Around 10:30am on Feb. 27, a Baton Rouge Police officer responded to a home on Chatfield Ave. off of S. Acadian Thruway.
The homeowner, who has asked not to be identified by name, said he and his family just left for vacation Sunday morning. His mother-in-law went by their home on Chatfield Ave. to check the mail and feed the dog. The homeowner said his mother-in-law’s visit may have triggered the alarm. When a home alarm goes off, a Baton Rouge Police officer is dispatched to ensure the home was not broken into.
It’s why an officer was at the home. An officer is supposed to walk the perimeter of a home and make sure no doors or windows are open or broken into. While walking near the carport of the home, the homeowner said their dog came out and that’s when the officer shot and killed the dog.
“While I have always supported the police, regarding those who have been charged with protecting and serving our city, I have a deep uncertainty about their ability to effectively do so. I presume this is simply a man with an irrational fear of dogs. People like that should likely not be in law enforcement,” said the homeowner.
The dog was an 8-yr-old English Cream Golden Retriever named T-Coy. The homeowner said they would leave T-Coy outside because they have an underground invisible fence that kept the dog from leaving the backyard and driveway.
The homeowner suspects the officer may have been terrified of dogs and when T-Coy started barking and going towards the officer, he shot & killed him.
“In eight years, our dog has never bitten anyone so why would he choose now to start becoming an aggressive animal? He barks, which is what he’s supposed to do, especially in his own garage. I would think any officer with minimum competency would have handled this differently,” said the homeowner. “In all these years, all visitors who have been approached by the dog have realized that he’s friendly even if he’s barking. That coupled with the general knowledge that Goldens are one of the gentlest breeds makes this officer culpable for his response. I do not see any way this is the fault of the dog.”
Unfiltered with Kiran has reached out to BRPD on numerous occasions for several stories. They have said they “reserve the right to interview with reporters/interviewees who the department deems as impartial to incidents that may occur within the department and that is of importance to the community.” It’s why they will not respond to any requests for comment on this specific story either.
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