St. Louis County Settles For $750,000 In Case Where SWAT Team Shot Family Dog
BY Herschel Smith
5 years, 4 months ago
For the past week the jury had been listening to arguments in a civil rights case that pitted Angela Zorich of south St. Louis County against the St. Louis County Police Department and four of its officers. In April 2014, the county’s tactical operations unit busted down Zorich’s door at the request of problem properties unit Officer Robert Rinck because their gas had been turned off. In the raid, an officer shot and killed the family’s 4-year-old pit bull, Kiya.
The full week of trial was necessary, she said, to get the parties to where they ended up Monday morning, when St. Louis County offered to settle the case for $750,000 just before closing arguments were to begin.
National police shooting expert Jim Crosby, who testified for Zorich at the trial, said it is one of the largest settlements or awards in a dog-shooting case in the country.
At the trial, he testified that contrary to the police narrative that the dog had been charging at officers, it was more likely shot in its side or rear, at or near the spot where Kiya sat when officers broke into the house to execute a search warrant so they could examine the condition of the house. Zorich’s attorneys produced a photo — taken by animal control officers — late in the trial that they say had not been provided by the county when all photos of the scene had been requested.
But county attorney Priscilla Gunn said that the case had already had an effect on changing police policies.
“We’re glad it’s behind us,” she said of the lawsuit. “We’ve made changes since this incident.”
Attorney Jerry Dobson, who brought the lawsuit on behalf of Zorich, along with Nicole Matlock and Dan Kolde, said he hopes the county learns from what happened to Zorich. He believes the county needs to examine a policy that would use fully armored SWAT units to execute search warrants on what amounts to a crime of poverty.
“I think the settlement says they need to take a serious look at this practice, and hopefully change the policies to better protect the rights of its residents,” Dobson said.
In the trial, the Zorich family — particularly her three grown sons — were painted by the county as troublesome and violent, and anti-cop, in an attempt to justify the intensity of the armed raid.
So have you made changes to policy to call off those dumbass SWAT raids? Have you made changes to policy not to send cops out to harass people for not paying bills? Have you thrown the participating cops in jail?
Over what, you ask? Withholding evidence, animal cruelty, breaking and entering, assault with a deadly weapon, trespassing, damage to private property, and kidnapping. But no, instead of the cops paying for this, the taxpayer is left with the tab.
Over unpaid utility bills. Over unpaid utility bills.
On July 3, 2019 at 8:32 am, George 1 said:
At trial, the Zorich family was painted by the county as troublesome and violent.
They, were troublesome and violent? I bet that went over big with the jury.
On July 3, 2019 at 9:59 am, Drake said:
A no-knock search over an unpaid utility bill…
When I was in the National Guard we would sometimes train with a regional SWAT Team. The team was mostly military Vets now in several different police departments across a couple of counties. I liked that set up because no idiot Major or Chief controlled them and could use them is senseless crap like collecting utility bills.
Shortly after one of our weekends, they got called out for a hostage situation and ended up shooting the kidnapper between the eyes – in other words, what SWAT is actually meant to do.
On July 3, 2019 at 2:35 pm, Heywood said:
And the citizens will pay again for the settlement. This crap will not change until individuals (cops, Chiefs and politicians that allow it to continue) are held personally responsible.
On July 3, 2019 at 8:56 pm, Ned said:
Aren’t police officers bonded? I had to have a bond to be a contractor. victims of this crap should go after the offender’s bond. I’d like to see what happens when these pet shooters can no longer be bonded.