank you for your prompt action on this critical matter. From: Beth [mmdk4@gibralter.net] Sent: Wednesday, January 15, 2003 4:33 PM To: Gail Fowler; Stephanie Miller; Jim Shipley; chamber@cookeville.com Cc: Charles Womack Subject: I'll never set foot in Cookeville again! I used to travel through Cookeville quite often in route to Oklahoma. Cookeville was always a stopping off point where I would fuel up, eat, and get a room for the night. NOW I'M AFRAID TO EVEN PASS THROUGH. My husband and I were planning a family (including dogs) vacation this summer to Memphis. It won't be happening. I doubt I need to tell you that I'm referring to the monster who shot Patton on New Year's Day, and Robert Terry's sterile, emotionless defense of him. TERRY STATED THAT THE OFFICER "WISHED THE CIRCUMSTANCES WERE DIFFERENT SO THAT HE DIDN'T HAVE TO SHOOT THE DOG..." HE IS, IN EFFECT, SAYING THAT THE GUY WAS RIGHT!!!! IT WAS OK TO LEAVE THE DOORS OPEN, IT WAS OK TO LET THE DOG GET OUT IN THE FIRST PLACE! This guy was obviously on a power trip, had the preconceived notion that theses were "bad people" and, therefore, was going to "make them pay" by treating them with as much contempt and animosity as possible. For Terry to gloss this over like the officer had inadvertently damaged their property is almost as bad as the incident itself. Say the truth: the officer was WRONG, and his actions were inexcusable! Anything less is a slap in the face not only to the family but to any citizen who is asked to put their trust in the police! There was absolutely no reason in the world to not close the car doors, or allow the family to close them, other than his contempt for them and, apparently, the feeling that they didn't deserve to make even that small request. What kind of monster would consider allowing innocent animals to escape into traffic and be splattered by a semi just to punish the owner for their (perceived) sins? (Or subject unsuspecting motorists to a dog suddenly bounding into their path.) Of course, Patton didn't even make it into traffic, since the officer decided to blast him to pieces with a SHOTGUN right in front of his grief-stricken (and completely INNOCENT) family! WHAT HAPPENED TO THE CONCEPT OF INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY????????????!!!!!!!!! THESE PEOPLE HADN'T EVEN COMMITTED A CRIME, BUT YOUR OFFICER(S) DECIDED TO TRY AND CONVICT THEM RIGHT THERE ON THE ROADSIDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Where was their right to a trial? Where was Patton's? My husband and I are unable to have children, so our dogs are our kids. We take them with us when we travel. That is no easy thing to do, as they are not welcome in many places that human children are, so it requires a great deal more work, planning, and a certain amount of sacrifice. People do not go through all of that unless they love their pet very much and consider them a family member. This was not just having a "pet" killed, in the sense that non-animal people view a pet. This was the same as if their teenage son had been shot and killed in front of them, with one exception - IF A HUMAN FAMILY MEMBER HAD BEEN KILLED, AT LEAST THE FAMILY WOULD HAVE GOTTEN SOME LEVEL OF JUSTICE! As it is, this will never be over as long as this man keeps his badge - Patton will never have justice, and the family WILL NEVER HAVE CLOSURE. Another thing keeps going through my mind. I try to put myself in the Smoak's shoes, and I know that I would have died that day. I know that there is no way that I could have stood there and watched helplessly while my baby was murdered in front of me - I would have tried to save him, and, no doubt, this hate-filled terminator cop, enraged that I would disobey his orders, would have turned the gun on me. And the Cookeville Police Department would have said that I was "resisting arrest" and ruled that he was justified in killing me, too, I suppose. Please, if you have an ounce of compassion for this family, remove this man from the force and prosecute him to the fullest extent that the law allows. You can't bring Patton back. You can't put this family back together, or erase that horrible image from their minds. You can't change the fact that a teenager will have to go through life with this memory, and an inherent distrust of law enforcement which will probably pass to the next generation. (How, after this, can he ever teach his own children one day that cops are the good guys, people you can trust if you need help?) THE LEAST YOU CAN DO IS GIVE THEM CLOSURE BY PUNISHING THE MAN RESPONSIBLE. Finally, please tell me that it is not true that the Smoak's were offered payment for their dog?????! Tell me, if your child was murdered right in front of you, how much MONEY would someone have to give you to make it ok? To make up for the MURDERER going unpunished?! Beth Curran 136 Twin Oak Rd Maysville, NC 28555 910-743-8311 From: Anna-Laura.Phelps@kctcs.edu Sent: Wednesday, January 15, 2003 4:18 PM To: Gail Fowler Cc: Anna-Laura.Phelps@kctcs.edu Subject: Tourists After seeing the video of an innocent family handcuffed on the side of the road while a police officer shoots their innocent dog AND then that police officer is defended by the powers that be, I will NEVER set foot in Cookeville, Tennessee again. Y'all don't have anything that I can't readily find somewhere else where I don't have to worry about my family and dogs being mistaken for carjackers by some retarded lunatic wearing