Dog Kicking Cop: Reinstated with Back Pay?
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29 commentsA police officer who was fired after being filmed repeatedly kicking his State Highway Patrol dog in September of 2007 is likely being reinstated – with full back pay. The North Carolina Court of Appeals agreed with prior State Personnel Commission and trial court rulings that Sgt. Charles Jones was unfairly dismissed, and ruled that he should be reinstated with back pay.
Jones was fired after the video below was turned over to the Highway Patrol. Jones claimed that he was simply ‘training’ Ricoh to obey commands. The department’s director of internal affairs agreed, but once the governor’s office saw the video, they had Jones fired.
The 12-year veteran of the patrol can be seen in the video below kicking Ricoh repeatedly after lynching him. Ricoh hangs by his leash, with only his hind legs touching the ground as Jones kicks him at least five times, each time seemingly harder than the next.
Jack O’Hale, Jones’ lawyer, said that Ricoh was simply being ‘disciplined’ in the manner in which Jones had been trained. “These Highway Patrol canines are not house pets,” O’Hale said. “They are living, breathing weapons with teeth.”
In yesterday’s ruling, the court said that the decision in Jones’ case was made “not by the Patrol’s disciplinary process but by an outside entity whose purpose was not a fair and equitable treatment of Sergeant Jones.” The State Supreme court will have to review the decision, but legal experts say there is little likelihood that it will be overturned.
Fortunately, Ricoh was not injured badly in the incident. He has since been retired from service.
So an animal abuser is suppose to protect innocent children when they are in trouble? This is a very bad call to have that abuser put back into a position where he can carry a gun. If he will abuse an animal who can’t speak he will abuse people.
SO TRUE
“Jack O’Hale, Jones’ lawyer, said that Ricoh was simply being ‘disciplined’ in the manner in which Jones had been trained. “These Highway Patrol canines are not house pets,” O’Hale said. “They are living, breathing weapons with teeth.”
I don’t know much about police dogs, but this sounds like a load of crap.
You don’t train a dog by beating him or her. If this is true that he was taught to kick his dog then the trainer needs to be fired as well. The bond between a police dog and his handler is something that cannot be created by beating. It is created with years of training and mutual respect between the police officer and his or her dog. Many of these police officers spend more time with their dogs than their own family.
This is a load of crap I have been to the RCMP K9 training center and believe me no dog is disciplined in this manor. This was out right cruelty. The guy should have been fired and ordered not to be around animals. His superiors should be taken to task as well. The inhuman treatment of animals that serve are community should never be tolerated as they put their lives on the line just as this pinheaded officer does. No animals should be mistreated there is absolutely no excuse. An investigation needs to be brought forward so justice can prevail.
as a relative of a K9 officer, this is not how dogs are trained. They are not hung and kicked. This so called “police officer” should be charged with assault on an officer. What a hypocritical jurisdiction. Disgusting!!!! But you know how it is sometimes, officers protect their own even if they are breaking the law…face it, it happens ALL THE TIME….I’m dissapointed that these are the people we have to rely on to enforce the law and to protect us!
Ricoh deserves a medal – purple heart comes to mind. So-called police officer deserves lynching and kicking !
Do unto others as you would have done to you. The handler is a trained kiler maybe he needs the same discipline?
This is B.S I want to kick the shit out of him.
I’m from NC and am extremely embarrassed for the state. They actually bought that line of crap? I’ve known police K-9s and they were NEVER ABUSED by their partner! So I guess it’s sadly true- the wall of blue will always back their own no matter if their own is TOTALLY in the wrong. This guy deserved to be fired. And whoever is telling these guys that its procedure to abuse their K-9 partners as a training method- they need to be fired too. Sickening!!
not the wall of blue that did this, they fired him, it is called the union that protects these morons!
I wish one of us had the money to drag this guy back into court ..we can sit here and call it sad all day but what can we do to make a difference ? To make an Impact? Can we get some press for this ..? Does every news station in Nc know about this? So basically he got a vacation?!!
Looks like a calling campaign is in order. I am going to call and protest the decision. That scum does not deserve his job and should be criminally charged.
NC Court of Appeals Clerk’s Office: (919) 831-3600.
The current address is :
Office of the Clerk
Court of Appeals
One West Morgan Street
Raleigh, NC 27601
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 2779
Raleigh, North Carolina 27602
If there isn’t already a petition started we should start one
Does NC have a Humane Society chapter? Or the SPCA? Why haven’t they stepped in? Some of that “back pay” should go for a fine and in our state some jail time for animal cruelty! Come on NC, step up!!
