Owner plans protest after St. Clair County deputy shoots dog
The owner of a dog who was shot and killed by a St. Clair County Sheriff's Office is demanding answers about why the shooting happened.
Maggie Meldrum said her dogs Rocko and Scarlet had gotten out of her house in Algonac and ran into a neighbor's yard on Sept. 12. Deputy Daniel Jehl responded to the neighborhood and attempted to lure the dogs into his car with food.
The shooting happened in an instant when Rocko ran up to Jehl while barking. As Jehl fired Rocko fell to his side.
Meldrum is now protesting the death of her dog, arguing the deputy acted rashly by shooting Rocko.
"He could have just waited until Animal Control arrived and left the dogs alone," Meldrum said.
Body camera footage obtained by the Times Herald through a Freedom of Information Act request shows Jehl was attempting to lure the dogs to him before the shooting. According to the incident report written by Jehl, he was attempting to get them into his patrol vehicle.
The Times Herald is choosing not to publish the body camera footage due to the graphic shooting of the dog.
Jehl first calls to the dogs, who are seen in a fenced yard. A bystander approaches and offers to get some food to help lure them out, to which Jehl is heard saying, "Yeah if you want, I guess."
After several unsuccessful attempts to call the dogs, Jehl checks his radio to ask how close the animal control officer is. A dispatcher tells him the officer is responding to a call in East China Township.
The bystander returns with food and Jehl takes it to the backyard. Rocko, who is heard barking throughout the video approaches after several seconds.
Jehl was not facing the dogs when the altercation occurred. Rocko's body is visible making a sudden move toward Jehl when he steps back and pulls out his gun. Rocko is seen moving toward Jehl when he fires two shots, killing Rocko.
"The Cattle Dog was distancing himself, however, (he) eventually got within arms length and then charged twice at me, at which time two rounds of 9mm were discharged from my service weapon and the dog was deceased," Jehl wrote in a report on the shooting.
Meldrum said she does not believe Jehl needed to shoot Rocko, and is planning to protest outside the St. Clair County Sheriff's Office on Oct. 7. She said she wants the sheriff's office to discipline Jehl and/or have him undergo training.
A GoFundMe page has also been set up by a friend of Meldrum asking for funds to cover Rocko's cremation, a memorial and pay for signs for the protest.
"I want to stop this from happening to anyone else's dog," Meldrum said.
Sheriff Mat King said Rocko's death was unfortunate, but that Jehl felt he was in danger of being bitten before the shooting.
"We never want this type of outcome with a dog or any other animal," he said.
Contact Johnathan Hogan at jhogan@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Port Huron Times Herald: Owner plans protest after St. Clair County deputy shoots dog
