Lorain neighbors horrified that police officer killed dog
Sunday, August 28, 2005
Mark Puente
Plain Dealer Reporter
Lorain- Harlequin loved to play ball with kids on West 10th Street. After all, the 15-month-old Rottweiler shared a house with 10 children ranging from 16 months to 18 years old.

Lorain residents were outraged in recent weeks to learn that police officer Rudy Arce shot and killed Harlequin in front of a child. This is the second dog Arce has killed in front of a child since June.

Arce responded Aug. 18 to a complaint about a loose dog on West 10th Street. Alesia Cain, a 7-year-old neighbor, showed Arce where the dog lived. Arce grabbed a long cord hanging from the dog's collar and began walking him home.

"The dog came close to me, sniffing my hand as I walked," Arce wrote in his report.

The dog's demeanor changed as they walked and he started to growl. The dog positioned himself in front of Arce and lunged twice, police reports said.

Arce fired his pistol four times at the dog. The dog spun around and headed toward its house. He went under a porch before collapsing on the lawn, police reports said.

But Shanaya Johnson, a neighbor who said she saw the shooting, disputes Arce's report. She saw Arce holding the dog's leash. She walked inside and heard a gunshot.

"I ran back outside and seen the dog run toward its house," she said. "The dog was on the ground kicking. He walked up to him and kept shooting. I didn't see the dog try to attack anybody. The girl was not in danger."

Police plan to question Johnson, and the case is still under investigation. Police policy prohibits Arce from commenting.

Officials, however, say Arce's actions were warranted given the size of the 90-pound dog. Police believe the dog could have attacked a child on the street. Arce had pepper spray but didn't use it.

"At this point, I don't see any wrongdoing," said Capt. Russ Cambarare. "It is up to the officer to decide what type of force is needed."

Melissa Kelley, Harlequin's owner, pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to having a dog running at large, owning a vicious dog, failing to register a vicious dog and failure to properly register a dog.

"The dog was not vicious," said Kelley, weeping. "All of my 10 kids loved him. He was part of the family."

Alesia had taken the dog home early in the morning when it ran across the street to play, her mother said. "My daughter cried all night," Luciania Cain said.

John Romoser darted out of his house after hearing gunshots. The former police officer and mayor in Sheffield said the officer overreacted. "I'm not convinced he had to use lethal force," he said.

Sgt. Stan Puza, Arce's shift commander, said officers must decide quickly on a method of force. "You can draw [the gun] a lot faster than getting the pepper spray out," he said.

Lorain police don't keep statistics on animals being shot, Cambarare said. Officers have been dispatched to the street four times since March for loose dogs, Cambarare said.

In recent weeks, Lorain's animal warden has been off work, forcing officers to respond.

"It makes it difficult for officers," Cambarare said. "They are not trained in these matters."

This isn't the first controversy involving the 35-year-old Arce, a 12-year veteran.

During a murder investigation, a 2-year-old Labrador retriever broke free from a nearby yard and ran toward the officer. Arce used a shotgun to kill the dog as a10-year-old boy stood nearby.

In July 1995, while on duty, Arce was involved in a car accident that injured three people. Arce was speeding and struck a car that pulled in front of him. The other driver was cited. Arce wrote the ticket, saying his speed had nothing to do with the crash.

In August 1995, a woman sued Arce and another officer, accusing them of using excessive force and assault and battery. The lawsuit claimed the officers threw the woman to the ground and sprayed her with tear gas even though she posed no threat. The city of Lorain settled the case in 1996 for an undisclosed amount, according to federal court records.

Six formal complaints have been lodged against Arce since March 2001.

He was reprimanded in July for working a uniformed security job and using a police car without permission. Authorities have questioned his tactics in the past, but say they are not in violation, Arce's personnel file states. Records before 2001 are in storage and not available, officials said.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:

[email protected], 440-934-0524

Wow, Arce should change his name to Arse.

Thats what you get when you hire shitty people to do a job that takes brains. Way to many good cops get dragged down by morons such as this. I have not doubt he shot it to get a woodie or he does not like dogs, cause I had one popped by a State POPO after it was hit and a local deputy sheriff carried it off the road. I talked afterward with the deputy and even he said there was no reason for the dog to have been shot. And the wall closed already as his superiors immediately threw out the "vicious" dog BS before investigating. With numerous complaints and some litigated and lost I doubt if the guy is a asset to the PD.

Time for a civil suit against Officer Arse.  

They shot a black lab here last summer, i dont think it will happen again, the town was vey pissed about it.

Nothing will happen and many will defend his actions.

When you read this post, just remember Lorain isn't in a pastorial setting, it's an inner city shit-hole.

"At this point, I don't see any wrongdoing," said Capt. Russ Cambarare. "It is up to the officer to decide what type of force is needed."

So long as the officer makes it home ok...

Why haven't they canned this shitbird officer yet?
Guy kills 2 dogs.
Causes a car wreck and then cites the OTHER driver?

This guy is a rotten apple, and he is tarnishing the good image of our boys in blue.

Ya' might wanta' get all the facts before you convict him.

Tag for the inevitable.

Oh, well.

Quoted: Ya' might wanta' get all the facts before you convict him.

Who needs facts? These morons believe everything they read when it suits their point of view. Of course, when the story doesn't suit there point of view, the media is full of lies.

I'm sure the absentee dog owner feels terrible about her dog getting free and runing loose in the ghetto.

lorain is a major shithole....

Coulda, woulda, Shoulda, Basic words you look for when cops are covering crappy behavior on the part of one officer. Also trumped charges to scare the owner into shutting the hell up.

Someone could lose their arse.