Dog Shot in Head by Police Officer While Tied Up on Owner’s Property

On November 19, 2012, The Leaf Chronicle reported the following.

Clarksville, Tennessee — A Clarksville woman’s dog was shot in the head off Maple Street on Saturday, while police were searching for a 13-year-old runaway boy.

Around 4:30 p.m., Judy Allen said she was in her kitchen “playing around on the computer” when she heard a gunshot outside.

Allen said she looked out her kitchen window and saw the family’s dog lying on the ground in a pool of blood in her backyard. She said she saw a police officer and remembers screaming, “What happened?”

A neighbor came running inside and told Allen that the officer had shot Bonnie, the family’s 5-year-old Australian Cattle Dog American Pit, according to Allen.

Ricky, Allen’s 14-year-old son, said he was across the street when he heard a gunshot. “When I heard the gunshot I came running back towards my house,” he said.

Allen said her neighbors and her 6-year-old son were all sitting around outside and witnessed the incident. Her neighbors made statements with the police.

“A lot of people were outside when Bonnie was shot,” said neighbor Hugh Whited. “There were woman and children everywhere. What if a bullet hit them?”

When Allen ran outside, she said the police officer said he was sorry and immediately called his sergeant.

Police currently have no comments on the matter and said the incident is an ongoing internal investigation.

Allen is still unsure what happened. She said Bonnie was on a chain and clearly within her property.

“I don’t know what Bonnie did,” Allen said. “Patrol cops have come up and petted Bonnie before.”

Bonnie, also known as “Boo Boo,” was well-liked throughout the neighborhood and known as a friendly dog that wouldn’t hurt anyone.

“I let my one-year-old run around with that dog,” said Beth Ann Smith, a next-door neighbor of Allen. “Out of all my time living here I’ve only heard the dog bark once.”

Bonnie was not only a family member of the Allen’s, but also to the rest of the neighborhood.

“My grandchildren played with Bonnie every day,” said neighbor Hugh Whited. “The whole neighborhood loved her.”

Allen and her neighbors said they feel scared because the local neighborhood children play outside everyday.

“It’s hard to feel like my kids are safe,” Allen said. “The kids all play outside in the area where Bonnie was shot.”

Allen is seeing a therapist because of the traumatic incident and she said the image still haunts her.

“I still see her laying there with a hole in her head,” she said through tears. “It’s emotional scarring, that’s what it is. It’s just like feeling the loss of a child.”