A Florida woman filed a lawsuit against a Jacksonville Sheriff’s Deputy for shooting her 1-year-old puppy after the dog allegedly “nipped” at his hand and leg.
In the suit filed last week, Kimberly Barus said deputy Karl Lampkin insisted on seeing her Great Dane mix, Lucy, in her backyard in April 2022, before allegedly shooting the “terrified” animal.
Newsweek has contacted the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office by email for comment.
Lucy was a 1-year-old Great Dane mix. Her Florida owner is suing a deputy for shooting the puppy after she allegedly “nipped” him.
Kimberly Barus
Why It Matters
The lawsuit claims Lampkin violated department policies, which require non-lethal methods to handle animals, such as retreating, using barriers, or employing less-lethal weapons like tasers. It also alleges inadequate training for deputies in canine behavior and body language, citing a history of similar incidents involving family dogs.
Barus is seeking damages and hopes the case will change how the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office handles encounters with pets. The City of Jacksonville is also named as a defendant.
What To Know
On April 11, 2022, Barus woke up to her dogs barking at around 6:30 a.m. to find her backyard gate open and a teenager standing on her car, claiming her dogs had chased him.
After Barus and her husband resolved the situation, the teen’s mother reported to police that the dogs had chased her son and allegedly accused Barus’ husband of brandishing a gun, even though the couple did not own one.
Around 11 a.m., Lampkin arrived to investigate and insisted on seeing the dogs, despite being told there was no gun on the property. When Barus opened the backyard gate, her dog Lucy happily greeted the officer, allegedly “nipping” him before he fatally shot her.
Body camera footage obtained by News4Jax shows Barus standing by the open gate of her backyard as Lucy walks toward Lampkin. The officer initially greeted an excited Lucy by saying, “Hey bud,” but after barking is heard, he said, “Get back,” and fired multiple shots. According to the complaint, after the first shot, Lampkin fired five additional shots, killing the dog.
Barus’ lawsuit says Lampkin killed Lucy in front of her and her two grandchildren even though the dog was not a threat to anyone. He allegedly reached straight for his gun, not his taser or baton.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office reviewed the incident and deemed the deputy’s actions justified.
What People Are Saying
Marcy LaHart, an attorney for Barus, in an email to Newsweek: “The unnecessary fatal shooting of Lucy is unfortunately not an isolated event in the City of Jacksonville. I am hopeful that this suit will spur a fundamental change in the way the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office handles encounters with family dogs.”
“I am seeking money damages for my client, but my ideal outcome also includes a requirement that ever deputy receive training to anticipate the presence of a family pet, how to evaluate whether a dog truly poses a safety threat, and if so how to use non-lethal measures to address the situation, including periodic refresher classes.”
“The Deputy that is named in the suit not only knew that there were dogs on the premises, he told my client to ‘Go open the gate’ yet he was apparently totally unprepared to address the predictable possibility that the dogs would come out of the yard and react to the presence of a stranger with anything but lethal force. And it is unconscionable that he continued to shoot at Lucy when she was running away and no longer posed a threat to him.”
What Happens Next
As of December 30, the deputy involved in the shooting remains employed by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the department told McClatchy News.
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