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NYPD Officer Shoots, Kills Dog ‘For No Reason’

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A Bronx woman is both devastated and desperate for justice after a New York police officer shot and killed her beloved dog, at point-blank range, in the stairwell of her apartment building for, as she describes, “no reason.”

“He was my beloved, and now he’s gone,” Yvonne Rosado told CBS News through tears.

Last month, police were called to Rosado’s apartment building for an issue entirely unrelated to the dog. NYPD officers were talking with a neighbor when Rosado cracked open her door to see what was going on outside her apartment. That’s when Spike, a 4-year old pit bull Rosado describes as a friendly, lovable gentle giant, wriggled through the opening and approached officer Ruben Cuesta.

The moment Spike slipped out, Rosado began yelling to the officers, “he’s friendly, he’s friendly!”

In only a matter of seconds from the time Rosado cracked open her door, officer Cuesta pulled out his gun and shot the dog. Rosado, still in her underwear, ran into the stairwell to comfort her dog as he lay dying in the hallway, his tail still wagging.

Surveillance video captured the entire incident in which, Rosado says, Spike did not charge or threaten the officer but, as a friendly dog, only wanted to greet the man.

Emotionally distraught, Rosado then confronted the officer that shot her dog. Within seconds, 3 officers tackled Rosado, pinning her into the stairs.

“They jumped on top of me – three men,” she said. “I’m in my undergarments in the hallway.”

“They pinned her down to the stairs,” added neighbor Irma Santiago. “Her whole back was black and blue.”

Now, Rosado has hired an attorney and is seeking justice for the senseless killing of her dog.

NYPD officers have recently begun carrying stronger, more potent pepper spray as a non-fatal defense against dogs. Police refused to say whether the officer that shot Spike was carrying the new pepper spray. According to NYPD policy, cops can shoot at animals “only to defend themselves or others from threat of physical injury, or death.” They are only allowed to use their weapons “as a last resort to stop an animal attack.”

Police released a preliminary statement about the shooting:

“The incident is being reviewed by our Force Investigation Division and the findings will be subject to a firearms discharge review board,” a police spokesman said.

Officer Cuesta was taken to the hospital to be treated for tinnitus, or ringing in the ears, as a result of shooting within an enclosed space.

Not only have the entire family and neighbors that witnessed the shooting been traumatized, they are horrified to think of what else could have gone wrong. Children and other residents were within only a few feet of the scene where the shooting occurred.

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6 Comments

6 Comments

  1. Avatar Of Pate Weiss

    Pate Weiss

    says:

    Some commenters claim that the police were justified in shooting what they call a “unrestrained fighting dog”, but they ignore that there were other options (a pepper spray designed for use on dogs specifically, which while we can not know for sure he had, whebever the NYPD refuse to comment, it’s because the truth will make them look bad) and that there were people, children even, right next to the dog and that he could have accidentally killed someone if the gun was even slightly more left or right than it was. He could have killed soneone.

  2. Avatar Of Sue

    Sue

    says:

    OMG! Coward police !!! I am so sorry for you lady !!!! Why do these cowards keep getting away with this !

  3. Avatar Of Kad

    KaD

    says:

    The reason is obvious-another dumass pit owner failed to control their dog. Pits are well know to wag their tails harder then ever when doing what they were BRED to do-mauling and killing.

    • Avatar Of Randall

      Randall

      says:

      You're a moron and you have no idea what "pit bull" type dogs were bred for!!
      This is the type of mentality that still persists and people like you just regurgitate what you hear from other ignorant people

  4. Avatar Of Charlotte

    Charlotte

    says:

    Are you kidding? The surveillance footage shows that the dog is barking as it approaches the officer- and anyone who has witnessed an attack by a fighting breed dog knows that they wag their tails during the process. As far as stating that the owner “confronted” the officer- she chased him down the stairwell and slapped him repeatedly. The point, ultimately? Secure your dog well, behind a second closed door, before opening the main entrance to your apartment.

  5. […] A Bronx woman is both devastated and desperate for justice after a New York police officer shot and killed her beloved dog, at point-blank range, in the stairwell of her apartment building for, as she describes, “no reason.” “He was my beloved, and now he’s gone,” Yvonne Rosado told CBS News through tears. Last month, police […] The Dogington Post […]

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