Fire Police Officer Who Beheaded Child's Pet Chicken
- by: Sue Lee
- recipient: City Clerk Goldie Smith, Atwater Mayor Mark Olson, Atwater Police Department
Please sign and share this petition in an effort to get the police officer fired who went to extremes and killed a young boy's pet chicken In Atwater. The mother was trying to work with authorities because she knew she was in violation of the city ordinance regarding the possession of fowl. However, this "authority figure" did not have to go to the extreme of decapitating the 5-year olds chicken and let it lay their dying right next to the chicken coop. Sad and tragic for a young boy!
An Atwater mom knew she was in violation of the city ordinance that prohibits fowl on her property and acknowledged their notice in efforts to work with authorities. However, an Atwater Police Chief was trespassing right on her property without her knowledge where he killed her five-year old son's pet chicken, leaving the head of the animal just feet from the chicken coop. How devastating for this young boy!!
Mom Ashley Turnbull said she was aware of the situation and did not even have time to rectify the situation when Police Chief Trevor Berger came onto her property a week after giving her notice, when no one was at home, clubbed, killed and decapitated the small red hen with a shovel, leaving the bloody head near the chicken coop.
Mom stated that “The chicken was like a puppy dog to my son. You wouldn’t do that to a puppy." Chief Berger claims he was just enforcing the ordinance, responding to a neighbor's complaints. He states there were issues with the chickens running loose but says “I’m sorry it had to happen that way." He did not realize he left the head behind when he carried off the carcass of the chicken. What's worse is that one of the neighbor's little girls saw this officer pick up the shovel and kill the defenseless hen.When is it okay to slaughter an animal to that degree when enforcing an ordinance?? Was his life in real danger of a tiny red rooster that he had to beat it and cut off his head???
“I still feel he owes my son an apology and he owes us a chicken," said Turnbull, who filed a written complaint with the Atwater Police Commissioner. Now that this case ended so tragically, they are now considering allowing chickens in the city; something the Atwater City Council was preparing to do earlier this year. If protocol was followed in a timely manner, this matter would have never happened, leaving a child broken hearted.
The situation started this spring when Ms. Turnball’s five-year-old son, Phoenix, was given baby chickens and ducks as a birthday gift. “He takes care of them. He plays with them.” They did not realize there was an ordinance against poultry at the time of the birthday. After getting the verbal notice about the ordinance, Ms. Turnball stated that she never saw this ordinance ban in writing. Additionally, there was an upcoming vote that could possibly allow for chickens on their properties.
When asked why it was necessary to kill the young chicken instead of letting it be, Berger said the family was “not supposed to have them in the first place” and that he wanted to give the aggrieved neighbor “some results.” Turnbull said she doesn’t understand that logic. “I couldn’t perceive a chicken being a threat to anybody,” said Turnbull. It is obvious this officer has no regard for life and probably would be a danger to a pet dog, cat or any other animal since a chicken seemed to be such a threat to him. He definitely went way beyond the call of duty; it was not necessary to kill and decapitate a young boys cherished pet, leaving the evidence for his broken heart to witness.
Please sign and share this petition in an effort to get the police officer fired who went to extremes and killed a young boy's pet chicken In Atwater. The mother was trying to work with authorities because she knew she was in violation of the city ordinance regarding the possession of fowl. However, this "authority figure" did not have to go to the extreme of decapitating the 5-year olds chicken and let it lay their dying right next to the chicken coop. Sad and tragic for a young boy!
City Clerk Goldie Smith, Atwater Mayor Mark Olson, Atwater Police Department - It is appalling that you believe this officer Berger followed proper protocol by beating and decapitating a child's pet chicken because of a city ordinance against keeping poultry. The irony also is that you are actually considering allowing people to keep chickens and other fowl although it is not in effect at the time of this incident. After she was advised to remove the animals, a week later the officer trespassed on the property during the family's absence and killed the animal, leaving its bloody head near the chicken coop for the family and young boy to find when they returned. What kind of a threat could a small, young chicken hen cause to this officer that he had to brutally kill it and cut off its head. This is definitely beyond his call to duty and I would be fearful to have this guy protecting me, my family and pets if he has no disregard for life in any way. If a chicken is such a threat to him that he had to brutally kill it, what is going to happen in more dangerous situations?? You need to look more closely at these facts and get such a monster fired and off the streets. OMG! He was so terrified of a little chicken that he had to not only beat it to death but cut its head off! Something is wrong with this police system! And then to leave the bloody head there for that young boy to find - a pet he loved, cuddled and cared for!
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