The family of Vern, a Chesapeake Bay Retriever, who was shot to death by itchy-trigger-fingered Anne Arundel County, MD “hero” Rodney Price has been awarded $1.26 million by a jury – which found Price had no legitimate reason to shoot the Reeves family pet back in 2014.
“The verdict sends a strong message to the police about how community expectations,” said counsel for the plaintiff, Cary J. Hansel. “The duty to serve and protect extends to our animal family members as well. Shooting Vern was senseless, unnecessary and unconstitutional.”
Vern, who was 4-and-a-half, was shot by Anne Arundel County “hero” Rodney Price. Price claimed that he was attacked by Vern, a Chesapeake Bay Retriever, which also happens to be the Maryland State dog , at the Glen Burnie home of Vern’s owner, Michael Reeves, while he was looking into a neighborhood burglary.
“He says ‘I’m really really sorry I just had to shoot him,’ and I’m like ‘you didn’t have to,’” said owner Mike Reeves.
“I mean you’re trained to use pepper spray, mace, a baton, there were so many things that I think could been avoided,” said another owner, Patrick Reeves.
The jury found that Price was not attacked by the dog, and that the shooting violated his owner’s constitutional rights, and was committed with gross negligence.
During the trial, Price admitted that the dog did not bite or otherwise injure him before the shooting, the law firm says. Price also said no other steps were taken to deal with the dog before Price pulled his gun and fired it twice.
“I’ve never heard him growl. He’d bark but I never heard him go after anybody,” said neighbor Howard Seltzer. “He was a beautiful animal.”
At the time of shooting, Price was placed on administrative duty. Police say he is still currently with the agency.
The firm says its “the largest verdict in U.S. history for a police dog shooting.”
In court Vern’s necropsy revealed Price’s testimony over how the shooting occurred also didn’t add up.
If you like what you’ve found here, please consider supporting EPautos. (Latest radio guest appearance can be heard here.)
We depend on you to keep the wheels turning!
Our donate button is here.
If you prefer not to use PayPal, our mailing address is:
EPautos
721 Hummingbird Lane SE
Copper Hill, VA 24079
PS: EPautos stickers are free to those who send in $20 or more to support the site. 
The mailman…meter reader….paperboy….UPS/Fedex…somehow could deal with dogs without killing them. It wasn’t that long ago that no one knew what “puppycide” was.
The cowardice, weakness and stupidity that comes with powers-of-arrest these days is mind numbing.
AJ, it’s not cowardice or weakness or stupidity that’s the problem with these thugs. They simply, and rightfully so I might add per court rulings, believe they’re above the law. The more times they push the envelope and they’re not even reprimanded they become more emboldened.
It’s like the narc said to me last year…..and it was pitiful to hear……”Now they’re just shooting us” referring to the recent Dallas cop shooting at the time. I replied, “Shooting back you mean”. He said “When did we shoot someboy?”. I said “just this morning I read about a new case yesterday”(on EPA) and named him date and time and the fact the person killed hadnt committed a crime nor was armed. He turned away and shooed at me. They can dish it out but don’t take it too well.
It’s nothing more or less than their court upheld “right” they expect to not even be bothered explaining anything, the very reason they always have multiple versions of an event. The truth is easy to remember, a lie is never the same. fuck em all!
Finally, a LITTLE justice. Now if only it would come out of the pig’s hide instead of the taxpayer’s pockets. This pig should be caged, like so many people that he caged, or whose lives he ruined, like the family of poor Vern.
Rot in hell, you stinking pig!!!!
Nunzio, rot in hell indeed! It just reminds me of what pieces of shit all LE’s are. They destroy people’s lives every day for some bullshit arbitrary law……they or theirs wouldn’t get hassled over. How many times have you seen a cop getting his kids charged with pot possession? I rest my case.
8Man, I remember back in skool….the kids whose fathers were pigs, were ALWAYS the biggest delinquents; bukkies; drug addicts; etc. Big surprise there, eh?
Second that Nunzio, the taxpayers will have to cough up the dough for this pig. Should be taken out of his hide – his house, bank account, pension, every nickel he has and then rather than cage him make him work filling potholes or something with any salary going to that family. Just as an aside, anyone ever shoots one of my cats I will make it my life’s work to see they suffer a similar fate.
Ditto that, Mike! I wouldn’t care about the consequences either, because I wouldn’t be able to live a normal life again if I ever saw them gun down one of my dogs or cats- so I’d imagine one would do whatever it took- if not on the spot, than later- to take the thug and as many of his friends with him as one could- preferably via slow lingering implementation; make them suffer not only physically, but emotionally, the same trauma they inflict on others- Maybe tie the bastard up before offing him, and make him watch as his kid is tortured! Nothing would be “off the table”- all is fair in war!