HONOLULU (AP) - A private security firm said its officer was acting in self-defense when he shot and killed a family’s pet dog at Honolulu International Airport.
The dog was barking aggressively and was shot in an unauthorized parking area on March 28 as it lunged toward the unidentified officer, Securitas said in a press release.
The company said the officer was injured after he fell backward into a tree while trying to get out of the pit bull’s way and is now on medical leave.
“The officer attempted to seek protection by using the coconut trees in that area as a barrier. As the pit bull lunged toward him, the officer fired a single shot at close range, in self-defense to prevent being attacked,” the release states.
The account differs from that of the pet’s owner, Leisha Ramos, who said the security officer approached her family while they were loading luggage into their vehicle, told them to leave and started arguing with her boyfriend.
“He came from a distance shouting, already tapping his gun,” Ramos told KHON-TV. “That’s already aggressive. He didn’t even give us time to collect my dog when he did get loose.”
The chain that tied her dog named Kaiele to a tree broke but the dog was not acting aggressively, she said.
“He wasn’t lunging. He wasn’t growling or anything,” Ramos said. “He was just walking casually. It was just a few steps and he got shot.”
Ramos said she was holding her 5-month-old baby when the guard shot the dog a few feet away.
Hawaii Sen. Will Espero said the security officer is being investigated for reckless endangering and was previously fired as a civilian police officer for the Army for pulling his gun too often.
Securitas said the officer “has expressed his sorrow and condolences to the family for the loss of the pit bull. Securitas management shares the same sentiment in this unfortunate incident.”
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