Family wants answers after Haskell police officer shoots dog; authorities say dog was aggressive
HASKELL, Ark. – A family said they are grieving after they said their dog was shot by a Haskell police officer.
The owners of the dog said they’ve never known their pet to be aggressive or vicious, however, the Haskell Police Department says differently.
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Jennifer Box said her family is in shock after coming home Sunday afternoon and finding their dog shot.
“I saw he had this big bullet hole in his face and his jaw,” Box said.
Box said her dog “Demon” also known as “Pup Pup,” was a pit bull and lab mix.
“My husband and I had to put him down,” Box said.
When asked if she’s ever known her dogs to be vicious, Box said, “ No not at all, they just horseplay with each other, but they don’t go out after people or anybody.”
According to the Haskell Police Department, officers responded to a vicious animal call in the 300 block of Jay Street.
The officer on the scene spoke to the caller who said three dogs from the neighborhood came into her yard and attacked her own dog however she was able to make it back inside with her pet.
Haskell police say that the dogs approached the officer, he yelled and got them to go home. The officer said he then followed the animals to the home and said they became aggressive and attempted to attack him.
Police said the officer tried to use a stun gun first, but when he couldn’t get away from the dogs safely, that’s when he fired a shot, injuring the dog.
“He was just miserable,” Box said. “Bleeding, swelling everywhere.”
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Haskell police say they’ve verbally warned her to keep the dogs put up in the past.
Box said when she left her home Sunday, the dogs were in the shed.
“I don’t know if they got out or if somebody let them out but they do not attack people, they do not attack other animals,” Box said.
Police said they were unable to contact Box after the incident. It wasn’t until Box and her husband arrived home four hours later and tried to report their dog being shot that they found out the officer was the one who pulled the trigger.
“If that was the case if my dog was aggressive, they need to release the body camera,” Box said.
KARK 4 News contacted Haskell police and was told that there is no body camera footage because the body camera wasn’t turned on.
Box said if it’s true that her dog was aggressive, “I would understand that.”
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KARK 4 News also contacted the person who made the call about dogs but they did not want to do an interview.
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