Two Cobb County officers were investigating a 911 call about a woman screaming for help last week when they knocked on the door of a home near Powder Springs.
Body camera footage released Monday shows one resident come out, followed by his wife and two dogs. The woman is seen gripping the dog’s collar, but the animal escapes and runs down the front stairs, charging after the officers and barking during the Dec. 2 incident, the video shows.
“Get the dog! Get the dog!” an officer screams.
Next is the sound of a gunshot. Zeta, a Labrador Retriever mix, died at the scene.
After their dog was killed by a police officer, the Carr family said it wants to know why.
“She meant the world to our family and people not in our family,” the Carrs said in a social media post. “My kids have so many questions, and I have so little answers. We’re vulnerable, we’re sick, we want our pup back.”
The Carr family hasn’t spoken publicly about the shooting. But a “Justice for Zeta” Facebook page had nearly 3,000 followers Monday. Justin and Tessa Carr have both posted on social media.
On Monday, Cobb police Chief Stuart VanHoozer held a news conference to address the incident and release additional details.
“The people that put on this uniform are human beings,” the chief said. “They’re moms and dads, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, and many, many, many have pets and dogs. And they love their pets. ... it’s very, very sad to lose a dog, man’s best friend. Very hard. And we experience the same emotions that everybody else does.
“And in that light, imagining what the family is going through right now is very easy if you’ve ever lost your best buddy,” VanHoozer continued. “And I have, so I know that it is very, very, very difficult. And I know that it can be more difficult when circumstances may could have prevented it.”
Now, his department is conducting an internal investigation to determine if the situation could have been handled differently, VanHoozer said. Both officers, whose names were not released, remain on the job, he said.
Around 8:40 that night, the two officers responded to a call for help in the area of Macland Road near Corner Road.
“Help me!” a female said during the call.
After the call ended, police determined it was made from a non-working cellphone that could not receive calls. Dispatchers were able to obtain a location and address, but when officers arrived, there was no structure there and no signs of anyone in distress, VanHoozer said.
The officers then went to the closest home, where the Carrs lived. They said the 911 call didn’t come from their home, nor from their neighbors, who are their relatives. Some of the family had just returned from dinner when officers arrived. The initial encounter with officers was only seconds long.
“This cop did not attempt to use a Taser,” the family posted on Facebook. “He didn’t attempt to use mace. He went straight to DEATH for Zeta. She was not attacking him or anyone. Barking is not a valid reason to off a dog. What if my kids would have walked around the side of the house and worn a missed bullet or ricochet?”
The video appears to show Zeta barking and aggressively running toward officers. VanHoozer said he could not speculate, but he believed his officer feared for his or her life when pulling the trigger.
“I wish you had held that dog,” one officer said after the shooting.
”I tried to,” the homeowner replied.
The chief said neither officer was injured.
“As you know, this is not uncommon to police work,” VanHoozer told reporters. “It’s not even uncommon in society where maybe a person feels threatened by a dog and they take action to defend themselves or harm or even kill the dog in some cases. And there are a lot of contributing factors to that.”
The Carr family created a GoFundMe page to assist with “legal fees, counseling/medical sessions for the family, donating in Zeta’s name to a charity, and fixing legislation in GA for these types of situations.”
VanHoozer said he has reached out to the family.
“We offer our condolences,” he said. “You’re in our thoughts and prayers, and most of us can very much relate to where you are.”
About the Author
