A Stark County deputy was fired after fatally shooting one stray dog and seriously injuring another during a response to an animal complaint earlier this week.
On Tuesday, June 10, a resident in the 800 block of 6th Street SW called 911 to report two aggressive stray dogs roaming the neighborhood. The caller told dispatchers the dogs had bitten her grandson. A second person was also reportedly bitten.
A deputy from the Stark County Sheriff’s Office — Dog Warden Division responded and located the dogs in the 800 block of 5th Street SW. According to officials, when the deputy approached the animals, he discharged his service weapon, killing one of the dogs and seriously injuring the other.
The injured dog underwent surgery and is expected to survive.
The dogs’ owner was cited for allowing them to run at large.
Following an initial review of the incident, the sheriff’s office terminated the deputy for failing to follow proper protocols when handling aggressive animals.
“While aggressive stray dogs can pose a danger in our communities, there are established procedures for safely addressing these situations, and lethal force is always the last option,” Stark County Sheriff Eric Weisburn said in a statement. “In this case, lethal force was the first course of action, which is not acceptable to me or anyone at the Stark County Sheriff’s Office.”
No further information has been released.
