Waco, Texas, police who responded to the wrong address for a burglary in progress because of an autocorrect issue, shot and killed a dog that lunged at one of the officers.
In a statement posted to social media, the Waco Police Department said it was saddened by the unfortunate shooting that resulted in the death of the beloved pet, Finn.
At about 3:15 p.m. on June 3, officers were sent to a house in the 3200 block of N. 20th Street for a burglary in progress, but the corresponding adjacent "A" street was not included.
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The dispatcher reported hearing the caller screaming that a man kicked her door in, asking police to "Please come now!"
The call taker also heard a man’s voice in the background saying, "I’m not trying to hurt you," before the call was disconnected.
When officers arrived at the address provided, without the "A" street, they noticed the back door of the home was open, which matched the information provided by the dispatcher.
According to police, the officers announced their presence to whomever was inside, and moments later several dogs ran toward the officers, who fled.
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One dog, police added, lunged at an officer, retreated, then lunged at the officer again.
As a result, the officer fired one round from his department-issued firearm, striking the dog.
The dog was taken to an emergency medical clinic by its owner, police said, where a department commander met with the family, offered his sympathy and provided information regarding services provided by the department.
"We are regretful for the outcome regarding our response that resulted in the death of Finn," the WPD said on Facebook. "We will work diligently to confirm the address entered into our Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system is accurate and precise."
The department added that it is working with the CAD system manufacturer to prevent similar situations from happening again.
Dispatchers will also be directed to evaluate any address that comes up on streets with an adjacent "A" street.