a badge. I don't expect you to respond to this email. This is not meant to upset innocent individuals who live in Cookeville. This email is to let Cookeville business owners and city government know that an incident this sick and horrid has made news all over the world. I think most people would forgive and forget IF the officer were fired immediately and steps were taken that such a thing never happens again. When an official has the nerve to defend such unprofessional, downright sick, and dangerous behavior, it's clear that tourists need to steer clear of that place. I frequently travel with my mother, husband, two children, three nephews, and five dogs. Do the math. You won't be making any money selling souvenirs, sodas, dog food, meals, or hotel rooms to us. How many more families with pets feel the same way? Anna-Laura Phelps P.S. I vomited after seeing the video on CNN. I'm sure I'm not the only one. I didn't observe your officers showing any sensitivity whatsoever. It's as if they do this sort of thing all the time. From: clapp [cclapp@mindspring.com] Sent: Wednesday, January 15, 2003 4:31 PM To: dsundquist@mail.state.tn.us Cc: Charles Womack Subject: Pet killing Dear Governor Sundquist, Thank you for the active role you have taken in the investigation of the tragic killing of the Smoak's family dog in our state. Like you, my wife and I are appalled at what happened. There is no justification for it. I hope the officer who callously took the life of a harmless dog (and now we hear it is not the first time) is severely punished for dereliction of duty and cruelty to animals, not to mention the terrible mistreatment of Mr. and Mrs. Smoak and their son. He has no business in public service, particularly as a policeman. I am confident you will ensure this matter is not swept under the rug. Thanks again for your guidance and leadership to our state. sincerely, Robert Clapp Chattanooga cc: Mayor Charles Womack, Cookeville From: mcs02 [mcs02@uark.edu] Sent: Wednesday, January 15, 2003 4:14 PM To: Charles Womack Subject: Concern from a law student Mr. Mayor, I am a 24 year old law student at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. I have, with pride, told people here what a fine state I come from, and of my ambition to one day return to Tennessee as a prosecutor in one of the many fine towns and cities that Tennessee has to offer, and join fully as a member of both the legal and law enforcement communities of my state. For these reasons, I have been aghast at the news that I have seen, on TV and in the print media, over the past few days concerning the shooting of a dog by one of your cities police officers. It seems that it was a completely avoidable and reprehensible act. I am shocked, not only that men like that are allowed to be police officers, but that he was cleared by the department for having acted within prescribed parameters. If that action is within the boundries of prescribed parameters, it terrifies me as to what else might possibly be allowed in your city. As much respect as I have for police officers and the great service which they provide the public, I must tell you that I find that officer's actions completely offensive to my personal dignity and completely in opposition to the high opinions which I hold for my state and those entrusted to the eforce the public good. I must be honest with you and say that if I was a practicing attorney at this time, and not a law student, I would represent that family for free, to meet out justice for this horrible act and the great stain which that officer has left upon the reputation of our state. It is my hope and my earnest desire that you will follow a wise course in finding some closure for this incident which will prove your city worthy of the praise to which I once found it to be worthy. Sincerely, Craig From: zz [ice66@optonline.net] Sent: Wednesday, January 15, 2003 3:49 PM To: Charles Womack Subject: question i read that story about the cookeville officers,involved in shooting that defenseless dog.and please respond back,what are you going to do about those barbaric asshole officers you have?i would like an answer please respond back. thank you very much george harris north caldwell nj From: Olson, John [JOlson@musowls.org] Sent: Wednesday, January 15, 2003 3:44 PM To: Charles Womack Subject: Eric Hall is a COWARD Mayor, I am writing to urge you to do the right thing. The NATION has seen the dog in the Cookeville video tape shot to death while he was WAGGING his tail playfully. The Tennessee Highway Patrol will loose any shred of credibility it has left if it keeps that COWARD (Eric Hall) on the force. MY GOD!!! Think about it, a family traveling along, not even speeding, was dragged out of their car at gun point and watched their pet shot and killed, for NO REASON. This is completely UNACCEPTABLE!!!! There is NO excuse. I was pulled over by a Kentucky Highway Patrolman in 1990, because my car matched the description of a car that was used to rob a 7-11. During the robbery, the clerk and a Sherriff's Deputy were shot and killed. The KY officer who pulled me over was alone and was TERRIFIED that I could be the cop killer, still he approached the car and could tell by my body language and other clues that any competent human being could detect, that I was not the killer. Why couldn't our THP officer's tell the difference between a family with pets in a station wagon, and bank robbers?!?!? (It makes me