A suburban Chicago woman is upset after a police officer shot her dog in front of her two young children and then handed her a ticket.
Gina Marie Stone said her 2-year-old pit bull, Rayleigh, was shot by Berkeley police Friday afternoon outside her Taft Avenue home, Chicago’s NBC affiliate reported.
Ms. Stone said she was inside doing laundry when her two young children, ages 4 and 5, rushed inside.
“The kids came in running like ’The cops shot Rayleigh, they killed Rayleigh,’” the mom told the station.
The dog survived the shooting, but the incident reportedly cost Ms. Stone roughly $350 in vet bills. Police said the mother was cited for having a “vicious dog at large without tags.”
Berkeley police said they responded to the scene after neighbors called to report an aggressive dog that had gotten loose. The dog was on a grassy area between the sidewalk and the street when it was shot, police told the NBC affiliate.
“The dog actually became aggressive towards the officer, lunged at him, got within close proximity and the officer had to protect himself,” said Sgt. Justin Patti.
An investigation is ongoing and Sgt. Patti said additional citations or charges could be filed, the station reported.
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
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