
MAY 5, 2015, 6:05 PM LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, MAY 5, 2015, 11:15 PM
BY STEVE JANOSKI
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
The Vukobratovic family of Wyckoff returned to their “empty house” on Tuesday night, but they did so knowing that the tragic story of Otto, their German shepherd shot by a policeman during a mistaken burglary call, is likely to get a formal review by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office.
That was the result of a sometimes emotional Wyckoff Township Committee meeting where the family had gone demanding answers to what happened — step-by-step — last Wednesday in the moments leading up to Patrolman Kyle Ferreira’s shooting 5-year-old Otto twice in the back yard of family’s Lawlins Road home.
The meeting also saw boisterous picketing outside Township Hall by about 60 people — some with their dogs — who questioned the appropriateness of Ferreira’s response to what police say was an attack by Otto. And it included an apologetic Police Chief Benjamin Fox again expressing his department’s pain and regret over the incident, as well as Mayor Kevin Rooney’s stern condemnation of how Ferreira has been pilloried on social media even as a police review of the incident is continuing.
I saw the protesters on tv this morning. Not sure how to view that in terms of recent events generally.
Agree 8:05. I think the key here is a transparent investigation. God I hate to use that word ” transparent” but its whats need and the results made public.
There are differing accounts of what actually happened. The cop’s story is not what the neighbors claim they saw. Unless it was caught on video, the police story will win out.
Here’s another one that might make the papers soon: two people were struck and killed by a Washington Township police car traveling up the eastern spur of the TP at 1 AM this morning. One might ask, what was a township vehicle doing in that spot and heading in that direction at that time of the morning? The official explanation was that the officer was at a “Training Seminar”. At 1 in the morning.
It will be interesting to see if the officer was administered a breathalyzer or blood test. Unless footage surfaces of this guy doing shots somewhere, we’ll never know, will we?
Just remember: police are better than you are, citizen.
A ha ha ha ha…transparent is it?
That’s a good one…
Guess 8:34 received from a police officer
Nope 12:49. I’ve never been personally wronged by a cop. I know people who have…actually, thanks to modern technology, we all do.
Obey, or be arrested / beaten / shot / killed for resisting to obey. And if you don’t think they forgive each other’s transgressions outside the court systems whenever they can get away with it, I have some swampland in FL that might interest you.
Every Timor of the time when I see a police squad car out of its jurisdiction it’s traveling in the left lane at a very high rate of speed. It’s obviously no emergency since lights and sirens aren’t onl
This poor family. It was the dog’s fault that he got shot, twice, while cop was in their backyard? Have the police made any kind of restitution with money or a puppy?
Mayor Kevin Rooney wants the investigation – which focuses on alleged inconsistencies in the police report and physical evidence – dealt with in a transparent way. Good luck with that against the blue wall of silence.
Bergen County Prosecutor: “Did you identify yourself to the dog as a police officer?”
Officer: “I can’t comment on that due to an internal investigation.”
Bergen County: “Did you shoot the dog twice?”
Officer: “I can’t comment on that due to an internal investigation.”
Bergen County: “We’ll there’s no case here, you’re free to resume your duties.”