afraid of what might happen if I ever get pulled over. I have a pet dog who travels with me, through Cookeville, several times a year.) This is sad and embarrassing. And we can make it sadder and more embarrassing by trying to defend an indefensible act of cowardice. Please do the right thing, for the Smoak family, the Highway Patrol, and the state of Tennessee, and see to it that someone who is so afraid of PETS is not allowed to do this to any one else. Sincerely, John Olson From: j416 [js402003@yahoo.com] Sent: Wednesday, January 15, 2003 3:38 PM To: Charles Womack Subject: Is officer ok? Dear Mayor, I just wanted to write a quick note to let you know that your officer did what he was trained to do. By the way, the description of the felony stop was text book. If anyone has ever been attacked by a dog, or charged at by an attacking dog, they would understand that dog and his teeth are just like a man with a knife. They tear, rip, and destroy flesh, muscle and ligaments. If bad enough can cause permanent damage for life. A bite in the neck could crush wind pipe or tear vital blood vessels. It be-littles our society, and makes me sick, to know that, had it been a man with a knife coming at the officer and he shot him, wouldn't anybody say a word about it. But let a dog attack an officer and the officer shoots in self defense and people go out of their minds. If all those people would volunteer in their communities to work with Animal Control in catching stray dogs, they would find out real quick what an attacking animal looks like face to face and feel what and how that officer was feeling at that very moment. I bet they would see this all different. Anyway, just wanted to let you know that not everybody out there see this the same way. If I am ever in that part of Tenn. and I need a Police Officer, I wouldn't hesitate for a moment to call on your dept. for help. Watch that officer, he will be going into a depression state soon. Tell him that he needs to get with someone and let it out. Even if he just keeps repeating it over and over. This will be great venting for him. Take care JS _____ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now From: Shelley O. Stone [sogden@dg-g.com] Sent: Wednesday, January 15, 2003 6:08 PM To: rterry@ci.cookville.tn.us Cc: Yvette Demming; Charles Womack; Jim Shipley; dsundquist@mail.state.tn.us; clement@hr.house.gov; jjduncan@hr.house.gov; hford@hr.house.gov; bart@hr.house.gov; Senator_thompson@thompson.senate.gov Dear Chief Robert Terry, I am glad that your department elected to address the horrific incident that occurred on I-40. This is not a topic to be swept under the rug, as many departments would have done. I do have some points I would like address with you on the matter. My information is coming from http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/01/09/police.kill.dog/index.html as I cannot bear to watch the video. According to this story the Smoak family is heard pleading with YOUR officers to shut the door so that their family pet would not get out of the car. They are also heard telling YOUR officers that the dog is not mean. My first problem here is that if they are on the side of the interstate why in the world would your officers not shut the door. The three innocent family members are handcuffed on the ground posing no threat. Would it have been that hard for one of the officers to walk over and shut the door? This simple, decent gesture of humane kindness would have avoided the whole situation. Do not forget, as this case proves, in America, we are innocent until proven guilty. The Smoak family should have been treated with some respect. You mentioned in your letter that the dog was a Pit Bull. So what? That information proves no guilt or threat. Did you ever watch the Little Rascals? Did you know Theodore Roosevelt had a Pit Bull? Did you know a Pit Bull named Stubby, used in World War I to deliver messages between battalions, assisted in the capture of a German spy and was decorated for bravery by General John (Black Jack) Pershing. Did you know The American Canine Temperament Testing Association, which sponsors tests for temperament titles for dogs, reported that 95% of all APBTs (American Pit Bull Terriers) that take the test pass, compared with a 77% passing rate for all breeds on average? The APBT's passing rate was the fourth highest of all the breeds tested. It is a good thing that your department does not judge people in the same fashion they judge animals or it appears that your officers would likely go around shooting everyone that walked. The officer that did this clearly has issues with the need for power. Taking the life of that animal boosted his ego for the next few months. I hope you will consider mandatory anger management therapy for him and some supervised community service at your local animal shelter. It is up to you, Chief Terry, to let it be known to your community that this type of behavior is not acceptable of your officers or citizens. Sincerely, Shelley O. Stone From: pootbear@hotmail.com Sent: Wednesday, January 15, 2003 2:43 PM To: Gail Fowler Subject: re: Chief Robert E Terry's Statement on your Web Page This self-serving statement might have been semi-credible if the video of the incident hadn't been available. It takes a rare moron to think that happy, tail wagging, little dog was a threat to anybody! How much trouble would it have been to let that un-armed mother get up from her