TULSA - A south Tulsa family is demanding answers after they say a police officer shot their 2-year-old dog three times with a shotgun.
Daniel Teague says his fiancée and three sons were inside their home when they heard gunshots outside. His son walked out to find a Tulsa police officer and his 2-year-old dog, Mia, dead on the lawn.
"I don't understand why animal control wasn't here." said Teague. "He could have honked his horn or got on his speaker in his cop car, because the neighbor told him that it was our dog and where we lived."
Teague's neighbor Shawn Kat said he had seen Mia running through the neighborhood a couple of times this week. He said she was barking at those passing by and that she could be "scary," though, he had never known her to attack or bite anyone.
"She's just a big baby," said Teague. "She would never hurt anyone."
Teague said this was the first time anyone had called the police about their dog, and that she had escaped the yard a few times through a hole in the fence.
A TPD spokesperson said Officer Don Holloway was called to the neighborhood on a vicious dog complaint at about 8:20 Wednesday morning. He said someone reported a "very large grey pit bull, 80 to 100 lbs., was running loose, trying to bite people."
TPD said animal control was notified, but that their office hours don't begin until 9 a.m. He said Mia "charged" Holloway, who then used deadly force.
Witnesses said Holloway did not get out of the car before shooting Mia. He declined to be interviewed for this story.
Teague and his family want to know why Holloway didn't ask the family to come and get Mia rather than shoot her.
"He shot her in our front yard three times with a shotgun," said Teague. "And there were three kids and my girlfriend in the house that could have got her."
KJRH will continue to update this story as it develops. Follow @CoriDuke_KJRH for the latest information and extras.
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