Woman who acted as human shield between armed cop and her dog Buddy is acquitted of obstructing justice
- Tiffanie Hupp, 23, was arrested last May for protecting her dog Buddy
- She stood in front of the dog - who was chained to a wall - when state trooper Seth Cook aimed a gun at him
- Cook dropped his gun and arrested mother-of-two Hupp instead
- Her husband Ryan filmed the incident, Cook confiscated his phone
- Eventually the jury saw the footage, Mrs Hupp was acquitted last month
A woman who stood between an armed police officer and her dog has been acquitted of obstructing justice.
Tiffanie
Hupp, 23, was arrested on May 9 last year after she stopped West
Virginia state trooper Seth Cook from shooting her dog Buddy, who was
chained to a wall at their home in Parkersburg.
During
a jury trial which was concluded on February 29, Cook said he had been
trained to shoot dogs, whether or not they are chained.
Cook had been called to the property to solve a dispute between Hupp's husband's stepfather and a neighbor.
This is the moment West Virginia state trooper Seth Cook aimed his gun at Buddy the dog last May
Hupp, a mother-of-two from Parkersburg, pictured left. Her dog Buddy pictured right
When Cook stepped on to the family's front yard, Buddy started yapping and ran towards him.
Turning his attention to the canine, Cook pulled out a handgun and pointed it at Buddy.
Horrified, Hupp's husband Ryan started filming the incident as Hupp ran to stand in the way.
The video shows mother-of-two Hupp tentatively step in front of the gun with her head bowed.
Cook then drops his weapon, grabs Hupps arms and hurls her to the ground.
As her relatives scream, he picks her up and slams her onto his cop car, handcuffing her wrists.
He then went inside their home to confiscate electronic devices, including Mr Hupp's cell phone.
Cook told a jury he was trained to shoot a dog if it approached him, even if it was chained like Buddy
Buddy's owner Tiffanie Hupp, 23, ran to stand between Cook and her dog
As her husband Ryan filmed the incident, she tentatively stepped in front of Cook's weapon
Cook grabbed Hupp's arm and hurled her out the way
He is then seen throwing her to the ground as Hupp's relatives looked on in horror
She was charged with obstructing justice and released on bail.
On February 29, a jury acquitted Hupp after watching her husband's footage of the arrest.
After the trial, Hupp told local blog Photography Is Not A Crime: 'If it wasn’t for him recording, there’d be nothing.
'He knew about police brutaty before I did. But that’s why the camera is shaking, because of the adrenaline.
'When
they read those words "not guilty", we were relieved. It’s hard to
describe the feeling unless it’s actually happening to you. Justice is
good, though.'
Cook - who had been called to the area to deal with her neighbor - then lifted her up to arrest her
As her relatives scream, he picks her
up and slams her onto his cop car, handcuffing her wrists. He then went
inside their home to confiscate electronic devices, including Mr Hupp's
cell phone
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3482196/Woman-acted-human-shield-armed-cop-dog-Buddy-acquitted-obstructing-justice.html
