Doug's Views

Back on July 12th I had a blog post stating that a Columbus Firefighter shouldn’t lose his job because he had shot his dogs so he wouldn’t have to pay for boarding them while on vacation. My point was that the crime really had nothing to do with his job and was just another way people seem to want to draw and quarter anyone who does something they find abhorrent. Today it was announced the man was fired but shooting his dogs wasn’t the only reason for the termination.

It seems the idiot sent text messages about the incident and in one message seemed to threaten a police officer:

[Mitchell] Brown said that a major factor behind his decision was that investigators found text messages that were sent from Santuomo’s phone that detailed killing the dogs, including shooting one of them eight times before it died.

[David] Santuomo also had suspicions that a female Columbus police officer tipped off humane society agents, Kocot reported.

One of the text messages allegedly threatened the officer, Kocot reported.

“(You) realize (sic.) that there is a funeral in (Columbus Police department’s) future,” a text message read.

Fired Firefighter Allegedly Threatened Police

In another message he texted that he had done 3 stupid things – shooting the dogs, telling people about it, and not burying the dogs in the ground.

Add a fourth stupid thing – threatening the police.

I strongly believe in the right to privacy. What people do at home on their own time – as long as nothing is being harmed – is none of my business. Those actions also shouldn’t affect ones job either unless the action was part of the job. That’s why I don’t agree that a firefighter who shot his dogs so he wouldn’t have to pay a boarding fee should be fired from his job.

The thousands of people who e-mailed and called about a firefighter who shot his two dogs got the attention of Chief Ned Pettus Jr. Yesterday, Pettus recommended that Firefighter David Santuomo be fired.

Santuomo appeared in his dress uniform on Wednesday for a 30-minute meeting with Pettus at Fire Division headquarters, said Battalion Chief David Whiting, a division spokesman. A union representative was present to make sure Santuomo was treated fairly per the firefighters’ contract.

Pettus issued a one-page memo to Safety Director Mitchell Brown yesterday, recommending that Santuomo be fired.

Public may get its wish on firefighter

Santuomo, a 13-year veteran of the Fire Division, had pleaded guilty to three criminal misdemeanors — two counts of animal cruelty and one count of possessing a criminal tool — in June for the killing of the dogs.

I agree that the guy is a nut job and should be called out for his actions – and he did answer the charges – but unless the crime involved his job I don’t think he should lose his job.

I get tired of people wanting to draw and quarter anyone who does a despicable thing. It just doesn’t seem enough for the justice system to do its thing and some people want to return to the days of the public stocks and scarlet letters.