Family Raided by SWAT and their Dog Shot for Being Unable to Pay Utility Bill
“This is an example of police overreaching and using excessive force to get a family out of their house"


by Matt Agorist | Free Thought Project | June 6, 2015
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Nothing says Police State USA quite like a SWAT team raiding a family home and killing their dog because they are unable to pay their natural gas bill.

The woman whose dog was killed and home destroyed by SWAT officers is Angela Zorich, and her story about her police state experience will shock the conscious.

According to a federal lawsuit filed this month, Zorich was the victim of a massive military-style raid and subsequent puppycide. The raid was carried out because police said they needed “to check if her home had electricity and natural gas service.”

“This is an example of police overreaching and using excessive force to get a family out of their house,” said Kenneth Chackes to the Riverfront Times, the attorney who represents Zorich.

According to the lawsuit, on April 25, 2014, St. Louis County Police officers came to her house. Her son cussed at them. They inspected the home’s exterior and placed a “Problem Properties” sticker on the front window.

Days after being publicly shamed and labeled by the St. Louis Police Department as a “Problem,” on April 28, Zorich called them to follow up. She was told by police that she was being investigated for failing to have natural gas or electric service; two violations against city code.

Zorich admitted to the police that she did not have gas, but said that she did have electricity. Zorich asked for another inspection to prove that she had the utilities. The officer told her that was fine, but that the investigation would continue.

The next day, on April 29, 2014, the home of Angela Zorich was raided by multiple officers from the St. Louis County Police Tactical Response Unit.

The Riverfront Times outlines the details of the lawsuit:

Zorich was at home with several family members and her pit bull, Kiya, when a St. Louis County Police Tactical Response Unit burst through the door without knocking, according to her suit. The unit had at least five officers with M-4 rifles, supported by at least eight uniformed officers.

The officers entered so quickly, Zorich’s suit alleges, that Kiya didn’t even have time to bark. A tactical officer fired three shots into the dog, and the dog’s “bladder and bowels released and she fell to the floor.” The dog “was laying on the floor in her own waste and blood struggling to breathe. She had a gaping hole in her chest.”

Zorich claims the officers kept trying to talk to her about the natural gas, but she was focused on her dog, whom she’d raised as a puppy and who (she says) had “never shown agression to any person.”

At one point in the raid, Zorich alleges, an officer pointed his firearm at her son’s head and said “One word, motherfucker, and I’ll put three in you.”

Zorich was subsequently taken into custody at the police station. When she was finally let go and allowed to return to her home, she found to be completely trashed. Beds had been overturned, and items that were once on shelves had been thrown to the floor.

The citations issued to Zorich, which had allegedly justified the heavily militarized raid on her home, were for substandard siding, guard rail, screens, window glass and deck.

A dozen armed men dressed for war, were dispatched to a woman’s home, killed her dog, and kidnapped her because of some moldy wood and her inability to pay her gas bill.

In what world is this considered “justice”?

The apologists will say that Angela Zorich provoked police into this action against her. If she didn’t want to be raided, they will say, she should have just paid her gas bill. The thought of the raid being retaliatory in nature won’t enter their minds.

Named in the lawsuit is the county of St. Louis and two officers, Corey Zavorka and Robert M. Rinck. Her allegations include unlawful seizure and unlawful infliction of emotional distress (for the killing of the dog) and unlawful retaliation.

Hopefully, with her legal team, Zorich gets the actual justice she deserves.


WTF is with police and shooting peoples pets, this happens all the time, even to peaceful pets who pose no threat. i just saw a video on youtube where a cop caught a dog with one of those poles with the loop on the end (not sure what they are called) and after he already caught the dog, shot it in the head for no reason. the dog was a bit schitzed out at first but then completely calmed down, and this @$$hole pulls out his gun and shoots the poor dog right in the head for no reason. and why the phuck are these clowns in costumes military style raiding peoples houses for an unpaid gas bill? anybody who thinks we dont live in a police state, this is a prime example.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhxFGq4_u84

the link is a video to a trailer of a movie called "Of dogs and men" based on the epidemic of police killing peoples pets, alot of time for no reason. over 10,000 dogs are killed every year by police, i wonder how many police are killed by dogs every year? NONE, not 1 law enforcement officer has ever been killed by a dog and yet they shoot peoples pets because they "fear for their life". this $h1t is sickening. maybe its just me cause im an animal lover but cops like this should be locked in a straightjacket in a room with padded walls, or die by firing squad like they do to these poor pets.

