Shocking police body camera footage shows the moment an officer shot and killed a “non-aggressive” 13-pound dog that was deaf and blind.
On Tuesday morning, officers from Sturgeon Police Station responded to a report of a missing dog.
Nick Hunter, 35, reported his fluffy, 13-pound, white Shih Tzu mix missing. Of most concern to the owner, the 5-year-old dog is deaf and hard of hearing. Hunter reportedly told the operator that the dog was not aggressive “at all.”
Officer Myron Woodson of the Sturgeon Police Department reportedly responded to a report of a missing dog.
Officer Woodson reportedly fired two shots at the 13-pound dog within minutes of attempting to find the disabled dog.
Officer Woodson found a small Shih Tzu dog.
Body camera footage shows Woodson approaching the small dog and holding a catch stick.
In body camera footage, the dog, named Teddy, can be seen trotting around aimlessly as officers attempt to grab the distressed dog with a rope but are unsuccessful, and the dog continues to wander randomly across the grassy yard.
In the video, the dog can be seen playing with tree vines.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, footage appears of a police officer shooting and killing a small dog just three minutes after encountering it, even though the dog was not aggressive toward the officer.
Police body camera footage shows the officer shooting the dog at the 5:35 mark, then firing another shot at the 5:41 mark.
Body camera footage shows the officer returning to his patrol car to get a trash can, walking to the scene of the death and placing the dog’s body in the trash can. The officer then placed the trash can with the dead animal in the back of his patrol car.
The owner of the slain dog, Nick Hunter, appears extremely upset and is seen confronting officers before they drive off in their car. Hunter records officers questioning him, according to the video.
Hunter told officers his dog was “totally blind and totally deaf.”
Officer Woodson attempted to defend his deadly actions by stating that he saw a “dog roaming around blind,” that he could only respond to the situation based on the “information at hand,” and that he spent 10 minutes dealing with the dog “roaming around blind.”
“Shooting dogs is no fun,” Woodson argues.
“It’s unfortunate that the dog had to be shot,” Woodson says in the video.
Hunter told officers there are many non-lethal ways to deal with the situation other than getting the dog to respond.
“I’m sorry I had to do that, that’s all,” Woodson said.
“If a dog is euthanized for the right reasons, I can bear its death,” Hunter says.
“He was not aggressive towards people and did not harm anyone,” he added.
Hunter accused the officers of “failing to use appropriate measures short of lethal force.”
The owner claims the dog escaped from its kennel because its collar had come loose.
The City of Sturgeon released the following statement defending Officer Woodson’s deadly actions:
The City has reviewed the call reports and body camera footage from the recent loose dog incident. The City believes the officers acted within their authority based on the information available to them at the time to prevent harm to citizens from a dog that was believed to be injured, sick or abandoned. According to the call, the caller did not want to be contacted and reported that the dog was injured, though not dangerous, possibly blind, and had mud and dried blood in its fur. The dog’s odd behavior appeared to be consistent with the call report of a dog that was injured or possibly sick. The City will be sending all officers to Boone County Animal Control for training and education to better enable officers to respond to future loose animal calls and to prevent this unfortunate situation from occurring again.
Hunter said Kay Miz“I made a formal complaint to Sturgeon and requested to speak to the Mayor. The Mayor did not contact me and instead posted a statement that contradicted what I and the officer spoke about, stating that the officer feared Teddy had rabies.”
Hunter insisted her dog’s rabies vaccine was up to date.
“The officers were acting solely on the fact that the dog was deaf and blind and was walking with its head turned sideways,” Hunter argued.
He added: “We are hopeful that these officers and future officers can find ways to properly follow that fourth continuum level rather than immediately resorting to lethal force, which should always be the last resort when dealing with any life.”
Hunter told the news outlet he plans to sue the City of Sturgeon over the shooting of his dog.
(WARNING: The following police body camera footage is extremely disturbing and graphic)
Body camera footage shows Sturgeon dog being shotYoutube