knees to secure the doors of the family car? She could have even done that even if her hands remained hand-cuffed behind her back! Your brave cops could have remained quite safe while she nudged the door closed with her shoulder or hip. I have this horrid feeling that this cowardly fool would have acted the same way to a mother pleading for the lives of small children in car with an opened door who might run into traffic. I have the utmost contempt for this bunch of red-neck morons and a cop so hopped up on testosterone that he couldn't wait to begin shooting so he could pretend that he was a REAL man. I guess the Smoaks family should just consider themselves lucky the cop didn't blow their son's head off with a shotgun. I also have contempt for a police chief who posts such a lame response. Mr. Terry, can't YOU be a man and admit your goons made an error? Let us all pray that the Tennessee Highway Patrol avoids calling in this incompetent bunch of local-yokels in the future. Needless to say, MY family will avoid Cookesville and lest you think this means nothing, you might want to think about who has input on and has control over the many "Fall Color" bus tours thru the Cumberland region. We will ALL avoid Cookesville TN. But at least we now know why Andy never let Barney have bullets for HIS gun. SHAME ON YOU ! M Teague P O Box 81354 Chamblee, GA 30366 _____ Help STOP SPAM: Try the new MSN 8 and get 2 months FREE* From: Rob [de3@tampabay.rr.com] Sent: Wednesday, January 15, 2003 2:30 PM To: Charles Womack Subject: Dog Shooting I feel that what happened was inexcusable!! I hope that the ASS of an officer will be held responsible for his actions, and second most how could the state of Tennessee allow somebody who is that skittish carry a weapon and expect for him to protect the citizens of Tennessee. I hope the family will take legal action against the THP and the Cookeville Police Dept. Please feel free to respond to this note Robert From: Pat Price [PMPRICE@vw.vccs.edu] Sent: Wednesday, January 15, 2003 2:18 PM To: Charles Womack Please read the attached letter. From: LS1MARK@cs.com Sent: Wednesday, January 15, 2003 2:15 PM To: Gail Fowler Subject: Cops that shot dog The cops that shot the dog should have been immediately fired. I won't be driving through your town with trigger happy cops like those. The family told the cops the dog was friendly. But of course the trigger happy cop shot him dead anyway. That scares me. I don't want to be pulled over on a traffic violation and get my head blown off because of some impatient, over zealous, power hungry, self centered cop. There's too many off them out there and it's a pure shame that the American public has to live in fear of this. I am scared to death of cops because of my own experiences with similar situations. And of course, just like where I live, the cops get away with it. Mark Rosenthal From: d.przech1@att.net Sent: Wednesday, January 15, 2003 2:05 PM To: Gail Fowler Subject: The Smoaks Even Ellie Mae and Jethro would hate you for what you did. And Granny would put bitters in your hog jowels. From: Lisa Lollis [llollis@ryansinc.com] Sent: Wednesday, January 15, 2003 1:37 PM To: Charles Womack Subject: Dog Killer Dear Mayor, I hope that you terminate the officer who shot the family pet - this story gives me very little confidence in your and other police departments, the words trigger happy come to mind. This was murder and should be dealt with accordingly. A totally innocent family traveling through your town hand cuffed, put on their knees held at gun point and then have a member of their family shot in front of them. This dog by no means looked like a pit bull and from the video was wagging it's tail for god sakes what has he thinking? And the crap about being in fear for his life doesn't cut it. I hope I never have to travel through your town. Lisa Lollis IT Purchasing/Accounting Ryan's Family Steak House, Inc. 864-879-1011 ext. 2276 llollis@ryansinc.com From: Kerri O'Brien [kercat@hotmail.com] Sent: Wednesday, January 15, 2003 1:28 PM To: Charles Womack Subject: Please fully investigate police shooting of family dog Cookeville Mayor Charles Womack: Please accept this letter as a petition requesting the immediate and full investigation regarding the unfortunate killing of a family dog by a police officer in Cookeville. I request that the police officer(s) involved in this incident be held responsible for their extreme negligence. According to a news article by Mary Jo Denton, Herald-Citizen Staff, the Smoak family of North Carolina were mistakenly pulled over in Cookeville and their family dog was shot fatally in the head. I understand that James Smoak was traveling in the family station wagon with his wife, their 17-year-old son, and the family's two pet bulldogs, Patton and Cassie. Mr. Smoak had placed his wallet on top of the car while pumping gas and forgot about it. The wallet flew off somewhere on the highway. Another driver had seen the wallet fly off the car and had seen money coming out of it. She reported what she witnessed, causing the THP to follow the Smoak's car. Mr. Smoak soon began to notice that a THP squad car was following him. When Mr. Smoak reached the 287 exit area in Cookeville, three other police cars suddenly appeared, and the trooper then turned on blue lights and pulled the Smoak car over. Mr. Smoak immediately pulled to the side of the road. He was ordered to toss his car keys out the window