EXCLUSIVE

© By June Maxam

BRIGHTON, COLORADO—The case of a dog named Dre has advanced to a new level, now possibly the focus of a federal investigation after a police officer allegedly made telephonic threats to a Dre supporter across state lines.

The dog, seized by Brighton Police and animal control, appears to be the latest victim of breed discrimination, quickly becoming known as doggie racism.

Dre has captured the hearts and concern of people from around the world who are imploring the city to let the dog go home to his family.

But while the dog sits in the city shelter in quarantine, awaiting further court action on Aug. 10, a police officer employed by the Brighton Police Department is under investigation for allegedly making telephonic threats to a New York woman, telling her that the dog is dead.

“I’m going after you and people like you”, he allegedly told the woman.  “I’ll find you!”

Officer R. Rodriguez is reportedly the subject of an internal affairs investigation after he threatened to “come after the woman” and threatened to kill the dog before it’s scheduled court date of Aug. 10.

Brighton is 20 miles north of Aurora, the scene of the theater shooting massacre during the premier of the new Batman movie, “Dark Knight” on July 20.

Like thousands of other people, Vicky Deming of central New York, a licensed master social worker, had emailed the police department after police and animal control officers announced their plan to kill the dog.  Deming asked why they didn’t just let the dog go home.

A social media campaign is underway including the Facebook page, “Plea to Free Dre”https://www.facebook.com/FreeDreObrien resulting in an outpouring of global support.   It appears that the situation involving the dog is a one time isolated occurrence, that there have been no complaints lodged against the dog previously and that the dog was placed in a defensive situation by the police charging it, reportedly five officers trying to corner it.

On Tuesday, July 31, following a hearing for the dog in Brighton Municipal Court, Facebook was alive with postings saying that the Brighton Police Department was “very upset” that they had received 11,000 emails in support of Dre, were intent on destroying him and would hold him until the next court date on Aug. 10.

Deming says on Tuesday, she repeatedly received phone calls from the Brighton Police Department from an officer who later indentified himself as “Officer Rodriguez”.

“I’m coming after you and everybody that wrote or called about the dog!  The dog is dead”, the officer allegedly told Deming. 

Fortunately, Deming was able to record the calls and because she uses voice over the internet telephone service, (VoIP) she has a complete record of the dates, times and numbers of all calls, in this case, a telephone number which is that of the Brighton Police Department.

   On July 26,  Dre (pronounced Dray), owned by Mary and Rick O’Brien of Brighton, accidentally became loose when one of their three children pressed the button on the garage remote.

Dre, a pitbull,  and MachoMotto, a Doberman, both family pets,  ran out.

A family member who was watching the children at the time didn’t know the dogs were loose and running in the neighborhood. Several people called the city animal control and one called 911 to report that there were “vicious dogs” running at large.

According to the city, five officers chased and cornered the dogs, placing them in a defensive situation before they were captured.  No one was injured, bitten or scratched.

The police and animal control released the Doberman but refused to release Dre, quarantining him and labeling him vicious.

Dre, a male, is about six years old.  He’s neutered, up to date on vaccinations, has never fought with another dog, has never hurt a human being and has never bitten or tried to bite anyone, according to his owners.

He’s currently being held at the Brighton Animal Shelter but the family attorneys from the Animal Law Center want Dre removed from the city’s custody.

Deming said the initial call she received was from a male.  When she answered the call, he inquiringly said  “Vicky?” and when she said yes, he hung up.

She said she received two more identical calls from the same male. “The phone number he kept calling from, and I hit redial because he kept hanging up every time I answered by phone, was 303-655-8748 which is the number for the Brighton Police Department”.

She says when she called, the phone was answered by an “Officer Rodriguez” who told her that he was the one who had been calling her.

The website for the City of Brighton indicates that Officer R. Rodiguez is a member of the police department’s bike patrol.  He was reportedly not involved in the seizure of Dre.

According to Ms. Deming, he said he was calling everyone who sent an email regarding Dre.  

 “He said that everything all of us are doing is threatening to the ACO’s (animal control officers)  and that the dog will be killed this week before the trial date.  He said that he is targeting everyone he can find that sent in emails or made calls regarding Dre.

“I asked for his badge number. He refused to give it to me.  I asked for his first name. He refused to give it to me.  I asked for the street address. He refused to give it to me. He asked me at least 10 times for my full name, social security number, date of birth, street address, etc. I asked him for his. Stalemate.

