Joe Donisi, took this image of his dog Rocky shortly after it was killed by a Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Deputy who claimed he felt threatened by the animal and subsequently shot it on Friday, Aug. 21, 2015 in Jamestown, NY.
JAMESTOWN – The Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the recent shooting of a resident’s dog by a sheriff’s deputy, but it appears unlikely any punishment or even change in policy will come from the incident.
The Jamestown Post Journal is reporting that Deputy Robert Holcomb is being investigated following the shooting of a 10-year old Boxer by the name of Rocky at 191 Newton Ave.
But it’s unlikely Holcomb will see any punishment. Chautauqua County Sheriff Joe Gerace has already stated that the dog was not leashed and had left its owner’s property when approaching Holcomb. In addition, Holcomb states that the dog was approaching him in an aggressive manner and he had to make a split second decision, which was to shoot it in order to prevent being attacked.
The Dog’s owner, Joe Donisi, claims that Holcomb had plenty of time to react and that he had other options to consider – including getting back in his patrol car or using pepper spray rather than his gun. As a result, he felt Holcomb used excessive force and should hand in his badge.
Donisi said he will also be appearing before the Chautauqua County legislature on Wednesday night to bring additional light to the issue and request a change in how the sheriff’s office deals with loose dogs. A rally is also expected to take place prior to the legislature meeting.
Leave a Reply