The woman whose dog was killed and home destroyed by SWAT officers is Angela Zorich, and her story about her police state experience will shock the conscious. im greg from houston texas add me up lets be friends...looking for love a long time relationship

just when you thought we where at the top of the craziness , it keeps getting crazier

just waiting for someone (pet owner) to trip out

i wouldn't blame them at all

if a cop ever shot my dog, they would probably end up shooting me as well because i don think i would be able to hold back from trying to kill them. like i said though i watched a video on youtube and these cops had a dog in one of those "catchpole" things and AFTER the dog calms down, the cops shoots it in the head for no apparent reason. like WTF is wrong with these people? any cop that shoots an innocent animal is a grade a scumbag in my book and IMO i would say i hope they go to hell, but i think hell would be too nice for them. and its a fact that over 10,000 dogs per year get killed by police and its also a fact that a cop has NEVER been killed in the line of duty from being attacked by a dog. phucking sickens me to no end. and another funny thing i learned recently, did you know that certain police departments have actually banned cops from having a high IQ rating? its like they want dumb retards patrolling the streets.

i got really lucky , the 2 cops that came in the house where i live atm , looking for and old room mate , where dog lovers

and yeah i am not sure what i would do , my child means the world to me

with out her i have nothing to loose

this is ridiculous though, all because her gas was turned off, that justifies a swat team raiding your house? and cops wonder why people hate them?

Around here, if a customer gets too far in arrears on an electric bill, the power company simply removed the power meter. This opens the circuit, cutting off electric service.

For natural gas customers, I thought gas meters had main valves with integrated hasp, so the service can be shut off, and locked.

This is an amazingly silly comment.

a) Most dogs are keen to identify the "Alpha". Most dogs already know the alpha in their own "pack" (known to humans as "family").
A dog that may generally have a docile disposition, can become aggressive if it perceives it's own pack's alpha is threatened. Dogs recognize the threat. Very real.
BUT !!
They're just not sophisticated enough to understand it's not like the COP is going to sniff the husband's butt, and then bite his leg. Dogs don't understand our legal system.

b) It is very sad that pet custodians (aka "owners") are so commonly irresponsible. When the COPs arrive, the dog should be chained out of reach.
It's shocking how frequently this spectacularly sensible protocol is ignored; to the detriment of all involved!
Simply failing to chain the dog out of reach proved fatal in this case, and according to t8, in many other cases.

c) I put 60 miles a week on my Schwinn. It's an excellent form of cardiovascular exercise, but there are risks:
- road hazards: I've gotten flat tires more than once
- mechanical failure: cable snap, chain break, etc.
- being caught out in bad weather, including downpour & lightning
- wild deer bolting, most dangerous at dawn and dusk
- wild turkey could easily knock a rider off his ride
- wild bear, less common than deer, but more threatening
- drunken rednecks in rusty pickup trucks
- * being chased down by automobiles and accosted
- By far the most severe danger is ostensibly domesticated canids. We have both fox & coyote here. I've never had a problem with them. The nearest problem I've ever had was a coyote trotting toward me (perhaps it neither saw nor smelled me). It got within about 20', and then turned 90 degrees and disappeared in the vegetation.
It is the ostensibly domesticated dog that is so dangerous.
Don't take my word for it. Ask any postman you know.
And in fact, dogs are so dangerous, they're more dangerous than all these other bicycling risks combined.

And if you put 1,500 miles a year on a bicycle, you'll soon discover that.

The police don't shoot dogs for sport. Most COPs I know are professionals.
And if it's as common as t8 says, there's likely to be a reason for it.

* In every case, in conjunction with my defending myself against a dog attack. In all cases the angry owner, the criminal sociopath has been perfectly content to break the leash law, and allow their cute little fluffy to threaten human life. They don't have a problem with their dog attacking me. They're angry with me for defending myself.

And the saddest thing of all is; it's the irresponsible pet custodians that deserve the penalty; but it's the dog that loses.

How terribly, and entirely NEEDLESSLY sad!

her gas was shut off which is against city ordinance, so a swat team raided her house with assault rifles. and it was a no knock raid so the "responsible" pet owners had no time to restrain their dog. a no knock raid with a swat team is beyond insanity for a violation of city ordinance. they act like this lady was on the FBI top 10 most wanted list. SHE VIOLATED A CITY ORDINANCE FOR NOT HAVING GAS IN HER HOUSE. that in no way justifies having a phuking swat team kicking the door in, that is just absurd.



there has been cases where they have shot chihuahuas. any cop who is that afraid of a chihuahua should not be a cop. if your that deathly afraid of a dog the size of a football you have some serious issues and should not be a cop. a cop has NEVER been killed by a dog in the line of duty, but yet kill thousands of dogs every year because they fear that much for their "safety" bull$h1t. and sometimes they arent even at the right house, and they kill the persons pet. or they go onto property that is marked as private and shoot a dog that approaches them, when they shouldnt even be on the property in the first place. like i said i watched a video of a cop who had a dog restrained in one of those catchpole things, the dog schitzed out at first, but eventually calms down. after the dog calms down and is no threat, the cop pulls his weapon and shoots it in the head from 3 feet away. thats f'ing bull$h1t. some people got some serious issues.

