Chandler
Police officers shoot dog; family says it wasn't necessary
By
Nicole Garcia, FOX 10 News
CHANDLER,
Ariz. - A Chandler family is demanding answers from Chandler Police after
officers opened fired on their dog killing it, even though it was in their own
yard.
Caution:
the video attached to this story is graphic and may not be suitable for all
audiences.
That
family is very emotional, and an internal investigation is launched after the
officer killed the dog when it was fighting with another dog inside its fenced
enclosure.
"I
don't see again, his need to walk 12 feet from the sidewalk to an enclosure and
shoot my dog," said Javier Robles.
Robles
is 3-year-old Simone's owner, Simone is one of the familys pit bulls. She was
inside the enclosure when the officer shot him. He said his 3-year-old daughter
saw the shooting from inside the home, and now she is traumatized.
"She
says that her doggie blew up, that she hates cop; she woke up having a
nightmare last night saying that her doggie blew up, she's been crying all
day," he said.
Chandler
Police said they got two 911 calls about two dogs fighting. When they arrived
they found one dog had the other dogs face in his mouth. The dogs were
separated by the fence and when one officer could not separate the dogs using a
baton the other officer shot Simone.
But
Robles doubts the officers account of what happened. "It's physically
impossible for a pit bull to fit its mouth threw that small opening, the blood,
you see there and on the floor, is from the officer, you can even see brain
fragments because the officer blew my dogs brains out. Right here, point
blank," said Robles.
He
recorded a confrontation with officers who refused to tell him why they shot
his dog.
Robles
says he has surveillance video of the shooting. Police could not say whether
the dogs threatened the officers, neither officer was injured.
An
investigation into the shooting is underway as is an internal investigation
into the use of force by officers. The officer who opened fire, remains on duty
during both investigations.