American city to pay $500,000 to dog owner after cop kills blind and deaf pet

The officer who shot the dog maintained that he thought the pet was posing a threat to public safety.

The City of Sturgeon will pay out $500,000 to the owner of a dog shot and killed by a cop. A lawsuit was filed on the grounds that Sturgeon failed to properly train and supervise its officers.

The dog named Teddy just moments before being shot. (Screengrab)

Intense outrage poured in on social media after a video showing the incident of the cop shooting the dog named Teddy went viral in 2024.

What did the video show?

In the video, captured by the cop's bodycam, a dog is seen roaming on a large lawn. The individual tries to catch the pet but fails to do so. Suddenly, at one point, a bullet shot is heard, followed by the animal’s piercing scream.

The hard-to-watch video was initially released without the part where the dog was shot. However, a full version was released, which left people outraged.

The city maintained that the cop was within his rights to shoot the dog. Now, however, the city has agreed to settle the lawsuit with Teddy's owner, Nicholas Hunter. From the $500,000 settlement, Hunter will receive $282,500, and $217,500 will go to his lawyers.

Myron Woodson, who shot the dog, claimed that he did so thinking Teddy was a stray. The police were called to the area after a neighbour spotted Teddy alone and wanted him to get reunited with his owner.

"I believed the dog was seriously injured and suffering," Woodson said in an affidavit after the incident.

"I followed and complied with the City of Sturgeon Police Department policies related to deadly force, which states that 'officers may use deadly force to destroy an animal that represents a threat to public safety or as a humanitarian measure where the animal is seriously injured'.”

Viewer's discretion advised: This video contains distressing scenes of animal violence.

"Mr. Hunter is relieved this matter is concluded, but nothing can ever bring his Teddy back," Hunter’s legal team told the Independent.

"Teddy was a good dog who did not deserve this. We hope that other departments will learn from this and train their officers better in the future so events like this don’t happen again."

Hunter also thanked the Animal Legal Defence Fund (ALDF). The organisation provided the necessary grant to cover the cost of the lawsuit.

“These horrendous tragedies are completely unnecessary and preventable with simple, adequate training,” ALDF Executive Director Chris Green told the outlet.