I agree. You've made a constructive, enlightening, well reasoned, persuasive argument. Thanks.

BUT !!

That's only half of it.
It's very easy for you and me to sit in our comfortable chairs in our safe secure homes, and back-seat drive the COPs to the dog house.
The question isn't merely what the COPs should not have done.
The question is, what should have been done instead?
Perhaps not a SWAT team, but a social worker, or a banker.

But I don't necessarily blame the SWAT COP responders.
I think their command, the one or ones that dispatched them to this case.
As you say, wtf is that about?!

I would sincerely like to know t8:
What do you think should have been done instead?
And how do you think that would have achieved the objectives of the mission?

It's not that simple.

a) Even a scratch from a rabid animal can be deadly.

b) Most COPs will tell you, the kind of case they hate to cover most is domestic disturbances. They're tired of having to arrest the guy, and while they're installing the bracelets, the girl friend brains them with a frying pan.
It's why COPs sometimes order residents to the floor.

c) The dog could be a distraction, while it's menacing, the guy may be reaching for his .38 under the seat cushion.
COPs do NOT like distractions.

It seems to be an over reaction by the cops. Maybe there's more not being told.

what do i think could have been done instead? how about for starters not sending guys armed with assault rifles on a no knock raid because someone doesnt have gas turned on in their house, that would be good for starters.

maybe send 1 officer, or some kind of city employee to talk to them. and have them knock at the door, instead of kicking it in and shooting their pet and trashing their house while their held at gunpoint.

it would be pretty easy actually IMO. i could think of 10 different ways to do it all without pointing guns at people while shooting their pet and trashing their house. and the rabid dog part is kind of ridiculous IMO, who the hell would keep a rabid animal in their home with their family, that makes 0 sense. me and you usually think alike in most situations, but this is definitely one where we disagree. im finding it hard to believe that your even trying to justify this. that amount of force was in no way needed AT ALL. you dont need assault rifles to ***** at someone over not having their gas turned on, thats just ridiculous. they could have easily send ONE cop there, had him knock on the door and ask the lady to come outside, or ask if he can come in and give her time to put the dog away. this situation could have EASILY been prevented.

Probably can understand the reluctance of the Cop,or as a matter of Fact,anyone,turning their backs on a Pitbull!

Read your own posted article...they tried that first....


"" According to the lawsuit, on April 25, 2014,
St. Louis County Police officers came to her
house. Her son cussed at them.""

Maybe he said something threatening also, Idk.
To say that article is biased is a huge understatement. Ill wait on the outcome of the lawsuit, and both sides of the story, before forming an opinion.
But you go ahead and get all wound up Mater.....

Gangs like Pitbulls, cops don't.

so they sent a cop and her son cursed at them, so thats a justifiable reason to send a tactical team with assault rifles to kick their door in? doesnt make sense to me.

im already wound archer. this all started over breaking a city ordinance for not having gas turned on at the house, and ended with swat members kickin the door down. thats just abusing authority. there was no reason for that.

i've seen pitbulls that were the sweetest dogs you would ever meet. not all pits are vicious killers. a dog is a dog whether its a labrador or a pit. dogs arent born vicious theyre trained to be that way. a buddy of mine breeds pitbulls, not one of his dogs are mean, theyre all lap dogs. its all how you train them.

Maybe he said "Motherfricker gonna catch hell if he try to get in my motherfrickin house".....Idk.
Wonder what wldve happened if he woulda just let em in the first visit....hmmmmm......

who knows. i could be over reacting and there may be more to the story. but i just find it hard to believe they had no other viable option than to kick their door in with a swat team and point guns at their family and shoot their dog. there had to be a more reasonable solution to this.

You guys make a sharp point. You're probably right.

You're swiffing here t8.
We've already agreed they shouldn't have.
The question is; what should they have done instead.
This didn't answer the question, merely affirmed it.

al may already have addressed this:
a tersely worded letter might make more sense.
I think al's counterpoint is; they already did some or all that.

What I do not understand is: what was their mission objective.
Were they there to insure the pilot light on her stove was off?
Or just to make her want to move to Cincinnati?

To do WHAT?!

btw al, I love the hat! Does it keep pink elephants away?

and the Cop,of course,knowing how that particular one was trained?