Family Mourns Loss Of Dog Killed By Officer
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) -- A family is mourning the loss of their pet killed by police gunfire.
The family says they have gone to an attorney to see what options they have.
The dog's owners said Charlie their American Bulldog simply growled at the officer and he opened fire - killing him on Monday.
They also said police were on their property without consent.
Miami-Dade Police said they were serving an arrest warrant on a prior tenant at the northwest Miami-Dade home.
"I asked the cop, you shot my dog? He just looked at me and said 'no I wanted to scare him.' I'm like there's blood all over my porch 'oh I must have hit him then,'" said Lizett Vila about the officer's response.
According to the family, they warned the officers about the dog. They say Charlie barked and growled but never charged at the officer.
"My sister and my mom repeatedly said 'don't come inside. There's a dog. Let me put him away,'" said Adrian Garcia, Charlie's owner.
Afterwards, police could be seen searching the ground possibly for shell casings.
The Garcia family is left to wonder if the officer had any other choice.
"You don't walk in into a house without knowing if there's a dog. That was a very rookie move of them," said Garcia.
CBS4's Joan Murray reports she has yet to hear back from Miami-Dade Police on whether the officer had any other alternative to using a firearm.
