Dog put down after being shot by LPD officer

Posted By: Lauren Fabrizi
lfabrizi@klkntv.com

It was a tough day for Sharnick Compton and her family as they had to put down their 9–year–old pit bull, Opie, early Saturday morning. He’d been shot outside Compton’s home by a Lincoln Police officer.

“I heard pow, pow, pow and I was like, ‘Opie,’ and I just ran across ran around the back and he was yelping and he had a bullet hole,” Compton remembered. “And I took him off the chain and just started yelling, ‘Why did you shoot my dog?'”

Police had been called to the home near N. 30th and T Streets multiple times early Saturday morning on a disturbance involving Compton’s 17–year–old son.

Police said an officer was searching the east side of the home when Opie barked and charged at him. They said he fired two shots– none of them hit Opie. Authorities said the dog continued to charge. They said the officer fired again, this time hitting him in the front leg.

The pit bull was placed in the care of Animal Control. The family was told his leg needed to be amputated. It wasn’t certain if he’d make it out of surgery. They later made the decision to put Opie down.

“He just closed his eyes, he was gone, his heart beat stopped,” Compton’s daughter, Shy ‘Niq Culver, remembered.

Compton said Opie had been on his 10-foot leash. She said he never barked at the officer.

“Where is he going?” she asked, referring to the leash. “How is he attacking you?”

Neighbor Sheryl McCoy and her husband were awake during the shooting. McCoy said she heard no barking, just gun shots.

“He didn’t make a noise,” she said.

Police said the officer was unsure whether Opie was on a leash. 

Shy ‘Niq, 12, grew up with Opie. She said he was gentle and never had a history of harming anyone.

The family told Channel 8 Eyewitness News that it’s responsible for the vet bill. But Shy ‘Niq said they don’t care about the money.

“All I wanted was sorry,” she said, referring to the officer involved. “I’d be thankful if he said, ‘Sorry.'”

As for the disturbance, police said Compton’s 17–year–old son was turned over to his probation officer.

The name of the officer involved in the shooting is not being released. Authorities said he acted appropriately because he felt like he was going to be attacked. An investigation is being conducted.
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Posted By: KLKN Newsroom
8@klkntv.com

The Lincoln Police Dept. says an officer shot a family’s pitbull after it started charging at him while responding to a disturbance.

Police say officers were dispatched to 3040 T Street around 4:30 Saturday morning on a disturbance between a mother and her 17-year-old son. Officials say this was the third time police had visited the home that morning. As an officer was checking the east side of the house, he noticed a large, “pitbull-like” dog standing about 20 feet away. Police say the dog started barking and charging at the officer as he began to back away, which is when he fired two shots, none of which hit the animal. When the dog continued to charge and bark aggressively, the officer fired two more shots, one of which hit the dog in the left shoulder.

Officials say Animal Control was called, and the dog was transported to a local veterinarian hospital where the family decided to put him down.

The family says the dog was on a leash, and did not bark at the officer. They say their pitbull was gentle and had no history of harming anyone.

Capt. Don Scheinost says the officer acted appropriately because he felt like he was going to be attacked.

Full story tonight at 10.