DETROIT – Ace is a 10-year-old Goldendoodle recovering after being shot in the mouth by Wayne State University police over the weekend.
His family says he’s non-aggressive and wandered over to officers who were in the area of Beaubien and Frederick doing a welfare check and ended up getting shot for no reason.
On Monday (May 1), WSU police released the bodycam footage, which showed officers trying to find the correct address, when one noted Ace was loose and in the area. Seconds later, you can see the dog running at officers, barking loudly.
One officer fired two shots, and Ace ran away crying as he was hit in the mouth.
“What I see is the officers in an unfortunate position where they had a dog that was aggressively charging them, not walking to them or coming to say hi,” said WSU Chief Anthony Holt. “I see the dog running at them in a charging attack mode.”
Holt says the department has reviewed the bodycam and interviewed witnesses, and a final determination will likely be released Tuesday.
“I don’t see any other recourse the officer had,” Holt said.
Ace’s family says they’re not ready to look at the bodycam video because it’s so upsetting, and they plan on pursuing a complaint against the officer.
More: Dogs killed by Detroit police: How big is this problem, and what can be done?
