Sturgeon City Settles $500,000 Lawsuit Over Fatal Police Shooting of Beloved Blind Dog
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The City of Sturgeon has agreed to pay $500,000 to the owner of Teddy, a blind and deaf dog shot and killed by a police officer in 2024. The lawsuit claimed that the city failed to properly train and supervise its officers. A viral video captured the incident on the police officer's bodycam, showing the dog roaming on a large lawn before being shot. The city initially released a censored version of the video, but later released the full version, sparking widespread outrage. According to the city, the officer, Myron Woodson, believed Teddy was a stray and shot the dog thinking it was seriously injured. However, the family of the dog disputes this, saying that Teddy was a well-cared-for pet who did not deserve to die. The settlement includes $282,500 for Teddy's owner, Nicholas Hunter, and $217,500 for his lawyers. Hunter's legal team thanked the Animal Legal Defence Fund for providing a grant to cover the cost of the lawsuit. The incident has raised concerns about police training and the use of deadly force against animals. The Animal Legal Defence Fund has called for better training and policies to prevent such tragedies in the future. "These horrendous tragedies are completely unnecessary and preventable with simple, adequate training," said Chris Green, Executive Director of the Animal Legal Defence Fund. "We hope that other departments will learn from this and take steps to prevent similar incidents."
