The Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA) has released two new videos with a statement. The surveillance video captures an incident last month in the Bridgeport neighborhood. It shows an off-duty police officer shooting and killing a dog in Chicago, Illinois.
COPA releases video of off-duty police officer shooting and killing dog in Illinois
It all started when Officer Carmen Mostek, who is part of the Chicago Police Department (CPD), went out for a walk with her Corgi. The off-duty police officer went out for the walk at around noon on April 21. While out with her canine companion, her neighbor’s dog, Aggie, slipped out their front door.
According to CBS News, the police officer noted that her neighbor’s dog tried to bite her Corgi. The owner of Aggie attempted to separate the pups to avoid harm being caused to either of the dogs. However, the neighbor’s lawsuit states that Mostek never even tried to intervene and separate the canines before shooting the pup.
Moreover, the dog that was shot dead has been described as a Pit Bull by Mostek and other police officers. However, the neighbor only describes her as a mixed breed or mutt. In the video released by COPA, the off-duty police officer can be seen shooting Aggie at close range while she was still in her neighbor’s arms.
Following the dog shooting incident, the police officer and her Corgi ran away. Along with the videos, COPA released a statement requesting the Chicago Police Department to investigate its personnel. COPA noted, “Based upon the serious nature of the incident, COPA recommends that CPD evaluate the current assignment of the officer and whether administrative duties or relief of powers is warranted during the pendency of this investigation.”
The neighbor has filed a lawsuit against Carmen Mostek, the Chicago Police Department, and the City of Chicago. They filed it earlier in May, accusing the off-duty police officer of resorting to fatally shooting their dog before even trying to separate the canines.
