WOODLAWN, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – An Investigator with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) assigned to the Special Victims Unit shot and killed a woman’s dog Monday afternoon

The dog’s owner, Melissa Holleman, is upset about the way the situation was handled.

According to a statement from MCSO, Investigator Fred Smith was following up on a child abuse case and encountered a “charging pit bill” when he stopped at a residence on Sawmill Road to speak to a witness.

The statement said that upon arrival Smith honked his horn and scanned the front yard for dogs. As he exited his vehicle and approached the home, three dogs ran from the back yard and moved toward him. As he attempted to return to his vehicle, one of the dogs, a six-year-old pit bull named Bailey, allegedly attempted to grab Smith, according to the statement.

Smith said he was compelled to discharge his firearm because he feared for his safety.

Bailey was shot at least one time in the head and died at the scene.

Per departmental policy, Smith notified his supervisor who responded to complete an investigation.

Holleman, who was not home at the time of the incident, had called MCSO several days before to report a child abuse case. She said investigators visited her home that day for a follow up, but did not inform her that they would be visiting.

She said her home has an invisible electric fence installed to keep the dogs contained, and that Bailey was wearing her electric shock collar at the time.

Holleman was told by neighbors that Smith pulled halfway up her driveway before exiting his vehicle. The neighbors, who had called Holleman to inform her about Bailey, also said Smith told him Bailey was dead when he found her. Holleman said she asked to speak to Smith on the phone, who told her someone shot her dog, but did not say it was him.

An incident report from MCSO states that Smith was unable to get to his vehicle in time to avoid the dogs and thought they were going to attack him.

Nearby neighbors came outside and said Bailey was very friendly and would not “bite a biscuit.” At that point, Smith had not told the neighbors that he was the one who shot the dog. The dog’s owner, Melissa Holleman, arrived home shortly afterward.

When Sgt. Wojnarek arrived at the scene, he told Smith to leave to keep the situation from escalating. After he left, Holleman was informed that Smith shot Bailey. At this point, the neighbors started yelling that Smith had said he didn’t shoot the dog. They said when Smith saw the neighbors, he reportedly told them that he “found the dog that way.”

Holleman said she later spoke to Wojnarek, who allegedly told her that Smith fired his gun with one hand. He reportedly told her that Smith’s gun jammed on the second shot, and that he lied about shooting the dog initially because he was afraid of being out on a call with a gun that was out of service.

Quoted:
It would have been fine if he was honest.

Quoted:
Really?
Honked his horn and scanned for dogs?