CANTON – A deputy working in the Dog Warden Division of the Stark County Sheriff’s Office has been fired after fatally shooting one dog and seriously injuring another on June 10 in the city.
A news release sent June 13 from Stark County Sheriff Eric Weisburn said the shooting occurred after a resident in the 800 block of Sixth Street SW called 911 to report two aggressive loose dogs roaming the neighborhood.
According to the caller, the dogs had attacked and bitten her grandson. Additional information indicated a second person was also bitten.
A deputy from the Dog Warden Division responded and found the dogs in the 800 block of Fifth Street SW, according to the release.
When the deputy approached the dogs, he fired, fatally shooting one and seriously injuring the other. The injured dog underwent surgery and is expected to survive. The owner of the dogs was cited for allowing the dogs to run at large.
The breed of dogs involved was not mentioned in the news release.
Following an initial review of the incident, the deputy was fired for failing to follow proper protocols for handling aggressive animals, Weisburn said.
The deputy’s name was not included in the news release.
“While aggressive stray dogs can pose a danger in our communities, there are established procedures for safely addressing these situations, and lethal force is always the last option,” Weisburn said in a prepared statement. “In this case, lethal force was the first course of action, which is not acceptable to me or anyone at the Stark County Sheriff’s Office.”
(This breaking news story will be updated as more information becomes available.)
Reach Nancy at 330-580-8382 or nancy.molnar@cantonrep.com.
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