K-9 dies after officer accidentally shoots it while firing at neighbor’s dogs: TX cops

A K-9 died after Texas police said an off-duty officer accidentally shot it while firing at his neighbor’s dogs.

San Antonio police responded to a home on the city’s northwest side at about 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 28, after a fellow officer reported a shooting in progress, the department said in a news release.

The officer, who is a K-9 handler and 16-year veteran of the department, told officers he was trying to protect the K-9 assigned to him during a dog attack. According to police, three dogs belonging to the officer’s neighbor “had broken through a wooden fence separating the properties” and went after his K-9 in his backyard.

He tried to separate the dogs but when that didn’t work, he opened fire, hitting the neighbor’s dogs and his own, police said.

“Two of the attacking dogs were struck by gunfire. The (officer’s) K9 was also struck by gunfire,” according to police. “The complainant transported his K9 immediately to a vet clinic where it succumbed to its injuries.”

Nobody was arrested, but animal control officers cited the neighbor for violations, police said.

The neighbors, Roderick and Amanda Harris, say they were home during the incident but heard the commotion too late to intervene, WOAI reported.

“My dogs play with any dog in the world they’re not going to try to kill you,” Roderick Harris told the station, adding that one of his dogs died and another is receiving treatment. “My dogs are house dogs, my dogs aren’t fighting dogs, they’re not outside dogs, you know what I mean.”

The off-duty officer has been placed on administrative duty while the incident is investigated, according to police. Two investigations have been launched, with one being conducted by Internal Affairs and the other by the department’s Shooting Team.

This story was originally published September 29, 2024 at 12:30 PM with the headline "K-9 dies after officer accidentally shoots it while firing at neighbor’s dogs: TX cops."