Irmo Dog Shooting Brings out Concerned Residents

(WOLO) IRMO, S.C., —

Dozens of resident came spoke out during Tuesday night’s Town Council meeting after a family dog police say escaped the families yard, was shot and killed.

According to a police report obtained by ABC Columbia News, the dog was acting aggressively toward a jogger who called 9-1-1. The report also confirms the responding officers claims that he shot and killed  the approximately 40 pound German Shepard Mix, only after it failed to respond to his commands and began charging at him.

The officer involved in the incident has been cleared of any wrongdoing. Police Chief Brian Buck says the officer fired the gun in self defense but did not want the death of the dog to be the outcome. According to the Irmo Police Chief, Officer Null who fired the gun, is an avid dog lover and owner who feels terrible about what happened.

” i don’t want to cheapen what happened to that family, they lost a family member, they lost their pet . It was horrible and we just wish it could have turned out differently.”

Irmo Town Council voted on a proposal during Tuesday night’s meeting for Irmo to obtain a contract to get their own Animal Control Services instead of having to rely on Lexington and Richland for assistance. No one made a second vote for that motion keeping the proposal from being considered. 

As it stands residents who have animal concerns would still have to contact animal control in neighboring counties, or like in this case, call 9-1-1 where an Irmo officer would have to respond.