Recently released CCTV footage shows the heart wrenching moment an NYPD officer fatally shot a family’s dog in an unprovoked attack. The devastated family are now seeking justice for their beloved pet and are calling for the officer to be held accountable for his actions.
On February 13, Yvonne Rosado had been dancing with her dog Spike—a cherished weekly ritual in which Spike stood on his hind legs so Rosado could hold his paws—when the dog became excited by activity outside of the front door of the apartment.
“He’s right there when the music’s about to start,” Rosado explained. “I dance around with him and I spin him with one paw.”
Outside the apartment, NYPD officers were speaking to 16-year-old neighbour, Serena Santiago. Earlier that night, a neighbour had called the police for an unrelated issue. When Roasado opened her door investigate, Spike slipped out of the apartment, his tail wagging, to greet the officers.
“When I realized that it was an officer in front of the door, I said, ‘He’s friendly! He’s friendly!'” Rosado said.
In the surveillance footage that captured the horrific incident, Spike—who shows no signs of aggression—exits the apartment and approaches one of the officers, who has already drawn his gun. The officer then proceeds to back down the stairwell before opening fire on the happy pooch. The officers then left Spike, who had been wounded from a single gunshot to the head, to die in pool of his own blood.
“The officer just started backing away, and I thought he was pointing his finger at him, but he pointed the gun and shot,” Rosado said. “Everything happened in less than one minute.”
“Spike died wagging his tail,” Irma Sue Santiago, Serena’s mother, told the Daily News. “It’s the worst thing.”
Immediately after the shooting, Rosado ran out of her apartment and tried to comfort her dying pet. Overcome with distress, Rosado—who was in nothing but her undergarments at the time— then proceeded to confront the officers, slipping over her dogs blood in the process.
Three male officers then violently forced the grief stricken owner to the ground and pinned her to the stairs. “I was very emotionally upset,” said Rosado. “They jumped on top of me – three men,” she said. “I’m in my undergarments in the hallway.”
“They pinned her down to the stairs,” added neighbor Irma Santiago. “Her whole back was black and blue.”
Rosado, who has said that the incident has left her traumatized, is haunted by the incident every time she leaves the house. “He was a big Snuffleupagus — a gentle giant,” Rosado described Spike to the New York Daily News. “He was a member of the family … He would wag his tail, letting everyone know he was friendly.”
In addition, Santiago has said that her daughter has been “traumatized” by the gruesome shooting, and has had to seek psychiatric help in order to help her deal with the horrifying events that she witnessed.
Since the incident, Rosado has retained attorney David Thompson of the firm Stecklow & Thompson in an effort to seek justice for her beloved pet. “I want the officer to be disciplined for what he did to my beloved because he tore away something, a family member,” she said.
The NYPD have yet to offer Rosado an explanation or apology for the murder of her pet, and have refused to disclose the identity of the officers involved. An unnamed source cited by the Daily News identified the officer as Ruben Cuesta, however, this information has not been verified. According to reports, the officer went to the hospital to be treated for tinnitus.
The incident is currently being reviewed by the Force Investigation Division, according to a statement released by the NYPD. “The incident is being reviewed by our Force Investigation Division and the findings will be subject to a firearms discharge review board,” said a police spokesman.
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I am so very sorry for your lost,
the dog not neded to shot.
Thanks to the NYPD i will be cancelling my trip to New York.
I feel that that trigger happy, under trained and highly dangerous terrorists who are paid by the city are a direct threat to the safety of the public. Both animals and humans.
I have a dog, i love Dogs and it make me so sad but ist the owners fault ! most dog owner dont know how to treat Dogs, dont know how to teach them rules, especially women treat them like human Kids but thats wrong. i NEVER would open the door before checking my dog is in other room that he cant run outside because i not want others are scared of him ! the dog just died because the owner made mistakes 🙁
Bs, the cop had no right to shoot him.
I’ve just about had it; with, these Punk ass Cops. The dog was people friendly. that rat bastard, is so full cowardice. he couldn’t see the dog’s behavior signs, which said he was a people friendly animal.The DOG was wagging his tail; not baring his teeth. DUMB ASS!
He was wearing a thick jacket, even if the dog bit him, he could have thrown him off and still remained uninjured for the most part.
he went to the hospital for tinnitus… That means the only injury he had, was from the firing of his own gun… I wouldnt say karma, cuz it doesnt even come close.. Lets hope he gets shot coldblodded by a gangmember one day, when he’s with his family 🙂
To kill an animal, should be punished like killing a human being…
The cops in the US don’t get punished for killing humans.
