JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The proprietor of a 1-year-old Great Dane named Lucy has filed a federal lawsuit towards a Jacksonville Sheriff’s Workplace officer and the Metropolis of Jacksonville, alleging civil rights violations following the canine’s deadly capturing in 2022.
The capturing, captured on police bodycam video, has sparked controversy and debate over the usage of lethal power.
The incident occurred on April 11, 2022, when Officer Karl Lampkin responded to a report of a canine allegedly chasing a teenage boy on his technique to college.
The boy’s mom, who referred to as 911, claimed Lucy had chased her son. Nevertheless, Lucy’s proprietor, Kimberly Barus, acknowledged the canines have been confined inside her yard on the time, barking however not posing a menace.
Barus mentioned Lampkin requested her to open the gate to see if Lucy would strategy.
The officer’s bodycam footage confirmed Lucy rising from the gate and howling earlier than being shot a number of instances.
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The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Workplace carried out a Response to Resistance assessment and deemed the usage of lethal power inside coverage. The officer reported minor accidents, together with a lower on his finger and a puncture on his leg.
The lawsuit cites that the officer violated Barus’s Fourth and Fourteenth Modification rights. It additionally alleges that Officer Lampkin did not notify animal management and permit their educated personnel to deal with instances involving alleged animal aggression.
“Why carry the canine out of the fence?” Civil Rights Legal professional Eric Friday questioned.
To view the total lawsuit:
Friday is unaffiliated with the case however weighed in on the lawsuit.
“Regardless of how all of us really feel about our canines, the legislation doesn’t deal with them as a part of our household. It treats them as property. Due to that, the officer destroyed this girl’s private property, on this case, a canine,” Friday mentioned. “By depriving her of that piece of property, he violated her Fourth Modification rights as a result of the federal government will not be allowed to grab your property with out possible trigger to imagine an offense has been dedicated and so they’re taking it as proof. It’s proof of a legal act and there was no controversial possible trigger this officer needed to imagine that canine was proof of a criminal offense.”
Barus mentioned revisiting the incident has been emotionally difficult however hopes the lawsuit will carry justice.
“It’s arduous to consider it once more, but it surely’s additionally nice to lastly see that possibly justice will probably be served,” she mentioned.
JSO confirmed that Lampkin stays on the power however didn’t remark because of the pending litigation.
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