Hannah Davis,
WICHITA, Kan. -
The 2300 block of Rita in south Wichita was quiet
Wednesday afternoon, but neighbors say they're still shaken up from the what
happened there the day before.
Police say someone called 911 Tuesday to report a
vicious dog on the loose. Police say the caller told them a black lab had
chased a young boy up a tree. When the first officer arrived he talked to the
boy and says he could see marks on the boy from the dog. The officer says the
dog charged him, and that is when he fired three times, hitting the dog twice.
Eyewitness news talked to the boy's mom. She says the
dog did not bite her son, but did chase him when he was on his bike. The mom
says her son is distraught about what happened and walked over to check on the
dog's owner Tuesday night.
Dustin Cranston owns the black lab "Echo."
He says his dog has never been aggressive and doesn't know how the dog got out
of his fenced in backyard.
"Echo is the sweetest dog there is. My favorite
memories with her are going on hikes in Colorado, I was in a beautiful place
with a beautiful dog," Cranston said.
Cranston works overnights and woke up when he heard
police shooting at his dog. Cranston says the 4-year-old lab ran into the house
covered in blood.
"She was shaking and must of used the last of her
strength to get back home," Cranston said.
Cranston is angry with police for using what he calls
"excessive force" but he's also upset that the officer's bullets hit
his fence and home.
"I mean bullets can ricochet, there were people
out here watching everything going on and anyone could have been hit,"
Cranston said.
Police say they will open an investigation, as they do
whenever an officer discharges a firearm. A spokesperson for the Wichita Police
Department says officers took photos of the scene and will look into whether
any policies were violated.
Neighbors like Garrett Rae saw the incident and say
they don't think police needed to use such force.
"It just makes me upset when you see someone in
that position abuse their power," Rae said. " That dog was whimpering
on the ground and he took another shot."
The dog's owner says he was surprised to find out
Wednesday afternoon that his dog was still alive. He hopes to reunite with his
dog soon but don't know if that will happen.
"I know I've learned one thing for sure. I will
make sure every gate is locked and I'm keeping my dog inside so there is no way
someone can let her out," Cranston said.
Cranston is fighting to get his dog back home and
started this facebook page to get support.
