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SLO pays $70,000 after officer shoots and kills family pet

November 12, 2020

Riley Manford and Bubbers

By KAREN VELIE

The city of San Luis Obispo agreed to settle a claim from a couple who alleged a police officer shot and killed their dog without provocation. The city agreed to pay a $70,000 settlement while refusing to publicly release video footage of the shooting.

James McKiernan, the attorney for Riley Manford and Nick Regalia, said it is unusual to get more than market value for the death of a pet in California. In this case, the city agreed to a settlement without a lawsuit being filed.

In Sept. 2019, officer Josh Walsh shot and killed “Bubbers” while responding to a possible burglary.

Even though Walsh and another officer quickly determined the burglary report was inaccurate, just a resident fixing a broken window, Walsh appeared frightened of the resident’s dog.

Walsh ordered Riley Manford to control her “fucking dog,” Manford said. “I told him he was a friendly dog and asked him to put his gun down so I could get Bubbers.”

Before Manford could reach her dog, Walsh fired three shots at Bubbers. Two shots struck the dog and one bounced off the concrete.

While he was removed from duty during an investigation into the shooting, he was later placed back on the street.

The SLO Police Department later reported that the dog had charged Officer Walsh, who drew his weapon and fired to protect himself. However, the video, which attorney McKiernan was permitted to view, appears to show the dog approaching the officers in a social manner, McKiernan said.

Bubbas owners, Manford and Regalia, wanted the public to know the truth, but the department fought several legal attempts to publicly release officer body camera videos of the shooting.

In January, Manford and Regalia helped organize a march for justice and transparency in San Luis Obispo County. Manford and Regalia want all video recordings of interactions with citizens to be public in support of justice and public safety.


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27 Comments
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So if I buy a dog, can I call the police and have it shot? I could use the money. Maybe one of those dogs they are gonna kill anyway in the pound?


-6

The dog owners are taking $70k from the good people of SLO.


-27

More like former Chief Cantrel and Officer Walsh failed the good people of SLO and cost them $70,000.


25

The Entire City staff from the City Manager, City Attorney all need to be replaced and now, do not let them pick the next corrupt Chief.


22

City manager Johnson should ask for this officer’s resignation. Give him 72 hours and if he doesn’t comply terminate his employment and fight it out with his union.


35

That fight would cost more money intended for funding his $250,000/yr pension. $70,000 is pocket change. Maybe “Officer” Walsh bought him a book of poetry as well. We could get a competent, appreciative manager for half that, the other half goes to an understanding and “management” of corruption within the City. And the City Attorney’s office could be outsourced, it already is for anything with actual legal significance, for savings of millions more. But the SLO Progressives and Heidi’s in charge. No more utopia, just dystopia, like San Francisco. But we can apply for a six-figure poop scooping job soon enough as the mentally ill, drug addicted homeless continue to flood the area.


10

And anyone should still wonder why the SLO city government and SLO city police just can not understand why citizens do not trust them! Just another example of government and police believing they are much better than the citizens they are supposed to be protecting.

If the body cam video supported the officers claims that the dog attacked him – don’t you believe it would have been released for everyone to see? But it doesn’t and it wasn’t.

In the meantime- $70K of tax payer money was paid out to sweep this under the rug and just go on.

And Walsh is back out on the street. Does anyone really believe he won’t do same thing again?


71

$70k for a dog? Who negotiates these settlements? It should come out of his pay


39

Is this guy still on the force? Can’t we send him to Fairfield or somewhere?


63

Fairfield will only take one of SLO’s law breaking rejects and they have already reached capacity.


18

Well his partner at the incident is also leaving the Force on a Mental Health issues from the bad shooting so long Jason…………


12

Isnt this also the same officer Cantrell was talking to during the lost gun incident via text as to also raid that families house?


42

no. it was Walsh’s wife that illegally broke into that house. You folks are complaining about 70K, wait until the gun settlement. that should be in 7 figures.


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