The roommates claim officers unnecessarily shot their pet dog, a boxer mix named Hennessey, which was left paralyzed and ultimately euthanized.

Roommates who sued a Maryland county Monday claim police officers illegally entered their apartment without a warrant, detained them at gunpoint without justification and unnecessarily shot their pet dog, which was left paralyzed and ultimately euthanized.

The dog, a boxer mix named Hennessey, did not attack the three officers who entered the apartment before two of them shot the animal with their firearms and the third fired a stun gun at it, according to the federal lawsuit.

The lawsuit seeks at least $16 million in damages over the June 2, 2021 encounter, which started with Prince George’s County police officers responding to a report of a dog bite at an apartment complex where the four plaintiffs lived. What happened next was captured on police body camera video and video from a plaintiff’s cellphone.

    • zaph@sh.itjust.works
      14·
      7 months ago

      It’s pretty much impossible to prove that the discharge was unnecessary, same as it’s impossible to prove that cop killed someone unnecessarily.

      We charge people with gun crimes daily so this can’t be true.

      That’s why people demand damages from the city, not the cop himself.

      People sue the city and not the cop because laws protect the cop and prevent them from facing the civil consequences directly.