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An off-duty police chief shot two tiny Boston terriers in front of two children whose dogs they owned, leaving them traumatized — and now he’s suing their parents for negligence, claiming he was the victim.
One of the compact dogs, Charlie, 1, was killed in the October 6 incident, while the other, Dexter, 3, was hospitalized with serious injuries and required expensive treatment. veterinary treatment, according to a gofundme An appeal in support of the Michigan family to which he belonged.
Calling it an “unprovoked attack”, Blissfield Police Chief Dale Greenleaf claimed the pets attacked him while he was walking in the neighborhood on the evening of October 6 and that he fired in self-defense.
But Todd and Nicole Snyder of Bedford Township say their children have been “traumatized” by the ordeal.
“We want to thank you all for your love and support during this heartbreaking, devastating, truly incredible tragedy,” the distraught mother wrote in a public Facebook post last month.
“Both of our dogs were shot last night in our cul de sac,” he wrote. “Our children and nephews were also there and to say it was traumatic would be an understatement.”
Greenleaf claims he was “in fear of his life and in fear of great bodily injury,” according to the lawsuit, a copy of which he obtained Independent.
According to the complaint, the police chief said he kicked the animals and “did everything in his power to get the dogs to safety” before shooting at the dogs.
Neighbors told local media that they heard gunshots and hid inside the house.
“My daughter, who is 4, was on the front porch and she said, ‘Someone’s setting off fireworks, Mom,'” said Patricia Hotaling. 13 Action News. ,My immediate reaction was ‘It’s not fireworks, come inside the house.’
Snyder’s children “came home from school the day after the incident and put up posters about their pets,” Hotaling said.
“These two 15-pound dogs were not threatening anyone’s life,” Hotaling said.
Prosecutors in Monroe County said 13 action news They cannot charge Greenleaf due to insufficient evidence.
Greenleaf’s $25,000 lawsuit alleged that the dogs’ owners were negligent because they left the garden gate open, allowing the animals to escape.
The complaint says she is in “constant and extreme pain” from injuries sustained in the attack and has experienced “consistent violent and harmful threats at her home.”
Independent Greenleaf’s attorney and the Snyder family have been contacted for comment.
A friend of the family named Destel Keller created it gofundme Page to cover the cost of surviving dog Dexter’s veterinary bills.
“The emotional toll on this family has been immense, and now they are also facing unexpected and exorbitant veterinary expenses,” Keller told Page. “it gofundme Helping cover Dexter’s medical care and giving the family one less thing to worry about as they grapple with this trauma and focus on supporting their children during a time of unimaginable grief.