KEYPORT, NJ – The Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office has determined that a dog on the loose in Keyport was acting aggressively upon their arrival. That interaction between the Keyport Police Department and the dog ended with the dog getting shot.
After the story went viral, the prosecutor’s office released the 911 call made during police response to show police felt they and other residents were in immediate danger by the dog.
“A Keyport couple are facing charges after their dog acted in an aggressive manner towards a resident and prompted an officer to fire his weapon on Saturday evening,” Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago announced on Tuesday.
Alexyss Ferrara, 29, and Angel Velez Jr, 34, both of Keyport, were both charged for the aggressive dog not being leashed.
According to police, “On Saturday night, at approximately 5:41 p.m., the Keyport Police Department received an emergency call for an aggressive animal cornering a female passerby and her dog in the vicinity of the 40 block of Pine Street.”
Police made an attempt to contact the owner when they arrived but say the dog moved toward the officers, and one of the officers fired their gun, striking the dog but not killing it.
“The dog retreated into a garage near the incident. Authorities from the Monmouth County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (MCSPCA) arrived on scene and subdued the animal and took the dog for treatment. The dog is currently in stable condition,” Santiago said.
The body cam footage of the incident was also released by the prosecutor’s office.
In the video, the dog was seen charging at officers from around the patrol car. The dog singled out one officer and ran toward him, barking. The officer fired two shots at the dog. The dog then ran back to its home, squealing.
“This case has received an ample amount of attention online via social media. In the interest of transparency, we are releasing a responding officer’s body-worn camera (BWC) footage, as well as the 911 call, to clear up any misconceptions of what happened and the circumstances surrounding the weapon discharge. It was an extremely unfortunate situation that the officer was faced with,” Santiago stated.
“From the beginning of the investigation, the Keyport Police Department has worked in conjunction with the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office,” Keyport Police Chief Shannon Torres said. “We are pleased that the BWC footage is being released and that it presents a clear depiction of the situation as it unfolded for our officer.”