A man who claims his dog was shot to death by a police officer responding to a call at the wrong address wants justice.
Michael Paxton, 40, was playing Frisbee with his seven-year-old Australian cattle dog, Cisco, at his home in Austin, Texas, when a police officer suddenly appeared, drew his weapon and ordered him to put his hands up.
‘He had a Taser. He had pepper spray. I don't understand why, in broad daylight, he pulled a gun on me. I wasn't running. I wasn't hiding,’ Paxton told ABCNews.com. ‘I was just saying, "I live here." I was panicking. I was afraid for my life.’
The officer was responding to a domestic abuse call of a man choking a woman and had unknowingly arrived at Paxton's home after the 911 caller gave the wrong address.
'While I was at gunpoint, my dog came from my backyard barking at the officer,' Paxton wrote on the Facebook page dedicated to Cisco’s cause.
'I yelled for the officer to not shoot my dog, that he will not bite, but the officer immediately shot and killed my dog right in front of me.'
The KillerThe Austin Police Department said the officer, pictured, had felt threatened after the dog came at him and barked
The Facebook page named Justice For Cisco, which was created yesterday, has had more than 26,000 likes and hundreds of messages of support, outrage and anger.
Campaign: The Facebook page named Justice For Cisco, which was created yesterday, has had more than 26,000 likes and hundreds of messages of support, outrage and anger
Campaign: The Facebook page named Justice For Cisco, which was created yesterday, has had more than 26,000 likes and hundreds of messages of support, outrage and anger
One person named Todd Hariaczyi said: 'I cannot begin to imagine your loss. I have had dogs my entire life, and I cannot fathom losing one in such a horrible manner.
'I am disgusted by the officer's actions--shoot now, ask later--and his attempt to blame you for the entire ordeal. It's your property! Of course, your dog is on it. I will refrain from expressing how I feel about him because it's nothing I can repeat here. I hope you get the justice you deserve.'
Another, named Nick Pound, added: 'The officer needs to not only be fired, but charged like any other person who would shoot and kill an animal. Felony animal cruelty in most states carries up to 5 years in prison.'
Paxton said Cisco was harmless and had never bitten or attacked anybody before. 'The only thing that has brought me comfort is the response and outpouring of emotion for him,' he told ABCNews.com.
Shooter: The Austin Police Department said the officer, pictured, had felt threatened after the dog came at him and barked
'I'm sure he heard the yelling. He's a dog. This is his territory. He's going to be territorial to some extent. To me, it's pretty typical dog behavior. He's not a viscious dog. He was a good boy. He was a real good boy.'
The Austin Police Department said the officer felt threatened after the dog charged at him and barked, leaving him with no alternative.
'Officers have to do everything they can to protect themselves, up to and including the use of deadly force,' Austin Police Cpl. Anthony Hipolito told ABCNews. com
'It's something that we don't ever want to do. To shoot and kill an animal is very unfortunate and tragic. The officer is distraught and did not want to do it, but at the same time, he had to protect himself.'
Paxton’s neighbors Jesus Rivera and Maria Hernandez told the Digital Texan that they had been fighting and were the ones that the police officer meant to visit.
Read more:
www.dailymail.co.uk . . .
