A family says their pet dog had to be put to sleep after it was shot by a police officer outside their home in northwest Miami-Dade Monday.
The incident happened at a home off of 18th Avenue and Northwest 122 Street, where the dog's owner lives with her son. She said she walked outside to see if the garbage had been picked up when suddenly she saw officers arrive in an unmarked police car.
According to the family, the officers showed them a photo of someone who does not live at their home. They believe police were looking for someone who used to live there; they've only been living there for three months.
The woman said when she saw the officers she alerted them about her dog. The American bulldog then came out and allegedly only barked but did not attack the officer. Seconds later, they say the officer shot their dog Charlie in the throat.
"Repeatedly my mom said 'back away, step outside, let me put my dog in a leash, let me hide him so you guys can come inside,'" son Adrian Garcia said. "She never prevented the officers from coming in. She just warned them 'there's a dog inside, please step outside.'"
The family took Charlie to the animal hospital, but doctors had to put him to sleep.
"When you trespass, any dog that's a big dog that guards its territory, his alarm is going to go off and say, 'Hey, don't come any closer,'" Garcia said.
Miami-Dade Police officials said the officers were at the home as part of an investigation and said the shooting is being investigated by the professional compliance bureau.
