Virginia Officer Who Shot Dachshund Fired

DANVILLE, Va. --

A Danville police officer who shot and killed a dachshund last Month has been fired, and the police chief called the entire incident an embarrassment to the department.

Chief Philip A. Broadfoot said officer Murrill McLean, 43, of Danville, was fired after an investigation revealed he misled a supervising officer about the details of the incident.

Police said last month that McLean, who was at a home on Berman Drive attempting to serve a warrant, shot the 11-year-old 12-pound dog, named "Killer," when it was growling and ran across the yard at him.

Broadfoot said he became suspicious of McLean's account of the incident after he visited the home himself to observe the evidence.

"My observations immediately raised questions in my mind about how the shooting actually occurred," Broadfoot said in a news release.

"The investigation determined that, while Officer McLean's fear of rabies is well-founded based on several personal life experiences, his reports of how the shooting occurred were misleading and factually inaccurate," he added.

Broadfoot said his initial decision that the shooting was justified was based on evidence McLean verbally told the supervisor.

"The supervisor accepted McLean's account without a detailed demonstration or explanation of how the shooting took place," Broadfoot said. "A proper investigation would have shown that where Officer McLean was standing during the attack would have provided him the time, distance and means necessary to consider other options before using his firearm."

Police said it is within the department's policy to shoot a dog that is presenting a threat to an officer. But the dog's owner, Tawaiin Harper, questioned the officer's actions.

"(The officer) said (he shot the dog) because he came at me. I was like, 'A little bitty dog that size?' He was like, 'I don't care what kind of dog it is.' So he said, 'I shot him,'" an emotional Harper said. "Words can't describe how he'll be missed. I did a lot of crying. I did a lot of crying about the situation just the way it happened."

Broadfoot offered an apology to Harper's family.

"I apologize to the Harper family for the loss of their pet and pledge to them that I will make changes in our operation to ensure that nothing like this happens again," he said.

"I hate to see anybody lose his job, but he made the wrong decision," Harper said.

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