VIDEO: Illinois Officer Fired for Shooting Little Girl's Dog
Video: Illinois Officer Fired for Shooting Little Girl's Dog
A police officer in Hometown, Ill., has been fired days after fatally shooting a dog in front of a 6-year-old girl.
July 29, 2014
1 min to read
A police officer in Hometown, Ill., has been fired days after fatally shooting a dog in front of a 6-year-old girl.
The dog's owners said their 1-year-old German Shepherd mix, named Apollo, had run out the front door of their house around 2:20 p.m. Friday and had returned to the front lawn when police arrived.
"I walked over and I tried to call him inside. The police officer had his gun out already," Nicole Echlin, one of the dog's owners told the Chicago Tribune over the weekend. Her 6-year-old daughter walked with her.
"He started showing his teeth — that's when the officer shot him," said Echlin, 27. "I didn't know that was going to happen."
Echlin said she grabbed the girl and rushed inside the home. "That's going to be in her head probably forever," Echlin said.
"Although the officer may have been justified under the Illinois Use of Force statute governing deadly force, I have made the decision to terminate that officer's employment with the Hometown Police Department," Chief Charles Forsyth said.
More Patrol
Colorado State Patrol Releases 2025 Struck-By Analysis
The Colorado State Patrol, after analyzing its 2025 struck-by incidents, identified one area for improvement: using traffic cones to provide advanced warning before the cruiser's location. Here is the agency’s final data.
Read More →
Streamlight Names 144th Marketing Group Law Enforcement Sales Rep Agency of the Year
Streamlight has recognized the 144th Marketing Group as its 2025 Sales Rep Agency of the Year Award for the Law Enforcement market.
Read More →Streamlight Names 144th Marketing Group Law Enforcement Sales Rep Agency of the Year
Streamlight has recognized the 144th Marketing Group as its 2025 Sales Rep Agency of the Year Award for the Law Enforcement market.
Read More →
The Mission After the Moment
The mission of the Jorge Pastore Foundation is to support first responders through essential training, stronger community engagement, and mental wellness resources, all accessible and funded through donations, sponsorships, and foundation-led fundraising. It works closely with Team Wendy in the discussions about developing better protective gear for officers.
Read More →
Sponsored•March 17, 2026
Built for Patrol: How One Police Chief Fixed Communication, Boosted Visibility, and Changed the Culture
Patrol work hasn’t changed—but the expectations on officers have. See how one police chief helped officers get the right information at the right time, improve patrol visibility, and strengthen trust without adding complexity or surveillance. This real-world story shows how patrol-driven technology can make the job safer, smarter, and more effective—starting on day one.
Read More →
Sponsored•March 2, 2026
Safariland Solis Rethinks Concealable Duty
What if Level I retention didn’t require a full duty rig? Safariland’s Solis delivers trusted ALS security in a streamlined OWB platform built for administrative and plainclothes professionals who need protection without the bulk.
Read More →
K-9s Play a Critical Role in Finding Missing Persons
Real-world scenarios show that a tracking canine can detect and follow a human track several hours after it was made.
Read More →
Garmont Tactical’s LE Boot Lineup
In this video, we get a look at the latest law enforcement boots from Garmont Tactical, both for men and women. Kyle Ferdyn, sales manager, showcases four of the latest boots.
Read More →
Avon Protection Launches EXOSKIN-S2 High-Performance CBRN Protective Suit
With the commercial availability of Avon Protection’s EXOSKIN-S2, users now have increased options for their protective suit requirements across the spectrum of CBRN threat environments.
Read More →
Versaterm Acquires Aloft to Unlock a New Era of Drones for Public Safety
Versaterm has acquired Aloft, an FAA-approved Unmanned Service Supplier (USS) that specializes in real-time airspace intelligence and flight authorizations.
Read More →