Pontiac man left confused after dog shot and killed by sheriff's deputies
Robert White recalls Tuesday night when his dog, Minnie, was shot and killed by Oakland County Sheriff's deputies.
It all started with him and a few friends sitting in the front yard.
"Somebody was actually working on a car for a minute, so we were all just hanging out," White told CBS News Detroit.
White says Minnie, a pit bull, was sitting in the neighbor's driveway. Eventually, deputies arrived outside the home. Sometime later, Minnie was shot.
"(She) did not lunge at you, did not bark, didn't do anything, she was sitting there," he said.
CBS News Detroit contacted the Oakland County Sheriff's Office, which released the following statement:
"The facts show that a pit bull charged at the deputy while the deputy was on a sidewalk and retreating. The dog continued to charge, and the deputy defended himself. The dog was taken by the deputy to a veterinarian, where it succumbed to its injury."
"I just need justice. My daughter is going crazy over this. That was her dog," White said.
White says Minnie isn't a violent pet. He and his neighbors are still unsure why authorities arrived.
"They just said they got a call about a fight, about a pregnant lady. I was too hysterical about my dog. Wasn't nobody fighting over here," he said.
White says one deputy offered to take Minnie to the vet. As he carried her to the car, it would become his last time holding her.
"They, trying to tell me to hurry up and take your dog to the vet so you can save your dog. I ain't got no money to take my dog to the vet."
Less than an hour later, White got the call that Minnie had died. He says it's a confusing situation, especially since he feels left in the dark about the entire incident.
"Killed my dog for no reason. No, I ain't get nothing. They didn't give us any badge numbers or anything," he said.
Minnie would have turned 5 years old next week. White is hoping to honor her by getting answers.
