This is an example where it would have been better if, in the UK, there was a legal requirement to report a road traffic accident that resulted in the death of a cat. It is an anomaly that it is not.
Harry, a microchipped, handsome ginger tabby with very faint markings, was sitting in the middle of the road. Right away, I have to say that this indicates that this is an area which possibly is unsuited to outdoor cats. Sorry to have to comment on that but it seems to be a factor.
A sixteen-year-old neighbor of Harry’s owner saw a police car coming down the road at high speed with blue lights flashing on Sunday last. This tells us the police were possibly attending a crime and that the road is a well used one.
The driver made no attempt to brake and the witness, Ali Nasar, said; “I don’t know how they could not have seen it.”
The car went right over Harry and killed him. It seems that the police stopped, knocked on someone’s door and asked for a black bin bag, scooped up Harry, placed him in it, put the bag in the boot of their car and drove off to then dispose of Harry’s body.
This has all the appearance of an attempt to cover the ‘crime’. Of course this was not a crime but an accident but as Harry was microchipped (the police would not know that) the police could have gone to the nearest vet or called the RSPCA and scanned the microchip to discover the owner and then apologised and returned Harry. It is important for people to be able to say their goodbyes. But, alas, the police demonstrated a lack of integrity.
As the owner, Mr Hunt’s daughter, Lily, and Mr Hunt himself believed their cat had gone missing they had been searching for him. Eventually they discovered what had happened.
Mr Hunt telephoned the police and was told that Harry had been ‘disposed of’. That is it. Do we know where and how? We don’t.
“For all I know they could have tossed him straight in the bin” (Mr Hunt). That’s what I’d expect happened.
Mr Hunt is disgusted and has requested a formal apology from the police officers involved.
The police say they are trying to identify the officers. I believe that they know who they are. They are delaying matters so that it fizzles out. This is typical of the police. When they do something wrong, rather than owning up, they try and hide it. This is not a good quality especially for the police who should set high standards of integrity.
One of the officers is a woman. You’d have thought that would have made a difference.
Source: Daily Mail Online
How very sad! My sincerest sympathies! Poor Harry! There is no excuse for the police not to have attempted to stop and to find the owner. None!
It was callous behavior and behavior which we would not expect of police officers. They failed the level of integrity set for police officers.
So … you want police to stop them from preventing a murder to …(remainder deleted as rude)
If you can’t be reasonably polite don’t bother. I’ve told you before.
This is a very sad story and I feel so sorry for the owners. I don’t understand why the police felt the need to remove and dispose of the body. Surely it would have made more sense to ask the neighbour who provided the bin bag, if they would mind holding onto the body for the owner. Of course the police know which officers were attending that call out, they just don’t want to reveal the names.
If the law in the UK were changed so that drivers had to report hitting a cat on the road, other existing legislation might also need to be amended such as their right to roam freely.
Whilst drivers have to report traffic accidents involving dogs, they can also sue the owner if the dog caused them to have the accident. This is why dog owners are recommended to have public liability insurance cover.
Good point about reporting accidents. You are right it may have knock on effect. It appears the police immediately decided to cover up the accident. From the outset there appears to have be no thought given to doing the right thing. If I am correct it supports my view that the police have difficulty in setting decent standards of integrity.
I feel such sadness for the Hunts. I hope they are able to pursue this. The police know exactly which officer(s) were involved because they know where each officer is throughout each shift. Some cars even have trackers in them. All officers have to check in, especially if responding to a call. Shame on the police for not owning up to their mistake. If they had come forward sooner, the Hunts would possibly been able to have closure and a decent burial for Harry. Poor kitty. 🙁
Cops in general… show a lack of compassion for people and their pets. The number of stories involving them is apparent this is true. They of course think they are above the law and do what EVER it takes to cover things up (if their involved in any way). Even if they are not directly involved they don’t care at all to do anything involving people’s pets. (I can sadly see why people don’t care when cops get shot in today’s society). If they don’t have to care…we don’t have to care about them either.
Agreed. I hate to say it but for a long time I have hated cops. I hate their general lack of integrity and frankly a lot of them are stupid. Sorry it that is rude but that is my impression. They are losing the respect of the public.