Police Officer Suspended Over Off Duty Dog Attack On Montrose Beach
By Chuck Sudo in News on Apr 19, 2012 1:40PM
Willy, a 2-Year-old Pomeranian-Papillon mix, had to be put down after being attacked by a police officer's pit bull at Montrose Avenue dog beach on St. Patrick's Day. (Photo via the Fisher family.)
Audrey Fisher and her daughter, 12-year-old Fayla Rodriguez, brought their dog Willy—a 2-year-old Pomeranian Papillon mix—to the dog beach to play with his favorite pink ball when the pit bull decided he wanted it and attacked Willy to get to it. Fisher incurred $5,700 in veterinary bills; Willy died three days later. The owner of the pit bull simply walked away from the scene. Park District rules state the owner of a dog who attack other animals at dog parks are responsible for the veterinary bills.
He never did. Cell phone camera photos captured the image of the dog and his owner, which was distributed on flyers near the beach. The police officer, a five-year veteran of the department, finally confessed to his superiors he was the owner of the pit bull. He was relieved of his duties pending an Internal Affairs investigation, while the department's Animal Crimes unit cited him for not reporting the incident within 24 hours. The Police Department said in a statement they "(expect) its members to demonstrate the highest standards of conduct on and off duty and will not permit wrongdoing to go unaddressed."
When Fisher found out the owner of the pit bull was a cop, she was stunned.
“I can’t tell you how this has been weighing on me, and on Fayla, who witnessed her dog practically being eaten,” said Fisher. “This is a man protecting our streets. Instead of acting like a cop and taking charge, he cowered out like a sissy girl and ran away. I expect justice to be served by the Chicago Police Department. I expect them to make one of their own follow the law and pay this bill he incurred when his pit killed my puppy, and I expect them to make him give my daughter and I an apology.”