Bridgeton Man Pepper Sprayed for Barking at K-9

Each day that I get out of bed I learn something new every day.

Today’s lesson is that it’s a crime to bark at a police K-9 whilst performing its duties. And when you look at it on the surface, it does make sense. Whatever the police dog is doing is in the capacity of a police officer.But to follow the storyline of this report makes you wonder if the outcome was really necessary. At the very least, as I sit in my cold, dank, man cave writing this, I had to laugh out loud.

According to this:

A Bridgeton man was arrested Friday at the Millville High School football game when he allegedly refused to stop barking at a police dog.

Shannon S. Watford, 19, of Rogers Drive, in Bridgeton, was charged with interfering with a law enforcement animal, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.

Police were called to the game on reports of a fight breaking out. Millville Police K-9 Nitro was brought to help get the crowd under control.

Watford, who was not involved in the fight, began barking at and antagonizing Nitro, according to Millville Police spokesman Lt. Ed Zadroga.

The officer handling Nitro told Watford to stop and move along. At that point, Watford stomped his foot and continued barking, Zadroga said.

New Jersey law prohibits people from interfering with law enforcement animals when they are performing their duties.

When the officer told Watford that he was under arrest, he turned his back, according to Zadroga.

The officer again told him he was under arrest and told him to get down on the ground. Watford still resisted, Zadroga said.

Watford was pepper sprayed and placed under arrest.

He was lodged in Cumberland County Jail in lieu of $500 bail.

So here’s what we’ve learned thus far:

Shannon Watford is a douche that feels the need to bark at police dogs.
You cannot bark at a police dog while said dog is being used in the administration of law and order.

Should you resist the police officer’s directive to stop barking at said police dog, you can be placed under arrest and if you resist further, pepper spraying to the face could be the logical outcome, along with a stay in jail.

Do you feel the guy who was barking at a police K-9 dog deserved to be pepper sprayed?