SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - An outraged family is speaking out about the killing of their dog, they say, at the hands of police who chased the pet owners’ son in Southwest Miami-Dade.
Miami-Dade Police officers were chasing the family’s 15-year-old son for allegedly stealing a bicycle when an officer shot and killed Sweetie, the family’s dog, on Aug. 3.
Buck Buchanan is now missing his best friend. He and Amy Cibock, his girlfriend, continue to mourn the loss of their 11-year-old canine, who died in the worst way imaginable.
“She was just a good dog,” Buchanan said. “A very gentle-natured dog. She said, ‘They shot Sweetie,’ and I just — I freakin’ lost it.”
“[Thursday] was National Dog Day, and everybody was posting pictures of their dogs,” Cibock said.
Sweetie the dog was shot dead by @MiamiDadePD when they came to a home to arrest a teen, 15, for stealing a bike 8/3. MDPD says the dog attacked, but those in the home say cops shot Sweetie from behind a fence in the neighbor’s yard. Neighbor’s pics of aftermath. @wsvn #Exclusive pic.twitter.com/jgAZhCnDjR
— Sheldon Fox-7 News (@fox_sheldon) August 28, 2020
Police said Buchanan’s 15-year-old son stole a bicycle in the neighborhood and ran from officers to the family’s Country Walk home along Southwest 138th Court.
After officers arrived at the home to take the boy into custody, they said they were attacked by the family dog and were forced to shoot the animal.
Admitting his relationship with his son has been strained, Buchanan said he takes full responsibility. However, he still has questions that need answers.
“I blame my failure as a parent,” Buchanan said. “I’ve got to know where that it says deadly force is acceptable to use when you’re chasing a 15-year-old teenager with a stolen bike. Why are they saying the dog attacked them when there’s photographic evidence, and there’s other people that saw it? They said the dog was in the yard. The police were on the other side of that fence right there.”
Cibock was home with the dog and said officers never physically encountered Sweetie in her yard, but they first saw the dog while standing in the neighbor’s yard looking over the fence before the animal was shot twice.
She said she heard the gunshots but did not see the officers firing their weapons.
“There were no officers in the yard,” Cibock said. “He had his weapon positioned over the fence at me.”
Pedro Suarez is the family’s next-door neighbor. He also heard the gunshots and took photos of officers in his backyard.
“I had at least one officer here,” he said while showing 7News cameras where the officers were standing in his yard.
“They used deadly force,” Buchanan said. “You know, maybe that’s my son there, and somebody’s gotta answer that.”
7News has reached out to Miami-Dade Police for comment multiple times throughout the week, but they said the case is under investigation by internal affairs, which is protocol whenever an officer discharges their weapon.
One officer was temporarily relieved of duty and has since returned to their job. However, the internal affairs investigation remains active.
The dog has been given an autopsy and a forensic examination, 7News has learned.
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