Flippy - I Rant, You Read
Friday, September 09, 2005
Idiot of the Day - Sgt. Mike Minton, St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office
Updated 4/16/07 (and probably the last time, until the bastard is convicted) - Pasado Safe Haven is updating about the case constantly, so if you go to this link, there’s no need to go anywhere else for your information, I wouldn’t think.
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Do NOT watch this video if you can’t handle seeing a cop shoot two innocent dogs. It’s truly awful. Also, in the video, the dog killer is interviewed. Truly a HUGE ass! Please send letters, make phone calls, send the link…to whomever you can think of to get this inhumane behavior to stop. http://www.dallasnews.com/s/dws/photography/2005/katrina_video/straydogs.html Sgt. Minton: “Really, its (to) benefit a dog, really, because, you know, where’s he gonna find food, where’s he gonna find water, you know, so I just looked at it as it more humane…doing it to protect myself…but its more humane for the dog, you know.” Video of dogs barking Minton: “They’re trying to eat us…4 days into it, he almost got eat up by a pit bull.” (gestures with head to the side.) Reporter: “So, how many dogs…...” Minton: “Enough…” Laughs. Reporter: “Must be a tough job?” Minton: “Huh?” Reporter: “Must be a tough job…?” Minton: “This job? No, I been doin’ this job for 22 years.” Reporter: “I mean, shooting dogs?” Minton: moves his hand in what looks to be a dismissive gesture.
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Updated December 2006 - Mike Minton Indicted for Felony Cruelty
http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/frontpage/index.ssf?/base/news-7/1165479585162360.xml&coll=1 Deputies indicted in dog shootings Felony cruelty case based on videotape Thursday, December 07, 2006 By Karen Turni Bazile St. Bernard/Plaquemines bureau A state grand jury has indicted two St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies for allegedly shooting dogs to death during the chaotic days after Hurricane Katrina. The grand jury in Chalmette indicted Michael Minton and Clifford “Chip” Englande on the felony charge of aggravated cruelty to animals. The indictments say the deputies “intentionally tortured and maimed numerous dogs, which were wandering the streets of St. Bernard Parish after Hurricane Katrina,” and that their “actions resulted in the deaths of these animals.” Kris Wartelle, spokeswoman for state Attorney General Charles Foti, whose office investigated the case and will prosecute it, said the indictments are based in part on a videotape shot by a member of the Dallas media that shows deputies shooting dogs in the streets. St. Bernard Parish Sheriff Jack Stephens said Minton, 43, a sergeant who was hired in the spring of 1991, left the department in February. Englande, 34, a sergeant who also joined the department in the spring of 1991, has been assigned to administrative duties since the indictment, Stephens said. Efforts to contact Englande and Minton on Wednesday afternoon were unsuccessful. “The allegations and the charges were disturbing from the onset,” Stephens said. “We didn’t want anyone to think we were covering up, so we formally referred the investigation over to the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and the state attorney general.” Stephens said he has not seen the video. “We stand behind our deputies,” Stephens said. “Their actions during and after the storm were heroic.” Stephens said sheriff’s deputies and parish firefighters forced residents to leave their pets behind when they were evacuating people to safety. “We are over a whole year from the event now,” Stephens said. “Unless you were here, it’s difficult to understand the dire circumstances we faced here.” After the indictments were handed down, Minton and Englande surrendered to authorities, and they were booked and released, said Col. Richard Baumy, spokesman for the Sheriff’s Office. They were released to their wives on $10,000 personal surety bonds. The indictments do not address reports that dogs were shot and killed in three schools after authorities forced the pets’ owners to leave them behind during evacuations, Wartelle said. She said she couldn’t comment further because the case is ongoing. The owners of some of the dogs have filed suit in federal court in New Orleans against St. Bernard Parish government, Parish President Henry “Junior” Rodriguez, the Parish Council, Stephens and numerous deputies. Susan Michaels, co-founder of Pasado’s Safe Haven, a national animal welfare organization that helped pet owners file the suit, said her group paid for necropsies on 33 dead dog gathered at three schools. “They weren’t shot directly in the head where they would have been put out of their misery. The way they were shot indicated prolonged suffering,” Michaels said of the dogs in the schools. “These people scrawled messages on the walls, ‘Please don’t shoot my dogs.’ They had plenty of food and water for the animals.” . . . . . . . Karen Turni Bazile can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or (504) 826-3321.
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I can’t look at the video. That’s horrible!
Nancy H on 09/10 at 04:52 AM -
I’ve seen this link for the past couple of days and I can’t bear to watch the video. There are bad enough images in my head without seeing it.
Cheryl on 09/10 at 10:23 AM -
This story sort of ties in with the video—yet more examples of a real disregard for people who don’t want to be evacuated without their pets:
http://www.ajc.com/today/content/epaper/editions/today/news_34f14e97f5c931e300c3.html
Leigh-Ann on 09/10 at 02:40 PM -
Everything about this is terrible, but at least we can take comfort in knowing George Bush Jr is doing all he can. Keep the faith everyone. God has a plan for all of us.
Tomy J on 09/11 at 12:23 PM -
Great, if this is God’s plan for us, please let me opt out. I take no comfort in anything George Bush ever does. I never thought he could be more useless. I was wrong.
