GRAND JURY WILL INDICT OFFICER FOR KILLING DOG

Oregonian, The (Portland, OR) - December 5, 1997

Author/Byline: CRISTINE GONZALEZ of the Oregonian Staff

Edition: SUNRISE
Section: LOCAL STORIES
Page: B06
Readability: >12 grade level (Lexile: 1440)
Summary: The Portland police officer will face misdemeanor charges for shooting the animal during an off-duty jog in Hillsboro
A grand jury is recommending that an off-duty Portland police officer be charged with a misdemeanor for shooting and killing a dog while
jogging in a Hillsboro neighborhood.
The sealed indictment against Officer John Hurlman, 33, will become official next week in Hillsboro, according to Sue Hohbach, a
Washington County deputy district attorney.
At that time, the charges against Hurlman will be made public, although she has said before that it appeared his most serious offense
might be first-degree animal abuse, a misdemeanor that involves someone intentionally, knowingly or recklessly causing death or injury to
an animal.
News stories of how Hurlman shot and killed a 3-year-old yellow Labrador retriever named George on Sept. 18 inspired heated debate
among animal lovers statewide and prompted public protests in Portland.
A Web site encouraging individuals to share their anger with Portland Mayor Vera Katz and Portland Police Chief Charles Moose recently
appeared on the Internet. And Hurlman has received numerous death threats both at work and at home, according to his attorney.
Although Steven L. Myers could not comment on the charges, he said the grand jury's decision Wednesday night has turned his client's
life upside down.
``He and his wife are obviously devastated by the fact that he's been charged,'' Myers said. ``I don't know what they're going to do next.''
Hurlman remains employed at the Portland Police Bureau. The bureau has reviewed the incident, a routine procedure whenever an offduty officer fires his or her weapon. It won't consider an internal investigation until after the Washington County criminal case is over, said
Lt. Cliff Madison, a bureau spokesman.
The incident began early on a Thursday afternoon.
Jane Scheidler, who was doing some yard work, heard her dog barking. George had been lying in the driveway when a jogger came
down Southeast 41st Street. He ran into the street as Scheidler called out after him.
She thought she saw George follow the jogger playfully back into a cul-de-sac. Then she heard a pop. George came running back to the
house with blood in his mouth. He died 10 minutes later en route to the veterinarian's office.
Hurlman maintains that he shot the dog in self-defense. His attorney said Hurlman had never before fired his weapon outside target
practice. And in the past two years, he has saved two dogs while on duty after they were hit by cars.
``There is absolutely no question in his mind that to stop that dog was to fire a weapon or be mauled,'' said Myers, who insists that his
client is not a dog hater. ``He loves animals. He didn't do anything other than jog.''
Index terms: Local; ANIMAL CRUELTY ANIMAL ATTACK
Dateline: HILLSBORO
Record: 9712050259
Copyright: Copyright (c) 1997 Oregonian Publishing Co.