This is abuse, plain and simple and his lawyer is full of crap. That is not how police dogs are trained. My nephew had a police dog for yrs and he was trained WITHOUT pysical violence and he was an awesome dog. Saved his life a few times. When these dogs are trained, they are not trained with hitting or kicking..ever. This officer was just abusive. He should not be reinstated. I wouldn’t trust him to protect me. He would probably beat me for taking up his time.
This is an outrageous example of abuse of authority-whether it is an animal, a child or an adult, to be victimized by someone whom society has entrusted responsibility for maintaining the PEACE and safety of society. The only option that may provide some measure of protection against this idiot victimizing again….is the fact that this “police officer” (and I use the term loosely to classify him by title that he should not have the honor of wearing) will now have a very publicly known personnel history. If indeed he ever is allowed to meet and greet the public again in his capacity as a law enforcement officer, every single arrest he makes will be viewed with suspicion. Every arrestee will file a complaint that the “officer” abused him or her and every case will be suspect for illegal acts by the “officer”. I doubt that any law enforcement agency really wants this jack ass (oops) on the payroll. The Court decision was based on a very narrow set of facts having nothing to do with the act that resulted in termination. It was the manner of terminating the “employee” that the Court was limited to deciding. The appellate court justices who reversed this case are not unsympathetic to the facts of the case; each of those justices are likely as outraged as we the animal loving public are incensed by this case. But the appellate court was not able to base its’ decision on the facts that led to the termination of the officer. The appellate court was limited to reviewing only whether the firing was done according the the written procedures for that agency. Apparently, the rules were not followed for terminating an officer. Thus, the Court had no choice but to reverse. This officer probably will not be allowed contact with the public because of his past performance. His credibility is beyond repair and every arrestee will be filing brutality complaints that he will have to defend against. With any luck the officer will be demoted or transferred to a desk job (silent demotion). Law enforcement will not be happy to have this kind of officer working because he has proven he is not reliable and a risk to others, both in uniform and out of uniform.
There’s a petition started here, in case anyone didn’t know and would like to sign:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/46/justice-for-k9-dogs-full-prosecution-for-sgt-charles-l-jones/
There is a petition started here, in case anyone didn’t know and wanted to sign:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/46/justice-for-k9-dogs-full-prosecution-for-sgt-charles-l-jones/
(sorry if this double-posts. I don’t think it sent my comment the first time.)
Maybe he was only doing what he knew. Maybe his training as a police officer was the same. If not, perhaps he needs a training upgrade.
as a career law enforcement officer myself, i believe this “officer” should be charged with assaulting an officer. if a citizen kicks a police K9 they will be charged with assaulting an officer, whats the difference??
I totally agree…I have posted comments on this case.
Here is an update …It was posted on Animal Abuse K9:
http://www.pet-abuse.com/cases/12691/NC/US/
Hopefully He will get his.
Greg Matt
Retired CMSGT USAF Handler/Trainer
Disgusting excuse for a human being……..that poor sweet dog. He tied him up and kicked him??? Why not just shoot him??? Seriously, what a p***k. I hope poor Ricoh gets revenge some day, karma is a bitch
Wow. Just think how much money he will get for his 5 yr vacation. Like getting paid for abusing Ricoh AND getting a LONG vacation to boot! Sickening. Seems to me he really made out on the deal!
Please please tell me that Ricoh is not still with this disgusting excuse of a human being! And I think Ricoh deserves a Purple Heart for the assault he was made to endure. That video was horrifying!
This is disgusting and turns my stomach. He should have lost his job and not gotten it back. If he would do that to a dog – how would he treat a human being?
Sign the Petition. Stand up and take action, don’t just bitch about it.
For those of you who are just sick of this shit happening and giving this person back their and back pay (WTF) I just made a petition to stop this. Please sign it. You can find it at change.org. Here’s a link.
http://www.change.org/petitions/north-carolina-state-hwy-patrol-officer-sgt-charles-jones-do-not-reinstate-this-person-on-the-force-nor-with-back-pay?utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=share_petition&utm_term=autopublish
I am getting updates telling me ppl are remarking to my comment but I cant find it now…whats going on? anyways, this guy needs to be fired for what he has done…he clearly has anger issues and decided to take it out on his dog…dumb a**hole
found it…
If he treats the one animal who is there to help him when he needs defending, how is he treating his wife and children if a woman is stupid enough to marry such a jerk and have children with him.. FIRED and left fired should be his fate,,