and get out with his hands up. His wife and son were also ordered to do the same and the Smoaks fully complied. They were handcuffed and placed in the patrol car. Concerned about their beloved dogs left in their car, the Smoaks repeatedly asked the officers to close the car doors so the dogs would not run out onto the highway, but the officers refused. Inevitably, one dog came out of the car and headed toward one of the Cookeville police officers who was assisting the THP. "That officer had a flashlight on his shotgun, and the dog was going toward that light and the officer shot him, just blew his head off," said Pamela Smoak. "We had begged them to shut the car doors so our dogs wouldn't get out, and they didn't do that." When the officers did discover the mistake, "they said, 'Okay, we're releasing you and we're sorry,'" Smoak said. If one of the officers involved simply took a moment to close the car doors, Patton would still be alive. His family would not have had to witness his head being blown off as they sat helplessly handcuffed for a crime they did not commit. At the very least, the police should have closed the car doors so that the dogs did not run on the highway and cause a traffic accident. This type of extreme negligence is completely unacceptable and has caught the attention of concerned people worldwide who will be following the outcome of this incident. Please keep me updated on the investigation. Thank you in advance for your time and attention regarding this very serious matter. Sincerely, Kerri O'Brien USA _________________________________________________________________ MSN 8 with e-mail virus protection service: 2 months FREE* http://join.msn.com/?page=features/virus From: Lisa Fair [agilitygsd@locl.net] Sent: Wednesday, January 15, 2003 4:11 PM To: Charles Womack Subject: Dog Shot I know you have probably been sent a lot of mails regarding this problem with the dog being shot by the officer. I have seen the video. I do not see any aggression. Also the officer could not close the door because of the possible cross fire? What cross fire. You had the people in control. Shut the door. It has also come to my attention this is not the only incident in which this officer has shot a dog. I travel a lot with my dogs. I am going to think twice before stopping when an officer wants me to pull over. The chances of something bad happening is too great. It is sad when the risk of injury of an officer is greater than the general public. As you know an officer you can get away with lets say murder. Lisa Fair From: bhaggert@indiana.edu Sent: Wednesday, January 15, 2003 12:06 PM To: lunchingfriar@hotmail.com; Steve Corder; Gail Fowler; Steve Corder; Charles Womack Subject: [Fwd: Excellent work by the Cookeville police dept] Dear Dog killers, I read the "explanation" on your website and I'm outraged that you try to claim the tape shows a pit bull 'clearly' attacking the officer. There was no attempt to call to the dog, there was no attempt to have a family member call to the dog, all there was was a brutal pig shooting with no cause a beautiful, friendly animal. In the first place, you gun loving Tennessee yahoos apparently don't understand the first thing about the constitution. You had no PROBABLE CAUSE! An anonymous call from an unreliable witness is NO reason to assault a family and kill their dog. I have seen the tape, the whole country has seen the tape, of your officer killing the friendly, tail wagging dog while you hold his innocent family hostage at gunpoint. How proud you must feel to be a part of your terrorist organization that suppresses people's human and constitutional rights while blowing away their pets with shotguns. I hope someone soon puts your jackbooted thugs down like the rabid, lying dogs they are. BTW, thanks for putting the pics of your goon squad online. Now we know who to defend ourselves from if we ever have to trek thru your pig sty. And as our pResident says, preemptive defense is the best. From: Johanna Toth [johannatoth@hotmail.com] Sent: Wednesday, January 15, 2003 11:43 AM To: Charles Womack Subject: left you a message Mayor Womack: I just left your secretary a message and would also like to get through to you as well. I read an article about your town today, about the police officer who shot a family dog. I know that there are always two sides to a story, and I hope that you plan to get to the bottom of both of these sides. I, and many like me, are watching your town carefully. You must, in all fairness to animals, people, the family involved, and the police officer, fully investigate this case. This world is becoming a very nasty place, and you have an opportunity to help make, at least a small corner of the world, a better, safer, and fair community. Please do your best to make this right. Thank you for your time. Sincercely, Johanna B. Toth, Kalamazoo, Michigan _____ johannatoth@hotmail.com "Sometimes I wonder whether the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on, or by imbeciles who really mean it." --Mark Twain _____ get 2 months FREE* From: KFMagee@aol.com Sent: Wednesday, January 15, 2003 11:33 AM To: Gail Fowler Subject: Avoiding Cookeville, TN at all cost! I read with some dismay the article concerning the incident involving Officer Eric Hall and a small family pet. I'm sure he feels badly about this incident, but I highly recommend that Officer Hall find another line of work. Seems to me that if Offier Hall is so "jumpy" as to fire off a shotgun (at point blank range!) at what appears on tape to be a non-violent animal, then his judgement would not be sufficient to warrant that he be allowed to control a firearm in public. I would fear driving through your town, knowing Eric Hall is running around with a loaded weapon assigned to him. I'd sure hate for my child to wave at him from the car window... he might view it as a violent and threatening act and blow the kid away! Perhaps something closer to a filing cabinet or computer keyboard would be more appropriate for him to handle. i will be following this story for a while to see how the matter is handled. Sincerely Interested K.F. Magee Plano, TX 75093 (kfmagee@aol.com) From: martykjohnson@attbi.com Sent: Wednesday, January 15, 2003 11:05 AM To: Gail Fowler Subject: dog shooting We had talked about a vacation in Tennessee, bringing with us, guess who, the family dog (a golden retriever). Well, as you can imagine, we've decided this is out of the question since our travels would bring us through your municipality. Our safety, and our pet's life, are a top priority, and our lives and safety are something that can't be insured with Officer Hall in a power position on the highway. We will be keeping a close watch on how discipline is handled with this officer. Apparently, he is no stranger to shooting family pets, as evidenced by some internet research. From: Julee [jf215@bellsouth.net] Sent: Wednesday, January 15, 2003 12:57 PM To: Charles Womack Subject: HELPING TENNESSEE'S STANDING Dear Mayor Womack, I am,along with most of the nation,appalled at the treatment the Smoak family received by law enforcement officials.The episode is a complete mockery of our justice system and that is not considering the casual shooting of their dog. I am not a Tennessee native,but I married one so here I am.Do you have any idea what the rest of the nation thinks of when they think of your state?I will give you a brief overview. People who don't live here think of Tennessee as a state of ignorant,in -bred,and uncultured people.I felt the same way until I moved here. If this incident of "justice "served goes unpunished it will just reinforce the rest of the nations thoughts of Tennessee and the people who live here. I personally feel that the officer that shot the dog showed a severe lack of judgment and feel that he may not be emotionally stable enough to be in an area of employment that has the power to take a life whether it is animal or human. If I didn't live here I would think twice about even traveling thru the state because I own two dogs,one is full Pit Bull and the other is mixed Pit,and as accidents can happen I would not want to go anywhere that my pets lives could be threatened because of a misunderstanding and a severe lack of judgment regarding the intent of my dogs. I hope that you do the right thing and protect the public from the public servants that are supposed to protect them. Thank-You For Your Time Sincerely, Julee Fleming From: Donna Chism [DONNACOUNTRY@highland.net] Sent: Wednesday, January 15, 2003 1:53 PM To: Charles Womack Subject: Smoak family incident Dear Mr Mayor, I'm sure you have read all kinds of emails. All I can say was a bad situation. I know the law was only trying to do what they thought was right, but I feel like it was all wrong. Not just the dog, but being treated the way they were treated was just flat out unprofessional,and the dog, I'm sure it would have startled anyone, but I have always been taught to never show fear to an aggressive dog which I wouldn't have called that one a dog, more like a big puppy, be that officer showed fear from the get go. Tennessee is a beautiful state, and I hope this incident can get resolved with no hard feelings from either side. From: BobHHowell@aol.com Sent: Wednesday, January 15, 2003 9:27 AM To: Charles Womack Subject: (no subject) Have y'all lost your minds or what???? From: Ashtincomm@aol.com Sent: Wednesday, January 15, 2003 9:13 AM To: Charles Womack Subject: Smoak Family Hope I get to set on this jury! From: Miller, Cathy F. [CATHY.F.MILLER@saic.com] Sent: Wednesday, January 15, 2003 8:34 AM To: Charles Womack Subject: disappointment Dear Mr. Mayor, I'm sure you have received numerous complaints regarding the Smoak Family situation and I feel it's my duty to express my opinion as well. I was amazed and horrified at the lack of respect for life that was displayed by one of your officers. I could maybe understand the officer's actions had the dog actually approached the officer in what the Cookeville police website describes as a "threatening manner". If that's what the officer really believes happened then maybe he doesn't need to be a police officer. I thought officers had to go through extensive training to know when they should and shouldn't shoot - this officer clearly did not. The website also stated "Our officer first tried to call the dog down, but after it kept approaching aggressively and started to circle him, the officer took the only action he could to protect himself and gain control of the situation". I'm not sure what video they're looking at but the one I have seen shows a puppy running around wagging his tail, this is clearly not a sign of aggression but rather a sign of playfulness which most puppies tend to display. I believe this situation simply boils down to the officer having a complete lack of respect for animals. It took him only 3 seconds to decide