I am so sorry for your loss. The names of officers involved will be known – they need to be fired post haste… I’d like to see them in prison. They killed your dog without cause, they assaulted you without cause.
I am glad you have an attorney – NYPD needs to lose another couple million dollars for hiring trash to take care of a city.
Nobody knows the demeanour of the dog at the time and as far as I saw on that footage the woman ran down and struck the officer therefore she should of been restrained and charged.
Another example of why police should not be allowed lethal weapons.
on the contrary, if the police got into a firefight involving, lets say, citizens and gang member, and the cops were trying to protect the citizens, they should be lethally armed; However, i feel anyone given the JOB to take care of people safety and personal rights, should be given the extensive training and self control to do so. It isn’t about you, its about the people around you.
Dogs lives matter
WTF!! He should be SHOT! Fire him from the force because the world don’t need that kind of attitude! Trigger happy MOTHERF*&%er!
I am deeply sorry for your lost. Please ensure every way possible to prosecute the one who did that. I have a lot of dogs and I can certainly know if they are attacking or simply happy to see you. I know the pain of losing a beloved dog. I am not ashamed to say that I cry whenever a dog of mine passes. I know that spike will go to a much beautiful place.
im sorry that the dog died but it wouldn,t have happened if she had stayed inside &minded her own business she partly to blame!!
She was to blame, and we don’t know just by that footage weather the dog was aggressive or not.
A dog cannot help her curiosity of people, the police should have been better trained to deal with those kinds of situations.
Agre
yeah, terrorist LOL
How can such pussy men become police officers?? They are good for nothing, less than that. Gun is their only friend. Only in USA.
I too would of shot the dog if it came at me in an aggressive manner. And the police were right to subdue the woman who clearly was striking at the officer.
ACAB!!! DEATH for all cops ANARCHY
Animal abuse is now a felony! I believe this falls under that category and should be carried out as such!! ?
If the girl had shot the dog in an unprovoked attack like that she would have been arrested and prosecuted. Not only did the cop unjustly execute an innocent animal but he assaulted and restrained the woman without just cause and refused to identify himself. People need to start demanding that these officers uphold the law rather than acting like they are above it and it does not apply to them!
ACAB
Going by the dog’s posture in the photo from the footage, that is an aggressive posture; ears back, tail down, body tense. My dog was abused before I adopted her and when she does this when we’re playing, I know to back off b/c I’ve caused her to feel threatened, even though I would categorically describe her as friendly, as this owner does. Those of you who said this owner made mistakes are exactly right. This woman’s dog may be friendly in most instances, but when a dog hears strange noises and fears its beloved owner may be in danger, it will take an aggressive stance. The cop felt threatened. It all happened quickly like she said. The dog obviously continued to advance-it’s right at the top of the stairs. And if the dog bit him, no, he couldn’t shake it off. It’s a bulldog; their jaws lock and they do not let go. And the jacket is not thick enough to protect him from harm. The owner is, unfortunately, culpable in this situation. Like some have said, if she HAD to open the door, she should have made sure the dog was locked up or at least not able to escape. Or minded her own business. There’s always that option. And why did she open the door while she was in her underwear anyway? Maybe there is more to this story than she lets on. Let’s wait and hear the cop’s side before we cast judgement on him.
So if a police dog took an aggressive manner on a citizen, could they grab a gun and shoot the police dog? No, they couldn’t. The same rules apply for pets.
The death of a police dog is treated exactly as if you kill a police officer. The same rules should apply to cops killing pet animals. The pet that is injured or killed because of unprovoked police action should result in the officer being charged with killing an innocent bystander. There should be no double standard. If the officer is convicted of killing a pet animal without cause they should be sentenced as a murderer should be. These types of situations would stop immediately the first time an officer is convicted of 1st degree murder. 20+ years in the penal system for killing my pet/family member would be a great deterrent.
What the hell why ?
Most coppers are living on their nerves, and wouldn’t be in the roles they are. They should be working at a check out- rather than being given a gun or other responsible job. My bets are that coppers like this would shoot teddy bears and toys in a panic situation.
I would rather see an idiot copper be shot dead than a defenseless canine, anyday!
That should read SHOULDN’T BE IN THE ROLES THEY ARE.