Lodi News

Complaint filed against Lodi PD over dog’s death

Department says it will conduct an internal review

Wes Bowers NEWS-SENTINEL STAFF WRITER

A formal complaint has been filed against the Lodi Police Department and an internal investigation is being conducted following an incident that led to a dog’s death last Tuesday.

On Jan. 24 at about 3:12 p.m., officers responded to the report of an aggressive dog on Sandpiper Circle, according to police officials. Upon arrival, officers attempted to detain the dog — a 2-year-old husky named Enzo — but he was able to evade capture.

Officers with the animal services division also arrived on scene, but attempts to catch the dog with a snare pole failed as well. Enzo made his way to Finch Run, where officers eventually deployed a taser to subdue him. The dog died after being tased multiple times.

“The taser is designed as a less-lethal option that was used by our officer in an attempt to stun and temporarily incapacitate the dog, so that our animal services officer could safely get it under control,” police said. “It is unfortunate and we are saddened by the outcome of this incident. We understand the public outcry regarding the video footage that has been posted on social media, however we

would like to remind everyone that this is only a small portion of the overall incident.”

Witnesses uploaded the video to social media sites, which shows the officer approaching Enzo and using the taser. The video shows the dog falling before returning to its feet after the first tase, and then being tased a second time. At that point, an animal services officer was able to loop the snare pole around the dog’s neck. The dog is then dragged to the animal services truck.

Enzo’s owners, Anna Marquez and Aline Galeno, said the dog had never shown aggression and was not acting vicious on Tuesday.

Police said the dog chased a family into their home and then tried to attack their dog on Sandpiper Circle, then later became aggressive toward three bystanders on Finch Run.

Witnesses said that never happened, describing Enzo as friendly. Residents commenting on the department’s Facebook post demanded transparency, accountability and possible disciplinary action.

Marquez told the News-Sentinel on Wednesday that Enzo and three other dogs somehow escaped her home through the front door the day of the incident.

She was able to recover one, and two others returned home on their own, she said. She then attempted to chase after Enzo and called animal services for assistance, she said.

Due to the complaint filed against the department, police said no further information about the incident will be disclosed, pending the outcome of the investigation.

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2023-01-28T08:00:00.0000000Z

2023-01-28T08:00:00.0000000Z

https://lodinews.pressreader.com/article/281698323883413

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