to kill this puppy, and from what I understand this is not the first or even second time this has happened. I understand the other instances were under different circumstances, but it just seems funny to me that this keeps happening to the same officer. I seriously hope you take the Smoak's family into consideration when punishment is being handed down to this officer. They asked repeatedly for the officers to close the car doors so the animal could not get out but their request was ignored and the result was tragic, especially for the young children that witnessed this horrible act. Maybe if the officer had not overreacted to the situation the outcome would have been different. Frankly I would be terrified to drive through your county with my dog, I know that sounds crazy, but I would not want to risk being pulled over by an officer that might overreact to a barking dog and decide to shoot. Thank you for your time, Cathy Miller Clinton, TN From: Frances Boyd [francesboyd_bcl@hotmail.com] Sent: Wednesday, January 15, 2003 8:34 AM To: Gail Fowler Council Officers: I saw the video and news coverage about an officer on your police force. There is no excuse for him shooting the dog once much less repeatedly. Consider his intense reaction in other situations and I think it is a warning sign which you should take now before other harmless creatures or humans are murdered in the name of defense. A concerned citizen and dog owner, Frances D. Boyd Denham Springs, LA. _____ Help STOP SPAM: Try the new MSN 8 and get 2 months FREE* From: Frances Boyd [francesboyd_bcl@hotmail.com] Sent: Wednesday, January 15, 2003 8:33 AM To: Charles Womack Subject: Concerned Citizen Sir: I saw the video and news coverage about an officer on your police force. There is no excuse for him shooting the dog once much less repeatedly. Consider his intense reaction in other situations and I think it is a warning sign which you should take now before other harmless creatures or humans are murdered in the name of defense. A concerned citizen and dog owner, Frances D. Boyd Denham Springs, LA. _____ Help STOP SPAM: Try the new MSN 8 and get 2 months FREE* From: TIMinPHOENIX@aol.com Sent: Wednesday, January 15, 2003 6:57 AM To: Charles Womack Subject: We support Cookville and your police department. This is just a letter of support for the officers involved in the stop that sadly went bad. It wasn't their fault. They were doing their jobs and the officer in a split second had to make a decision about the dog. The way this officer and the entire department is the subject of such a demagogue is very sad indeed. Tim Estes Phoenix, AZ From: Elliott White [elliott99362@hotmail.com] Sent: Wednesday, January 15, 2003 5:51 AM To: Charles Womack Subject: Tourism! I live in Walla Walla, Washington. I was planning on taking my family to your area this summer for a vacation in an area we have never been to before. After hearing about your police Dept. and reading the lies that your chief of police has put on the police website, we have decided to go to Florida instead. sincerely, Elliott. _____ get 2 months FREE* From: Scotty 48_1 [scotty48_1@hotmail.com] Sent: Wednesday, January 15, 2003 5:19 AM To: dsundquist@mail.state.tn.us; tourdev@state.tn.us; Bob Terry; Gail Fowler Cc: borgerj@bc.edu; office@greenparty.org.uk; goveggie@fuse.net; parkys@ucsu.colorado.edu; info@peta-online.org; herald@browndailyherald.com Subject: 2nd email To whom this may concern: What is the correct procedure to travel through your state of Tennessee? I will have my dog (a Chihuahua) with me at that time. If by chance you think this email to be a bit ridiculous, then you really need to look at the video. Something needs to be done and it's in your state! A very concern us citizen. Scott PS: I have OVER 77 COMBAT MISSIONS IN VIETNAM! SO, I KNOW WHAT STRESS IS!! IN THE PAST I'VE WORKED WITH THE WASHINGTON DC POLICE! SO, I HAVE AN IDEA HOW POLICE ARE SUPPOSE TO REACT TO CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES!! http://sf.indymedia.org/news/2003/01/1557205_comment.php Cookeville Police Department 1-931-526-2125 Cookeville Police Department Public Safety Building 10 E. Broad Street Cookeville, TN 38501 Form your own opinion by watching the video: http://www.tennessean.com/ http://www.tennessean.com/video/dogshooting0103/dog2.rm (PC) http://www.tennessean.com/video/dogshooting0103/dog2.ram (Mac) And better yet contact the poilce dept's BOSS: City Hall: City of Cookeville 45 East Broad Street Cookeville, TN 38501 (931) 526-9591 info@ci.cookeville.tn.us Tennessee Association of Chiefs of Police ... District 5 Bob Terry Cookeville Chief of Police PO Box 849 Cookeville, TN 37501 rterry@ci.cookeville.tn.us voice 931-520-5266 fax 931-528-9368 _________________________________________________________________ The new MSN 8: smart spam protection and 2 months FREE* http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail From: Cellopea [cellopea@yahoo.com] Sent: Wednesday, January 15, 2003 4:21 AM To: dsundquist@mail.state.tn.us; Gail Fowler; Jim Shipley; chamber@cookeville.com; Safety@state.tn.us Subject: Gov. Don Sundquist/2nd police shooting of family dog in TN in less than year Hi, It's come to my attention that another police officer has wrongfully shot a harmless family dog in Tennessee. The stories I've heard are shocking. The first was over a year ago. Police officers went to a home and shot a bulldog execution style in front of the family. The