POST FALLS, Idaho – The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) reported that on Wednesday morning, while a deputy was delivering court papers to a home, two pit bulls charged him. One bit his leg, and the deputy, in fear for his life, shot both dogs and both died.
“[The deputy] didn’t come here for anything violent. [The deputy] came here to serve a simple piece of paper work saying ‘Hey, show up to court this day.’ That’s it! And it resulted in my dad’s two best friends dying,” Aaron Harris, the dog owner’s son, said.
Harris claims that the two pit bulls, named Hammer and Noble, were his father’s emotional support animals.
Harris was at the residence at the time of the shooting and alleges that before the dogs charged, the deputy yelled at his father and had his gun brandished.
KCSO told NonStop Local they cannot confirm Harris’ claim about the brandished gun. Harris said the deputy was standing behind his KCSO vehicle in the cul-de-sac where the residence is located.
“I do know that he told the dog owner to get control of his dogs… The deputy heard the dogs barking and he was at the house the day before trying to serve the same paper work and no one was home. And he knew that there were loud dogs inside. So, after he knocked on the door, he actually went across the cul-de-sac behind his car so that he could create distance from the dogs,” KCSO Lt. Jeff Howard said.
Both KCSO and Harris confirmed that the deputy was aware of aggressive pit bulls at the home.
“They’ve ran across my dad’s dogs before [and] know that the dogs are very protective. For a reason! When they feel a threat, they protect the owner or that person who is being threatened. So, they felt my father was being threatened,” Harris said
Harris, his brother and their father are devastated by the loss of the two dogs and question why the deputy did not try other de-escalation methods.
“Pepper spray isn’t always effective and neither is a tazor…So even though, yes, there are other options available… Those options aren’t always 100% sure…I have a hard time saying that the deputy did anything wrong [because of] the fact that he had his gun out… simply because he was aware that two large pit bulls were in the house,” Lt. Howard said.
Harris told NonStop Local they are meeting with an attorney and are looking into filing a lawsuit.
“For the cop to go to the measures that he did is just beyond me. It’s heart breaking and I would like to see justice,” Harris said.
The Post Falls Police Department and KCSO are investigating this incident.
The deputy was taken to a nearby hospital where he received treatment for the minor wound from the bite.
The owner of the dogs was not charged with any crimes related to this incident.
