Durham crowbar deer-death police face disciplinary hearing

Typical emotive 'journalism'...........'beaten to death'. Kind of implies that the two officers involved were taking some kind of perverse pleasure in it, doesn't it? Bet the poor feckers are still haunted by it. I initially condemned it when I first read about it, but I'm sure there must've been a valid reason for them not to have shot it.

As for the officers who reported them? I'd say by the sound of it they're more in need of disciplining than anyone else
 
None of us were there, so I would be waiting to hear what they have to say in their defence, with regards the option of firearm not being utilised.
 
What's the disciplinary charge?
Is probably has nothing to do with despatching the deer but more to do with disobedience of an order.
 
I can remember when I worked for a pest control company. We had a job to control rabbits in an area where firearms and gas was not allowed. So we used ferrets. One day I dug out a ferret and a few rabbits. I dispatched the rabbits by dislocating the necks. Unknown to us a member of public must have seen this and wrote a letter of compliant to the pest control firm saying "that I had bludgeoned the rabbits to death with a spade". Luckily for me my line manager was actually helping me that day. So things can be quite different as to the way they are seen. Lets wait until all the facts have been looked into. It may be that it was the best option in that circumstance.
 
We probably won't get to hear. I just hope they don't get punished for doing what they thought best for the deer. They were after all,the ones at the scene.
Their bosses may not be aware that BDS HD courses would be OK with their action in using a blunt instrument.
 
We probably won't get to hear. I just hope they don't get punished for doing what they thought best for the deer. They were after all,the ones at the scene.
Their bosses may not be aware that BDS HD courses would be OK with their action in using a blunt instrument.

I don't think that is strictly true ..... when considering humane dispatch it is all about making the right choices .... neither BDS or Jelen courses would recommend using a crowbar or similar unless there was no better alternative ..... we have no idea why the officers chose not to use a firearm .... or indeed how many times they needed to hit the deer, or whether one of them was holding down a struggling deer etc etc.

I suspect and hope that their disciplinary action will just consider their decision making .... and learn from it if any mistakes were made ..... and I am not suggesting there were as there is insufficient information to begin to have a view.

HM
 
I said a blunt instrument and I said "ok with it". I didn't say recommend.

The bds hd course I was on said a hammer would be suitable.
Bear in mind that you are not allowed to carry weapons in the car on the off chance if you are a civvy.
I don't imagine the police had a selection of blunt instruments to hand,just used what they had.

In one of his articles in the Scotsman,Max Hastings wrote of arriving by chance at a deer RTA. He despatched the deer using a wheel brace I think.
No censure or prosecution came into it, he did the right thing with what he had to hand.

It could well be that the police decided that a Glock or an MP5 wasn't the right thing and I hope they don't suffer for that.
 
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Huntermoore bds and JELLEN can recommend what they like on there courses they do not write the law, they are not the font of all knowledge, blunt force trauma is acceptable.
 
Not a humane dispatch by the sound of it. One presumes the deer was in agony, and unless instantly dispatched by lethal shot, repeated beating about the head could only have added to its pain. They were equipped to deal with it, so one wonders why they did not use a firearm.

No doubt someone will declare that the agony of the beast was at maximum and a few blows about the head will not have been felt. Feel free. Have your point of view but mine is that they prolonged and caused further suffering. In two words, cruel ineptitude.
 
well if it was going to be a long-ish time until an armed officer could arrive at the scene and the deer was in pain and injured, quite right to give it one to the back of the head with a tool. that said, if the officers were giving it the old Rodney King, then...
 
Were you there?

No but I am taking it as read that they had firearms and declined to use them. I once had to consider ripping out a fence post to kill a pony broken in two having collided with a tanker. I was not equipped with a firearm, nor did I return to the car to get a crowbar as I had chased after the pony which had bolted and jumped over a fence. The pony was writhing in agony, thrashing its head and stomping its forelegs as the blood was flowing downhill beneath it. It died before I had freed the post. Sorry to be so graphic but you weren't there.

I only said "by the sound of it". But it reads as if they were at the scene by special request as firearms officers. Perhaps they had forgotten to bring ammo? Something has gone wrong as disciplinary action is being mooted.

I think it is safe to assume that the deer was there, so if you want to disregard sections of the reports, why not remove the deer from the scene altogether in your imagination. It is safe to assume that Santa was not there either...

So like others I am offering my opinion. This is a forum after all.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-30491470

The deputy Chief Constable has declared that the deer should have been destroyed humanely and has apologised that THIS DID NOT HAPPEN. You don't believe him. Ah well.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-28558929
 
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Huntermoore bds and JELLEN can recommend what they like on there courses they do not write the law, they are not the font of all knowledge, blunt force trauma is acceptable.

Taff

I have never suggested that I write the law or am the font of all knowledge ...... blunt force trauma is acceptable if you do not have a more suitable method and are competent to deliver a killing blow quickly and first time .... and safely ..... I get the impression you have championed this method on many other threads of a similar sort and are no doubt an expert of dispatch without a firearm .... so good for you.

Personally I have never practiced using a crowbar or similar so cannot be sure what force is required and for me would be a last resort ... still each to their own I suppose!

HM
 
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