Dog Owner Sues City Of Sacramento & Police After Officer Shoots, Injures Dog
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — An officer-involved shooting outside a Sacramento Safeway store last December has prompted a new lawsuit.
The owner of the dog, Kevin Cole, is now suing the city, the Sacramento Police Department, and Chief Daniel Hahn, claiming an officer recklessly discharged his weapon when he shot the dog.
Cole claims he intended to walk his dog, Nikki, to the light rail after finishing the sandwich he bought and feeding Nikki some dog food. In the lawsuit, he claims a security guard confronted him and demanded he left the property, barring him from going into the nearby Panda Express to buy some more food.
The security guard ended up calling Sacramento police, and officers say were trying to restrain Cole outside the store when his dog reportedly aggressive, prompting an officer to fire a single shot.
READ MORE: Police Release Body Camera Video From Midtown Officer-Involved Shooting That Injured Dog
Two people and a dog were hit from shrapnel in the incident from an officer's single gunshot near the Safeway on 19th Street. CBS13 has learned bullet fragments hit the security guard in the leg, the dog in the rear leg, and Cole in the face. Officers say all of the injuries were minor.
The dog was taken to a vet for treatment.
In the lawsuit, Cole claims false detention/arrest, retaliation, unreasonable or excessive force, unreasonable seizure and search of property and demands a jury trial.