Self defense or murder?

[caojyn]

"He tried to kill my dogs and pointed a gun in my face,' Hitcho said, according to the documents. 'I do not care if you a cop or not ...Unbelievable.'"

A police officer killed while responding to a domestic disturbance in a small eastern Pennsylvania borough had pointed a stun gun at two dogs before being shot, court records reveal.

Freemansburg police officer Robert Lasso had pointed at the attacking dogs when the homeowner pulled out a shotgun and fired the fatal blast on Thursday evening.

In police custody, the alleged gunman, 46-year-old George Hitcho Jr, said he had told Mr Lasso to get off his property and not come on unless he had a warrant, authorities said.

'He tried to kill my dogs and pointed a gun in my face,' Hitcho said, according to the documents. 'I do not care if you a cop or not ...Unbelievable.'

The officer had been responding to a report of a disturbance and ended up at the back of Hitcho's house, authorities said.

Police Chief George Bruneio, who arrived after Mr Lasso requested assistance, instructed him to 'shoot the dogs' and that's when the homeowner pulled out a shotgun and fired, authorities said.

Mr Lasso, 31, a married father of two, was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead a short time later.

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett has ordered flags in the Capitol complex and in Northampton County to be flown at half-staff to honour Mr Lasso.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...so-shot-dead-pointing-stun-gun-mans-dogs.html
Hitcho was found guilty of 1st degree murder.
What say you OSA?
"I was scared for my life?"

 

[TedKennedy]

Well, he told him not to come on his property without a warrant, and he was gonna shoot his dogs. Has it been proven that there was a crime occurring prior to the unwarranted entry to Hitcho's property?

 

[SM Rider]

So long as property taxes are being paid to some government agency year after year then said property actually belongs to the government. Try not to pay the taxes and the property is seized which proves the point of ownership. Dogs could have been the outright property of Hitcho unless he was also required to pay a fee for a dog license as some jurisdictions require, which makes the dogs property of the government too. Again, don't pay taxes and fees and see who comes down on you like a ton of bricks.

 

[ConstitutionCowboy]

The police did have the opportunity to get a warrant. I can't say if Hitcho had just cause to shoot Lasso with the info at hand, but I must call misprision on the police department. It does, however, call into question if the property a person's house sits on is considered part of his house or one of his effects, but it is without a doubt a place and a place must be particularly described on a warrant to be searched.

Woody

 

[Super Dave]

Now hold on a minute....

It said he was responding to a domestic disturbance. Am I wrong here, isn't the officer in fact required to go on the property and check it out? How on earth would there be time for a warrant? He wasn't going inside the house, right? Just in the yard.

Now I don't agree with shooting a fellow's dogs, provided they weren't actually trying to attack the officer that was there doing his job.

Tough call. Need more info. Sad for both parties, just the same.

 

[Commander Keen]

Seems like a sad situation all around, but I need more info before I could make a call in something like this.

 

[SMS]

Answering a call for service from a neighbor involving a dispute with the shooter. Shot in the back of the head, from inside the house, while fending off the shooter's dogs and asking Hitcho to come out and talk.

Yeah...that's not one I'd plant my "freedom flag" on.

http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/bethlehem/index.ssf/2012/05/witnesses_testify_about_argume.html

 

[SPDguns]

Murder. Plain and simple

 

[Super Dave]

Answering a call for service from a neighbor involving a dispute with the shooter. Shot in the back of the head, from inside the house, while fighting off the shooter's dogs.

Yeah...that's not one I'd plant my "freedom flag" on.

Yikes! Back of the head. Dogs were getting him too? Pretty sure the shooter is going away.

 

[HonkyTonkHale]

As a general rule, I give the benefit of the doubt to the police. In a domestic disturbance call, the officer has a duty and requirement to ensure that neither party is in peril. A warrant is not required to verify the safety of individuals in a domestic disturbance call. I can certainly sympathize with anyone wanting to protect his dogs, but the best way to protect them at that moment would be to coral them so the officer could safely do his job. It is concerning that the officer was at the back of the house instead of the front, but I do not know the reasoning for the situation. It is a sad story no matter who is at fault.