The suspect in the domestic had left the residence before deputies arrived, the statement says. In order to aid the search for the suspect, one of the deputies retrieved his K-9 from his patrol vehicle. The handler then walked down a back alley toward the home, as shown in the body camera video.
When the K-9 handler and his dog Tarzan reached the back of the home, they caught the attention of a dog belonging to a resident. The gate to the back yard was open and despite efforts by the pet's owner to stop the dog—described as a pit bull by the local media—from leaving the yard, it charged after the officer and Tarzan, the video shows.
MCSO says the pet dog called Chevy attacked Tarzan and inflicted a number of injuries. The deputy tried to separate the two dogs but after that failed, he shot and killed Chevy. "MCSO K-9 Tarzan sustained injuries to his face and chest to include a broken tooth," the statement reads.
Chevy's owner, Suzette Klein, told
ABC15
she and her son had gotten into an argument, and when her son was leaving out the back he left the back fence open.
"My daughter was actually out there as the cop was shooting him. She had his back legs," Klein said. "I think that instead of erring on the side of caution they erred on the side of aggression and it caused a chaotic scene."