But those who saw Joe Rye fire the fatal shot dispute his account of what happened.
According to Rye he returned to his home on Leroy from the store when two stray dogs approached him and his wife as they were bringing in the groceries. At first the dogs were friendly, Rye says, but then one started growling.
“It came after me, and then it came after my wife here on the porch,” Rye told Action News.
Minutes later Rye got one of his guns and came back outside. He shot and killed what appeared to be a pit bull.
Rye says he did it because the dog became hostile and there were kids in the area.
“He came after me, and my prosthetic leg, so I shot him,” Rye said.
Those in the neighborhood claim the dogs never growled and were friendly with the children on the block.
“He went inside the house, so why couldn’t he have just stayed in the house and called animal control,” said Richard Lempicki who said he saw the shooting go down.
Taylor police did not arrest Rye and did not confiscate any of his guns.
The dog has not been claimed by anyone. We’re told it was a stray.
(WXYZ - August 11, 2011)
