IMPD officer shoots dog while responding to domestic call
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — An Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officer fatally shot a dog while responding to a domestic dispute call last week.
The video of the incident was caught on camera by a doorbell. It showed officers walking up the steps to the home on Friday just before 5 p.m. Moments after knocking on the door the video shows a dog running out of the house.
One officer pulled a gun and shot the dog. That same officer fired a second shot moments later after the dog tumbled down the stairs.
“He shot an innocent dog that was literally trying to run out the gate. That’s what he does. He runs out the gate when me or my mom comes up, or the kids come up,” said Ashley Bills.
The dog belongs to Bills’ mom.
Bills said he was 2-1/2 years old and named Dbo.
“He was like our baby. He’s playful. If he sees you he will want to play. He’ll jump on you. He was a playful dog. He was just a big dog,” she said.
The gate at their house has a “Beware of Dog” sign to let people know Dbo was there.
“He’s going to say he was scared, but I don’t think he was scared. I think he was really trying to pull his weight around and he was frustrated because he was called to that address,” Bills said.
IMPD records show police have been called to the address on Adams Street at least three times since late April. One call was for a suicidal person, another was for vandalism and this final time was for a domestic disturbance.
The family told I-Team 8 that nobody was at home when police arrived for this latest call.
IMPD said the Civilian-Majority Use of Force Board is reviewing the situation. The board will decide if the use of force was necessary.
Because the review is active IMPD said it cannot comment on the incident.
“I believe that they should be held accountable. There’s no reason why that dog should have been gunned down like that. You could have tased that dog,” Bills said.
The officer who fired the shots is still working on the streets. IMPD said if he had shot a person, he would have been placed on administrative leave.