“I asked him why they just don’t let the dog go. He said the dog did attack several people and did bite them. He said the dog will be killed for the safety of the shelter staff.

“He said the dog has done this before and will again so they will kill the dog before the court date. ‘Accident’s happen’, he said.

“I kept referring back to the dog’s situation and he kept saying that he is going after everybody he can find that contacted them regarding the dog.  First he said the only email they got was from me. Then he said that he’s going after the other 100 people because everything is a threat.

“I said ‘Focus on me then! I’m thousands of miles away and no threat to you! But if it makes you feel better, focus on me and let the dog go back to the family!’”

“He said the family is a bunch of liars and all we are hearing is their side.  He said that this dog has attacked many people in the past and nobody was able to catch him until now.

“The dog dies,  period”.

Deming says he told her ‘I’m going after you and people like you! I’ll find you!’

“I said have at it! And give me your badge number and first name. He said ‘No.’ I said then fine! Don’t call me again! I don’t want to be anywhere near a walking target! You people just had that shooting again out there! You people are nuts! I will stay where I am and watch the fallout from thousands of miles away.

“He said that I can’t do that and I better shut up! I said Free Speech! No way will I let this go now!  He said he is coming after me. I said have at it! But let me know if you are followed!”

She says he again said, “the dog is dead”.

Deming says she told him to keep talking because she would be contacting the attorney for Dre’s owners.

“He said that the dog is dead and they have no attorney”, Deming said.

“I said ‘Have you been on the Dre facebook page? Haven’t you seen all those people so upset and threatening?’  He said that I am crazy and he’s making it a point to come after me”, Deming says.

She says after she told him not to call her again, he again asked for her Social Security number, date of birth, street address and physical address and she again asked him for his to which he responded, “I’m coming after you and everybody that wrote or called about the dog! The dog is dead!”

According to the family, animal control officer Cessna Herrera originally told Mary O’Brien she could pick both dogs up that afternoon but then later called to say that seven people had called in with complaints and that she was no longer releasing Dre. Instead, she told Mrs. O’Brien that she was asking the judge to order Dre destroyed for the one time situation.

According to an article in the Brighton Standard Blade, police spokesman John Bradley police had been called on July 25 by a woman who claims she had been chased into house by an aggressive dog although there is no identification of the dog at issue.http://www.thebrightonblade.com/content/outcry-pours-web-brighton-family-awaits-dogs-fate-hearing

He says two trash truck drivers claimed that they had been chased into their truck by a barking dog.  According to Bradley, when the animal control officers arrived, they found both dogs.  He says that when officers offered treats to the dogs, the Doberman took the treats and was friendly but the “mixed-breed dog” charged at the officer and exhibited aggressive behavior. 

Bradley admits that numerous officers then chased and cornered the dog trying to catch it, placing the dog in a fearful situation instead of simply using a catch pole.

The owners have been charged with allowing two dogs to run at large and having a “vicious dog” 

According to Jennifer Edwards, founder of the Animal Law Center which is representing the O’Briens, she says Dre is being inappropriately punished, having not bitten anyone and without any history of biting anyone or being an aggressive dog.

She says that keeping him impounded and threatening a death order is “completely unfair, considering the circumstance”.  She also expressed her concern that the dog is being treated properly by the city and judging from the allegations made against Officer Rodriguez and the Brighton Police Department, those concerns are well founded.

Edwards was quoted as saying “I think that any circumstance where a dog is kept in an environment like that, I don’t think that they can be treated well,” she said. “We definitely have grave concerns about that and we want to get Dre out of there, even if we just can put him in an alternate location. We don’t want him in that shelter.”

 Deming says she called the attorneys, provided all of her documentation about the calls and says she was told that Police Chief Blackhurst would initiate an internal affairs investigation. 

 She says she was told that the attorney sent a copy of her phone records, the voice mail and the transcript of the calls to the chief and was told that an investigator would be calling her.  She said as of Friday, she had not been contacted and fears that it will be swept under the rug.

“Nothing’s happened”, she says. “I’m afraid that they’re burying everything. And Rodriguez was very clear that Dre is or will be killed before the court date on the 10^th.  He was also VERY clear that regardless of the court outcome, the dog is and will be killed.   Just let the dog go home”.  8-3-12

COPYRIGHT 2012 by The North Country Gazette.  All Rights Reserved.  This article may not be reprinted, reproduced or redistributed in its entirety without the express written permission of The North Country Gazette.

We need to get this pup out of that confinement area where this officer has access to him! Who knows. He might just kill him before the hearing date…