Owner Upset After Police Shoot, Kill Dog

The owner of a dog shot and killed by police is wondering if something else could have been done instead.

Monday afternoon, police came to a home on Roberts Street looking for a man with outstanding warrants. Officers are accused of pepper-spraying the dog before they searched a duplex.

"They had guns drawn when they first got up here. Dog was on his leash, and they pepper sprayed him," neighbor Helen Spencer told KMBC's Bev Chapman.

The dog broke free from his chain and rushed the officers when they emerged from the building.

"He's a fairly strong dog. He managed to break the chain," said Jim Conaway, the dog's owner.

Neighbors said they watched as police shot the dog, a 5-year-old Labrador mix named Smokey.

"I was standing by the fence. When they shot him, they just unloaded on him," Spencer said

"I saw blood shoot up and I thought, 'Oh, man.' All the kids were over there screaming," neighbor Dave Breakstraw said.

"If they had not sprayed him, or made sure somebody was home, he wouldn't have broke his leash. That would not have happened," Spencer said.

Conaway said animal control officers took his dog away.

"He was also a very lovable companion," Conaway said. "I didn't even have a chance to bring the dog's body home and to bury him."

Dispatch records indicate Smokey was gone within 30 minutes, removed and cremated.

Conaway, who is a teacher for the Kansas City School District, said he works about 15 minutes away from home. Neighbors called to tell him what happened and he was able to get home within an hour. However, the dog was already gone by then.

Conaway said that officers came to his house on Tuesday morning to apologize.

The man police were looking for is wanted on two felony warrants and lives on the block.

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