York Police Commissioner explains incident in which officer shot two dogs, killing one

York City Police officers responded to a call Sunday morning for a neighborhood dispute, a fairly routine call.

The incident ended with two dogs being shot by a police officer, one apparently fatally.

Police Commissioner Michael Muldrow posted an account of the incident on Facebook, expressing his condolences to the family while justifying the officer’s actions, noting that the officer was bitten three times by one of the dogs.

A police department spokesperson said the department “will not be releasing further information at this time.”

Details of the incident remain unclear, but Muldrow wrote a detailed account of his review of his officers’ reports and body camera footage.

The initial conflict escalated to the point where one participant was taken to York Hospital after “allegedly being struck with a pistol by a known actor,” Muldrow posted on Facebook, describing it as an offence of aggravated assault.

During the investigation, Muldrow wrote, officers identified the suspects and were directed to the Jessup Place home. As per police protocol, officers were positioned in front of the home and around the back, away from the alley.

According to Muldrow, the officers were greeted by two young women who explained why they were there and who they were looking for.

One of the women told officers she owned the home and that the men officers were looking for were no longer there, Muldrow wrote. Officers told her they needed to inspect the home because of the “seriousness of the allegations and the potential presence of a firearm,” Muldrow wrote.

The woman who identified herself as the owner of the home was initially uncooperative, Muldrow said, and asked officers to “get a warrant.” Later, Muldrow wrote, she complied with the officers’ request.

“As they prepared to enter,” Muldrow wrote, “there was a brief discussion between the owner and the officers in the front about the dogs and the people inside.”

The owner told police that “the dogs would not appreciate seeing the police.”

Officers asked that the dog be placed in the backyard and everyone in the home, including the children, go out to the front, Muldrow wrote. The woman placed the dogs on the back deck. Muldrow wrote that she can be heard on a body camera telling the dogs to “get down.”

Officers began searching the home while one officer remained stationed in the 2,400-square-foot backyard, Muldrow wrote.

“A short time later,” Muldrow wrote, “a small child is seen coming out of the back of the house alone.” The child approaches the officer and asks where his Taser is. The officer asks the child if he can ask his mother to secure the patio fence, which had been secured by a baby gate leaning against it, Muldrow wrote.

“Suddenly,” Muldrow wrote, “the two dogs appeared in the field of vision (to the officer’s right) and rushed toward him. At that point, the officer drew his firearm and responded, discharging his weapon several times, appearing to hit both dogs.”

One dog fell and the other ran away, Muldrow wrote. The officer could be heard on the video saying he had been bitten, the commissioner reported.

Officers later located the second dog and returned it to its owner for treatment, Muldrow wrote.

A supervisor and officers at the scene attempted to contact the owner, “but they were understandably too upset at the time,” Muldrow wrote.

The officer was treated for “three dog bites to his right leg, caused by one or both dogs,” Muldrow wrote. One of them, he wrote, punctured “the 1.5-inch leather wallet in his pocket,” the commissioner wrote.

“While it is important to recognize that the law allows officers to use force against ‘threatening animals’ in lawful situations (as was indeed the case in this instance), I recognize that these were still beloved pets to their owners, so (once again) my heart goes out to them (and all who witnessed this),” Muldrow wrote.

“That said… I am sorry the dogs were injured, I am glad the officer is safe; and I will follow up with the family, the officers involved, my department team, and city administration to see if there is anything else we can do to help them or support this child through this traumatic experience,” the commissioner wrote.

He wrote: “As a pet owner, this incident is heartbreaking. I too love my dog, consider him a member of the family and would be very upset by this loss. The police should never aim to take a life (human or animal). So please know that I do not take your concerns and the feelings of this family lightly.”

When contacted, the owner of the dogs did not immediately wish to comment on the incident.

This article was originally published on York Daily Record: Muldrow explains case where York police officer shot 2 dogs, killing one