A Florida man told police that his dog shot his sleeping girlfriend.
I believe it.
Normally, Im skeptical of elaborate explanations of seemingly simple events.
The undisputed facts seem clear: Brian Murphy, 25, was sharing a Jacksonville house with his girlfriend, Summer Miracle, who while sleeping in their bed late one night last month, woke up with a burning sensation in her right leg, which turned out to be a bullet wound.
Its Murphys gun. There are no intruders or other people to blame.
Ergo: Murphy must have shot his girlfriend.
Not so fast. Theres another mammal to account for in the house: Murphys dog, Diesel.
Am I saying that the dog shot the woman? Absolutely.
This is Florida.
As a student of dog-perp shootings in Florida, Ive already placed the shooting of Summer Miracle on my blotter of Fido firearm carnage.
Lets see, theres Jerry Allen Bradford, the Pensacola man who was shot in the wrist with his own gun 13 years ago by a German shepherd puppy he was holding in his other hand. Then theres a Lee County woman who was shot six years later by another dog that reached for her gun.
Two other Florida men Billy E. Brown, in Pasco County, and Gregory Dale Lanier, in Highlands County were both shot by their dogs in 2011 and 2013.
In both cases, the men were driving pickup trucks with loaded weapons on the seats, and their dogs simply walked on the trigger of the guns, shooting both men in their legs.
So it happens. Weve got lots of guns and lots of er, well Whats the kind word here? Floridians.
Which is why I believe Murphys explanation to police; That after taking Diesel for a late-night walk, the dog bounded into the bedroom, and got its paws on the loaded handgun on the beds nightstand. A round went off and it struck his girlfreind.
Perfectly plausible for Florida. And thats not just me talking.
Two years ago, The Washington Post did a survey of shootings committed by dogs. It turns out that about once a year, a dog in America will shoot a person. According the newspapers data, the four aggravating factors for predicting dog-perp gun violence are:
(a) happened while hunting (b) happened in car (c) happened in boat, and (d) happened in Florida.
Florida appears to be home to several more of these accidents, the story pointed out.
Yeah, and theres no telling how many times it was never reported because the dog shot and missed, or the human victim was too embarrassed to phone it into 911.
Yeah, my dog shot me. No, Im not kidding My dog. Yes, my dog. Whats so funny? No, I wont say it again for the speaker phone. Never mind.
So I have a simple regulatory fix.
The courts have finally ruled that Florida legislators cannot write laws that prohibit pediatricians from asking their patients whether they have guns in their homes, and if so, whether those firearms are safely stored out of the reach of children.
State lawmakers, with a lot of cheerleading from the NRA, had passed a law, now deemed unconstitutional, that made it illegal for doctors to ask their patients about guns and the potential safety hazards they might pose on themselves or their children.
The First Amendment ensures that doctors cannot be threatened with state punishment for speech even if it goes beyond diagnosis and treatment, said last months 10-1 opinion of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit in Atlanta.
Could a state legislature prevent a doctor from explaining the risks or benefits of a vegan diet? Or prevent a doctor from explaining the risks or benefits of playing football? the court asked. This type of thought experiment should give us pause.
With the Florida Legislature properly castigated in this so-called Docs vs. Glocks case, its time for Floridas veterinarians to take the next step.
Yes, a Rovers vs. Revolvers or maybe Canine v. Tec 9 bill that encourages Florida veterinarians to advise the owners of their furry patients about the potential dangers posed by dogs and guns.
Any questions? Just ask Ryan Murphy and his wounded girlfriend.
See original here:
Cerabino: Doggone it. It's happened again in Florida. Fido's got a gun! - MyPalmBeachPost
