A Michigan State Police (MSP) trooper shot and killed a family’s dog after claiming the canine bit him, according to Fox2 Detroit.
The incident happened on Friday, Dec. 1, when a couple of MSP troopers visited the Manchester home to investigate reports of an alleged stolen vehicle on the property. Dog owner Ali Sharifi, who operates an auto collision repair shop, heavily criticized the trooper for killing his 90-pound Belgian Malinois named Darius. According to Sharifi, Darius would be turning 5 this Christmas.
Sharifi’s Ring camera footage captured the trooper exclaiming that Darius had bitten him moments before he shot the poor canine. However, the devastated dog owner believes his dog did not attack the officer. “He come (s) to my property and my home, the dog’s house, and kill (s) a family member,” Sharifi shared. “It’s not justified to me.” His other dog, a 3-legged canine named Oakley, wasn’t hurt during the fracas.
Did trooper act per the MSP regulations?
At this point, it’s still not entirely clear whether the trooper indeed acted in self-defense. Nonetheless, the MSP has a policy permitting troopers to fire at an animal if threatened.
More specifically, the MSP regulation 05-09-1 titled “Discharging Firearms at Animals” allows troopers to fire at animals during certain situations. Such situations include when “it is necessary to protect themselves, another person, or department tracking dog from being attacked by an animal.”
All in all, Sharifi, who was willing to fully cooperate with authorities, stated the tragedy could have been avoided if only the troopers used a calmer approach. “They could’ve called me, they could have turned their sirens on,” a heartbroken Sharifi narrated. “They could have talked on the speaker.”
Additionally, Sharifi told the news outlet that “The [trooper] needs to really grow up and not kill family members.” He also pointed out that the trooper should “be serious about using your gun.”
