Front Page  »  

Grover Beach officer on paid administrative leave

December 19, 2016
David Fear and his wife Terry Fear

David Fear and his wife Terry Fear

The Grover Beach Police Department has placed the officer who owned a dog that attacked two people last week, killing a 64-year-old man, on paid administrative leave.

On Tuesday, two of the officer’s dogs got loose and the officer’s Belgian Malinois attacked David Fear, 64, and Betty Long, 85, in Long’s front yard. Fear died on Friday from his injuries.

Sources said the 2-year-old Belgian Malinois had been trained as a K-9 officer in the Valley, but stopped working as a police dog when his trainer got a job with the Grover Beach Police Department. Investigators are not disclosing the name of the officer or additional information about the dog.

Multiple agencies are investigating the attack with San Luis Obispo Animal Services taking the lead on the dog attack and the coroner heading the death investigation. The Belgian Malinois has been euthanized.


Loading...
Subjects:         
Related:


20 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Why is it they are naming the victims but not the perpetrator? Cops help cops…stop the police brotherhood mentality.


0

Yes, this peace officer, who apparently created havoc and death by allowing this vicious animal to be lose in the neighborhood, will likely not even be charged with any crime. I imagine he and his attorney will drum up a story about the gate being left open by some other person and plea to a lesser charge. No justice.


0

this is by far an injustice of the first order. and, yet we are not even allowed the name and rank of the offending officer! paid vacation. a human has died at the hands of his dogs, and he is on vacation. and consider the suffering of the poor older victim.


yet, when someone is arrested for any alleged crime, all news organizations slap the most awful photos of the alleged criminal from the jail photo in the article. this law enforcement is in hiding. the attack seems to be a criminal act. that is what these dogs were trained to do, likely at the hand of the officer in question, to maim at the very least, and kill if the dog considers it appropriate, or the officer commands it.


many of us are not comfortable with this type of dog in the first place. this is just unacceptable and please release the name of the officer. the victims were named. unfortunately, we will likely never know the truth of the matter. shame on you officer, for not controlling your dogs 100% of the time. they ARE weapons.


0

Regardless of circumstances or lifestyle, at no time should *any* dog be permitted to roam the neighborhood unleashed. When this happens due to irresponsibility, indifference, or deliberate intent, the owner of the dog is saying, “Hey neighbor, you get to deal with my dog.” How could, in this case, an 85-year-old woman ever be expected to “deal with” a loose dog in her own yard?


0

Not defending the owner but sometimes dogs get out in ways that you don’t even think of, they can be very clever.


0

Being investigated for possible criminal activity and get a taxpayer funded extra long Christmas vacation, only in the public sector.


0

Hey, this is SLO county. This officer needs extra time to decide how he’s going to spend his large severance paycheck. Do bad, get large reward…


0

Probably, I don’t understand why they don’t make him still come into the office, as scheduled, like a normal day but make them sit at a desk, nothing like the good old days of school and detention, sit there and think about what you’ve done. The union would never allow this.


0

What a tragic story! If I am reading this correctly a police officer was training this dog to be a K9 trained dog, partial through the training the officer got a job with the Grover Beach Police Dept but the story doesn’t say if the trainer/new hire was current owner of the dog. Facts should be complete in stories like this. Was the trainer the current owner? Did the current owner buy the dog? Complete, honest and open facts should be in this story and provided by the investigating agency. I know that if this story was citizen Joe the facts would be spread from one end to the other end of this County and covered thoroughly by all news outlets.


This is the second serious incident involving issues with personal law enforcement in this County in the past month. In both these cases the perception for sure and no doubt the truth is that law enforcement get special “protection” in reporting these stories, special “treatment” and the best “downplay” of the situations. We all know that the Sheriff’s Dept on Los Osos Valley by a seasoned veteran law enforcement officer was special handling involving his job and now this situation where facts are delayed or not exposed is not right.


I am for 100% for law enforcement in our community, I strongly support my local law enforcement, I think they do an outstanding with what is happening in our society today but I do not feel that should be treated better or special of there wrongdoing because of who they are.


Condolences to the Fear Family and a successful recovery Ms. Long!


0

I hope local community resources such as Victim Witness have connected with the wife of the victim. Here we are during the holidays, and this woman might not be able to pay her bills with her husband killed.


0

An extra unearned vacation???


Cause someone’s death, get a paid vacation? What a great incentive!


That officer should be cooling his heels in jail rather than enjoying an additional vacation.


0

What’s the officer’s name? I’ll bet dollars to dimes on three things:


This isn’t the individual’s first legal issue with the dog(s.)


The officer is far, far from being a squeaky-clean Joe Friday.


The officer will be fully exonerated due to his public safety position.


0

You forgot one, the officer is, like Sheriff Fellows has an attitude that he can do anything he wants regardless of the law, and knows nothing will happen to him.


0

For the record, that’s *Deputy* Fellows with San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office.


0
1 2