JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Questions surrounding the fatal shooting of a family dog by Los Angeles police officers, new developments in the Nancy Guthrie case and an unintentional shooting involving Pasadena police officers were among the topics discussed when Retired Police Lieutenant Steve Hauck, host of the “Watching Your Six” podcast, joined WOKV’s Kristine Bellino.
Hauck shared his perspective on several stories making headlines, drawing on decades of experience in law enforcement and emergency management.
New developments in the Nancy Guthrie case
Hauck said recent reports out of Mexico regarding Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance did not come as a surprise to him.
According to Hauck, Mexican authorities recently received information pointing investigators toward what they believe may be a burial site connected to Guthrie. As of the interview, authorities had not located any remains.
Hauck noted that Pima County, Arizona, had not yet been contacted by Mexican authorities and said another search was underway following an anonymous tip.
“It’s not surprising to me,” Hauck said. “I suspected right off the bat that she was probably in Mexico that night.”
Hauck said he believed there was a connection to Mexico early in the investigation and theorized that Guthrie may have been taken across the border.
“I don’t believe she was in the United States after that night,” Hauck said. “I believe she was across the border.”
The conversation then turned to so-called “wrench attacks,” in which criminals use publicly available information and social media to target victims.
“It’s shocking that people share as much as they do,” Hauck said.
He recommended waiting until returning home from trips before posting photos online.
There are “...very simple safety protocols, but if you have nefarious intent, you can very easily find out a lot about people just by scoping social media,” Hauck said.
Hauck pointed to cases involving celebrities and professional athletes, including Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Joe Burrow, whose homes have been targeted while they were away.
Former lieutenant calls Pasadena shooting “insanity”
Hauck also discussed an incident in Pasadena, California, in which one police officer unintentionally shot another during what has been described as horseplay.
Before addressing the case, Hauck made a distinction between an accidental shooting and an unintentional one.
“We would not call that an accidental shooting,” Hauck said. “An accidental shooting is where the gun malfunctions. We call that unintentional.”
Hauck said video of the incident suggested to him that the behavior may have been commonplace.
“I cannot imagine this is the first time that something like this has occurred,” he said.
He repeatedly described the incident as “insanity” and said he believes the officers involved should no longer be police officers.
“There are just some things you can’t come back from,” Hauck said. “To me, you just can’t come back from that.”
Hauck said police leaders should examine whether the incident points to larger issues involving training, hiring or culture within the department.
“You have to ask yourself, where did we go wrong?” Hauck said. “Is it a hiring problem? Is it a training problem? Is it a personnel issue? What is the issue?”
LAPD dog shooting sparks questions for police and pet owners
Hauck also weighed in on the fatal shooting of a dog by Los Angeles police officers in Canoga Park.
Authorities said officers responded after receiving reports of a woman screaming, only to discover she was celebrating the New York Knicks’ NBA championship victory. Police said the family’s dog, Jameson, charged at officers before being shot. Family members have disputed that account and said the dog was energetic but not aggressive.
A report from ABC 7 Eyewitness News in Los Angeles by Tim Pulliam explains what happened.
Hauck, a dog owner himself, said he would like to see body camera footage before drawing conclusions.
“I’d like to see the body cam,” Hauck said. “Was this dog just barking or was it aggressively going after officers? I’d like to see that before any of us form an opinion one way or the other.”
Hauck said police officers receive extensive training when dealing with people but relatively little when it comes to animals.
“It’s difficult with animals, especially dogs, because they move so quickly,” Hauck said.
He recalled several encounters with aggressive dogs throughout his career and said he was grateful he never had to kill one.
“That’s the last thing I would ever want to do,” Hauck said.
Steve Hauck Photo Credit: Kristine Bellino
Hauck acknowledged that fear and life experiences can affect how officers react.
“Police officers aren’t immune from being scared of animals because they’re police officers,” he said.
He said officers may sometimes be legally justified in using deadly force against an animal, but personally, he would try every option possible before doing so.
“I would almost rather take the chance of getting bit than having to shoot the animal,” Hauck said.
For pet owners, Hauck recommended completely securing dogs whenever law enforcement officers respond to a home.
“It’s not enough to just put it in another room,” he said. “You’ve got to put it in a locked room so that it doesn’t have any chance of getting out and coming out because that puts everybody at risk, especially the dog.”
A GoFundMe called “Justice for Jameson: Help Us Honor His Memory,” has been set up to honor Jameson, the dog killed by police. As of this initial posting the fund has raised more than $140,000.
Photo Courtesy: GoFundMe: Justice for Jameson: Help Us Honor His Memory page
The Los Angeles Police Department’s investigation into the shooting remains ongoing, and body camera footage has not yet been released.
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