(WWJ) A Detroit woman has filed a lawsuit against the city and a police officer who killed her dog earlier this month.
Police were searching for evidence in a theft from a dollar store on the city's east side, when a police dog put its nose through a fence and was bit by the resident's dog.
The K-9 officer then fatally shot the pit bull, named Chino.
Attorneys for Rosemary White say the dog was killed for no reason; and, in the process, White's civil rights were violated.
Attorneys note that, while the suspect police were looking for had likely run through White’s yard while trying to evade police, he had no relation whatsoever to the White.
The lawsuit states that, although Chino was secured behind an eight-foot-tall fence, the police officer "coolly removed her gun from its holster, and shot Chino in the head, killing him."
"Disturbingly, the police officer shot Chino right in front of Ms. White’s 18 year-old daughter, who visibly and physically traumatized by the incident," reads a release by Marko Law, PLLC, a Michigan Civil Rights firm.
- View a copy of the lawsuit -
Attorneys contend that no dog or human would have been in danger had it not been for the officer's "actions and inaction."
“If you can stomach it, watch the video – the evidence speaks for itself," said attorney Jon Marko. "How many choices did the officer have besides needlessly taking the life of a dog? She could have easily pulled the K-9 away from the fence, given it commands, or called for assistance. Is this what we’ve come to America? How is it acceptable to execute someone’s dog in their own fenced in front yard in front of their kids?”
Speaking to reporters last week, Police Chief James Craig said the police dog’s muzzle was in Chino's mouth, Chino wouldn’t let go, and White made no move to intervene.
“I can say that the K-9 officer made an attempt to dislodge the dog,” Craig said. “She was concerned about the safety of her partner, which in this case was a K-9, and she fired a single shot.”
Craig said his department was investigating the case, and that it would also be reviewed by the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office.