dog was not a threat. http://www.geocities.com/jillserena/Caesar.html The recent incident involves a family pulled over on the side of the road who were not allowed to secure their pet Boxer. The Boxer walked up to greet one of the officers and was shot in the face and killed. I've owned several Boxers. If I had been traveling in TN this could have just as well happened to us. Please look into this and help make sure it doesn't happen again. I think it strange that both of these cases would arise out of the same state. Holly Rhemann Here's info I have about the last case involving the Boxer: If you haven’t seen the video of yesterday’s shooting in Tennessee, it has to be seen to be believed. A family on vacation is mistakenly pulled over by police, made to kneel with their hands behind their head (shotguns held to their head) as they ask in confusion why they were pulled over and plead repeatedly for police to close their car door so their dog won’t escape into the fast moving traffic. The police ignore their repeated requests, and when a boxer playfully bounds out of the car and approaches one of the officers (wagging it’s tail no less) the officer blows the dog away with a twelve-gauge right in front of the couple and their child. To make matters worse, the city government is acting like this was just an unfortunate, unavoidable mistake. LINKS TO COVERAGE OF THE INCIDENT : http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/01/09/police.kill.dog/ http://www.tennessean.com/local/archives/03/01/27473390.shtml?Element_ID=27473390 http://www.guardian.co.uk/uslatest/story/0,1282,-2306464,00.html http://cgi.citizen-times.com/cgi-bin/story/news/26467 City Hall: 931.520.5241, info@ci.cookeville.tn.us Mayor : Charles Womack, 931.520.5241 V-Mayor (not embarrassed supposedly by event) : Steve Qualls, 931.520.5241 Town Council : Jean Davis, Ricky Shelton, Sam Sallee, 931.520.5241 City Manager : Jim Shipley, jshipley@ci.cookeville.tn.us, Home : 931.528.7767 806 Shanks Avenue, Cookeville, TN 38501 City Clerk : Stephanie Miller, smiller@ci.cookeville.tn.us, Home : 931.520.0923 87C Westgate Circle, Cookeville, TN 38501 City Attorney : T. Michael O’Mara, Work : 931.526.8812, Home : 931.526.1700 590 Hillwood Drive, , Cookeville, TN 38501 City Judge : David Ledbetter, Work : 931.526.6131, Home : 931.528.6228 419 N. Jefferson Avenue, Cookeville, TN 38501 City Hall Address: City of Cookeville 45 East Broad Street Cookeville, TN 38501 (931) 526-9591 info@ci.cookeville.tn.us Police Department: Chief : Robert Terry Coordinator : Capt. Nathan Honeycutt Officer who shot dog : Officer Eric Hall Cookeville Police Department 10 East Broad Street Cookeville, TN 38501 (931) 526-2125 Chamber of Commerce : chamber@cookeville.com Ph : 931-526-2211 Tennessee Highway Patrol State Office: Col. Mark V. Fagan, Safety@state.tn.us 1150 Foster Ave. Nashville, TN 37249-1000 Phone: (615) 251-5175 Fax: (615) 532-1051 Cookeville THP Office: Captain: Randy Hoover Administrative Lieutenant: Marvin Ricketts THP District Six Headquarters P.O. Box 826 1291 Bunker Hill Rd Cookeville, Tenn. 38501 Office: (931) 528-8496 __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.com From: James [jfn007@yahoo.com] Sent: Wednesday, January 15, 2003 12:14 AM To: Gail Fowler Subject: Kudos To Your Big Brave Officer Eric Hall! Dear Mayor, I viewed the video of your heroic policeman gunning down a 40 pound dog with his 12 gauge shotgun. I hope you'll reward that brave minion of the law by firing him immediately. That officer is one of many reasons Southerners are accused of inbreeding. Maybe it's true that all denizens of TN have the same DNA. Good hunting! James F. Nesmith __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.com From: grythe@socket.net Sent: Tuesday, January 14, 2003 11:59 PM To: Charles Womack Subject: Re Out of Control Dog Killing Cops Saw the footage on CNN tonite... five days after I read it online. Scratch Tennessee from my list of states to visit. I'll never set foot in your state. What happens when a citizen unit kills a "cop dog"? What happens when a cop murders a "citizen dog"? -- Grythe From: Larry E. Notestine [nothingelse_98_1999@yahoo.com] Sent: Monday, January 13, 2003 10:50 AM To: Gail Fowler Subject: Hang In There! I have heard and read all of the negative publicity in the media, and I want to write to officials of Cookeville and express my feelings. Please pass this along to the mayor and whoever else is in authority. Those feelings are these: hang in there. Cookeville, Tennessee was always one of the finest communities in our country before the recent incident. Cookeville is now, and Cookeville will forever be one of our finest communities. Further, those in the national media who are using this opportunity to criticize Cookeville (and the state of Tennessee, by extension)fail to remember that when our nation needs something (such as young soldiers to defend freedom) Cookeville, Tennessee will be among the first to answer the call. Nothing can change what happened, but also nothing can change the fact that Cookeville, Tennessee has no reason to hang its head. You folks hang in there. My grandmother is buried in Smithville, and I live in Knoxville, and by God's mercy I was born in Pikeville. I will keep all of you in my prayers. Larry E. Notestine ===== All of us could take a lesson from the weather. It pays no attention to criticism. __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.com