Flippy on 09/11 at 12:30 PM -
Let me know where this guy lives, I would like to dish out some old fashioned justice.
Here I come goofball, or sorry, Sgt. A*#hole.
colleen on 09/11 at 12:54 PM -
St. Bernard’s Parish, New Orleans—too much toxic soup for you to go in though. In better news, other cops from the same area have started rescuing dogs. Counteracting the bad Dog Killer publicity, I suppose.
Flippy on 09/11 at 03:04 PM -
Good Lord. Truly ass-erific.
The Zero Boss on 09/11 at 09:59 PM -
You are freaking kidding me. I didn’t watch the video - couldn’t bear the thought of it - but just reading what was said is enough for me.
What the hell is wrong with people? These dogs are people’s pets. They are not wild wolves. They are hungry, hurt, and scared. This asshat sounds like he is enjoying doing this, almost as though it is a sport for him. This is outrageous.
What is up with St. Bernard parish? A Canadian search and rescue team showed up there days before anyone else, seniors were left to drown in their nursing home beds, and now this guy is shooting dogs in the streets. Unbelievable.
Expat on 09/14 at 08:10 AM -
Like many others, I contacted ASPCA when I heard about this. (I couldn’t watch the video.) I got a response fairly quickly that included a message from the ASCPA president. They have posted it, with some revisions.
http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=hurricane_president&autologin=true
“On behalf of concerned citizens, ASPCA Public Information coordinator Luiza Grunebaum contacted the office of Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco to inquire about the dog shootings that took place in St. Bernard’s Parish. According to a governor’s aide, the shootings occurred under the orders of Sgt. Mike Minton, the sheriff, who “took this upon himself.” Grunebaum was told the shootings have ceased, and Sgt. Minton faces disciplinary charges as a result of his directive.”
LB on 09/14 at 07:25 PM -
LB, Thanks for the update. Even though this won’t bring back the dogs he killed, at least he won’t be doing it again and he’ll be disciplined. Gee, what is worthy for someone who gave the death penalty to people’s pets???
When I watched the video, I sort of half watched it, so as not to see the really bad parts.
Flippy on 09/14 at 11:41 PM -
Interesting he looks much like the Mike Minton wanted by the FBI.
http://www.fbi.gov/mostwant/fugitive/sept2005/septmintonw.htmGreg on 09/21 at 11:06 AM -
Thank you all for caring about the dogs massacred in St.Bernard Parish.
Last week CNN aired 2 pieces (one by Anderson Cooper, the other by Ed Lavandera)about the murdered dogs. When interviewed on camera, Sheriff Jack Stephens of St. Bernard Parish denied any knowledge of his men’s involvement in the incidents. I wrote to him and sent him the 9/9/05 Dallas News video in which Minton is seen defending the dog shooting. I also cc’ed the president, governor, and Louisiana senators. We must put pressure on the federal, state, and local authorities to prosecute these monsters (with Mike Minton at the top of the list)to the full extent of the (all-too-weak) law.
For those who have not seen the video, it is still available here:
http://www.dallasnews.com/s/dws/photography/2005/katrina_video/straydogs.html
I’ve created a Soap Box alert on Congress.org so that people can click on appropriate agencies (including national and local media) and demand that the creatures who took part in the massacre be brought to justice.
It can be accessed here:
http://www.congress.org/congressorg/issues/alert/?alertid=8076451&content_dir=ua_congressorg&mailid=custom
For a few dollars anyone can create a Soap Box alert on this site. I think it would be highly effective if more people created alerts on this issue. You can also use site to create snail mail letters, print them out, and mail them to the appropriate agencies.
It is imperative we insist upon more coverage of this issue. Not only was this an obscene abuse of power, but it was horribly cruel. These poor animals were not even shot in the HEAD so they could die quickly. They were shot in the BELLIES and suffered agonizing pain as they bled to death.
Sheriff Jack Stephens had said that the perpetrators need their heads examined and have no business being in law enforcement. Let us FORCE him to stick to his words.
Please, write letters, create Soap Box alerts, do all you can do to keep this issue alive.
Letters and phone calls DO make a difference.
The mass media wasn’t even covering the animals until activists flooded them with demands for stories of the animal victims. Every phone call, every letter COUNTS.
Thank you all for anything you do to help.
Rina Deych
Brooklyn, NY
http://www.rrrina.com/Rina Deych on 10/05 at 06:18 AM -
This guy ought to be punished. He is lucky i’m not around in his area. People’s pets murdered. how disgusting and horrible…innocent babies. I’ve emailed Gov. Blanco but don’t know that anything will happen to him. Is there anything you can do to put pressure on him?
sharon thompson on 10/11 at 02:10 PM -
If enough of us write to the president, governor, senators, and local politicians of Louisiana, it can make a huge difference.
It’s imperative we speak out for these animals and their grieving human companions.
1000 letters would make a difference.
Thank you for caring,
Rina DeychRina Deych on 10/11 at 03:33 PM -
The saddest thing is that this PIG is never going to be charged with ANY crime. Wait and see.
If I had my druthers…...
Carol on 02/16 at 09:42 PM
