PENNSYLVANIA -- An Aliquippa resident said she's upset her pit bull was shot by police Monday morning because the dog has never been a problem.
"My dog is laying shot in the head in the middle of the street right in front of my house," Manda Tyson told Channel 4 Action News' Sheldon Ingram.
"He's never been out of the yard, except for with the owner or in the ballpark, playing with the owner," said neighbor Regina Falk.
Tyson said she let Blue out in her family's fenced-in back yard, but the dog got out and roamed the neighborhood, prompting a resident to call police.
Tyson said while she was out looking for Blue, the dog returned home to find police there.
Neighbors said the dog followed an officer off the porch and lunged at him.
"The dog went towards the officer. The officer kept backing up. The dog came again; he kept lunging. The dog was about 18 inches from him, and the officer shot him. He had no choice but to shoot him," said Falk.
Tyson said the dog probably reacted that way because it felt threatened by the officer on the home's porch.
"Even if he was remotely aggressive, you're on his property. That's what a dog does. They protect their property," said Tyson.
Aliquippa's police chief said it was an unfortunate incident, but the officer had to take immediate action.
The department later released dash cam video of the incident. The police chief said officials showed the video to Tyson's husband. The family is divided on whether the shooting was right or wrong.
Family members said they want to know why the officer didn't try to use a Taser or another option on the dog before resorting to deadly force.
(WTAE - April 27, 2012)
