Chicago police shot a dog early Sunday after three officers were allegedly bitten — but a neighbor who witnessed the gunfire said the canine wasn’t acting aggressively.
The encounter unfolded just before 11:30 a.m. in the city’s West Garfield Park neighborhood, the Chicago Police Department said.
Officers were conducting an unknown investigation at a West Wilcox Avenue building when a “female offender attempted to intervene.”
An unknown person then unleashed two dogs on the cops and three of the officers allegedly sustained dog bites, according to the department.
One of the officers fired his gun, striking one of the dogs.
Neighbors said, however, that the canines did not deserve the use of force, according to a local report.
Brenda Cunningham, who lives next door to the dogs’ owner said police had just detained one of her sons when they strolled near the canines’ property.
The neighbor and his two dogs came outside to see what was happening, igniting fear in the officers, she said.
“When the dogs came outside, the police got aggressive: ‘Get the dogs, get the dogs.’ They are grabbing the dogs. There are two dogs there. They are all grabbing the dogs,” Cunningham told ABC 7.
“The dogs never got aggressive with these officers … The dog did not one time went after the officer to bite him or anything like that, ma’am. No, he did not. That officer just pulled out his gun and shot twice.”
Another neighbor said the pet was shot in the face.
The dog was taken to animal care and control, but it’s not clear what condition it is in.
The three cops were taken to an area hospital and are in “good condition,” CHP said.
The woman was arrested with charges pending, though it’s unclear what role she played in the chaos.
