PENDER COUNTY — Pender Sheriff Alan Cutler confirmed that one of his deputies fatally shot a dog during a routine welfare check of a Burgaw man last weekend.
Cutler said the deputy “did intentionally discharge his firearm, resulting in the death of a K-9 owned by the resident.”
Although he did not explicitly attribute the deputy’s actions to self-defense, Cutler pointed to his office’s policies and procedures that state “[t]he killing of an animal is justified for self-defense, to prevent harm to the deputy or another person or when the animal is so badly injured that it not continue to suffer.”
RELATED: Hunting beagle fatally shot when she walked into neighbor’s property near Burgaw
Cutler’s statement came in response to the claims of a Burgaw man named Bruce Benson, who posted on Facebook Wednesday evening that his dog, Astro, was “mercilessly shot and killed while the Pender County Sheriff’s [Office] conducted a welfare check on me because my phone was broke, and my church family couldn’t get a hold of me.”
Cutler confirmed that on Saturday, August 15 at 10:32 a.m., his deputies visited Benson’s home on Wolfe Run Road.
“They sent 4 deputies, including a [lieutenant and sergeant] and two rookies,” Benson posted. “Fifteen seconds after he ran out the door they shot (read murdered) him just as they are doing to humans across this country. I am lost without him. He was the best friend and was like a son to me.”
Benson vowed “retribution for Astro whether it is the Lord’s or mine,” and claimed his dog had acted in the defense of his home against trespassers before he was shot.
“Rest in Peace my best buddy, you gave your life trying to defend me and let me know there were trespassers in our yard and he was trying to get them to leave … The murdering bastards,” Benson posted.
Cutler suggested the dog was shot after advancing upon the deputies.
“This is a very unfortunate situation that has understandably impacted Mr. Benson,” Cutler said. “My Deputy is distraught that he had to use force to stop the K-9.”
For Benson, the incident exposed a lack of effective law enforcement training in Burgaw and throughout Pender County.
“This should have never happened,” Benson continued in his post. “There is a problem with law enforcement training in this country, and I never thought I’d say it but in this tiny town and county things are getting out of control as well. I doubt this would ever have happened if [former Sheriff Carson Smith and former Chief Deputy Keith Hinkle] were still in charge.”
When asked for his response to Benson’s claims, Cutler said that his deputies “complete annual in-service training in compliance with standards set by the NC Sheriff’s Training and Standards Commission.”
Benson did not immediately respond to a message sent to his Facebook account Thursday morning.
“This is an ongoing investigation. I cannot release further information regarding the case at this time. I expect the investigation to be concluded this week,” Cutler said.
The killing marked the second fatal shooting of a dog in the Burgaw area last week. On the night of August 11, a man’s hunting beagle allegedly got loose while his daughter was feeding her, and went into the yard of a nearby neighbor where she was shot and killed.
The neighbors had claimed the dog was attacking their ducks when a friend picked up a shotgun and shot her.
Send tips and comments to the reporter at mark@localdailymedia.com or (970) 413-3815
