Kaufman County sheriff's deputy shoots family dog while responding to 911 call
KAUFMAN COUNTY, Texas - A North Texas sheriff's office is investigating a deputy's actions after he shot and killed a dog while responding to a non-violent domestic call.
The Kaufman County Sheriff's Office says it's investigating an incident during which a deputy arrived at a home for a non-violent call and then shot and killed a family dog.
The incident happened in March after the family says a 911 call was placed over a verbal argument. When the deputy arrived, he shot the family's German shepherd mix.
Body camera shows just how quickly it all happened.
Kaufman County Sheriff’s Office body camera footage shows a deputy responding to a domestic call at a home off Joyce Road on March 26 around 6:45 a.m.
Seconds after the deputy walked through the front gate, he identified himself before shooting the family’s dog after it jumped from a porch toward him.
FOX 4 is choosing not to show the seconds after the shooting in which you can hear the dog yelping in pain.
Heather Thomas’ 5-year-old dog, Loki, died from the shooting.
That was my best friend, and we buried him over there," she said.
In a statement to FOX 4, the sheriff’s office says it is "conducting a thorough investigation to understand the circumstances surrounding the incident and will take appropriate actions, as necessary. Our thoughts are will all those affected by this incident."
Alex Del Carmen is associate dean of criminology at Tarleton State University. He raises questions about the deputy appearing to use a cell phone for light instead of a standard-issued flashlight and possibly not placing himself in the best situation to be aware of his surroundings before the shooting.
"After I reviewed the video, I was very concerned," he said. "The answer to that I think is that the officer is going be have found to at least have broken a couple of policies related to that."
Del Carmen says the sheriff’s office will work to determine if the deputy truly perceived a threat that warranted shooting the dog.
"Much in the same way, by the way, as officers use force against suspects, right?" he said.
Thomas believes her dog was not trying to hurt the deputy.
"No, he just jumped off. He was coming out here to go to the bathroom," she said.
As sad she is now, Thomas believes the shooting could have been worse.
"He shot toward my house when there was other people in there and me two feet away. He could’ve killed me," she said.
In the statement from the sheriff’s office, it adds that "high-stress scenarios are often difficult and complex."