Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Photo: NYPD Officers Shoot Dog After It Allegedly Tried To Protect Owner
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Aug 13, 2012
Modified Aug 14, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Aug 13, 2012
Modified Aug 14, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
[UPDATES BELOW; also, here's video of the shooting—warning, it's graphic] Police allegedly shot a dog in the East Village at approximately 4:15 this afternoon after it attempted to protect its owner. According to several people who claimed to witness the event and took to Twitter—including Baohaus chef Eddie Huang—officers approached a man who was "passed out" and the man's dog began barking. The dog then allegedly "lunged" at officers, who then shot it. An NYPD press representative could not immediately confirm the shooting.
We'll update as more information becomes available.
[UPDATE] An NYPD spokesman confirmed that officers shot and killed a dog at the location at approximately 4:25 p.m. The spokesman could not comment on why officers opened fire. However, Animal Care & Control records show that the dog, which is named Star, was taken there and is clinging to life.
An East Village resident who witnessed the shooting says that the four officers who responded to the scene in front of the KFC at first were "not aggressive" towards the man or the dog. "The dog was barking very loudly, as though it were protecting its turf," the witness said, who declined to give a name because they didn't want their employer to see it in print. "The man was kneeling, and then he kind of slumped over, and the dog was barking over him. I thought the cops were there to protect the dog from an owner who wasn't taking care of it."
The witness said they turned away and heard a "commotion," and saw the officers spraying mace at the dog, which they described as a pit-bull mix. "That's when it like took a few steps towards [the officers], and I heard one shot...There were a lot of people around, and I didn't hear them tell anyone to clear off." The witness added, "There was a little boy closer to the scene with his dad, and he started bawling. It was just very shocking to see an animal killed—as the owner of a shelter animal myself, it was just so sad."
[UPDATE 2] Here's video of the shooting—warning, it's graphic.
Tagged
cops
dog
east village
nypd
shooting
Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Deer are all over New Jersey roads looking for sex, state officials warn
Mid-October through mid-December is deer mating season, which can be a danger to drivers as the sex-seeking creatures cross roadways throughout the Garden State.
By
Rosemary Misdary
Published Oct 16, 2026 at 4:22 p.m. ET
Man messaged 'I got straight poison' before giving NYC college students fentanyl, feds say
A transcript from an April court hearing sheds new light on what transpired at Fashion Institute of Technology.
By
Samantha Max
News
Man messaged 'I got straight poison' before giving NYC college students fentanyl, feds say
A transcript from an April court hearing sheds new light on what transpired at Fashion Institute of Technology.
By
Samantha Max
Inside the plan to fix the nearly collapsed Pfizer Building, 1/64th of an inch at a time
By
David Brand
School bus carrying autistic students got lost in Brooklyn for 4 hours last year
By
Jessica Gould
NYC’s bridges can last 'forever,' if we take care of them
By
Clayton Guse
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .