Dispatch: Wyckoff Officer Was Probing 'Days'-Old Burglary When He Shot Dog

Dispatchers told the Wyckoff police officer who shot a dog April 29 that he was investigating a burglary that had taken place “days” in the past.

Bergen County released recordings of dispatches made before and after Officer Kyle Ferreira shot Otto, a German shepherd the Vukobratovic family owned.

Dispatchers told Ferreira the burglary took place at 621 Lawlins Road.

At 20 seconds into the recording, an officer said, “Received, 622 Lawlins Road.”

The dispatcher is asked how long ago the burglary took place.

“According to the desk, quite a while in the past. Like, days,” the recording states.

Dispatch said that the owner walked into the police station and reported the burglary.

At about 1:02 in the recording, Ferreira informs dispatch he is on Lawlins Road.

The shooting follows.

“I have shots fired. I had a dog come after me,” Ferreira said.

At 3:32, another Wyckoff police officer reports at 621 Lawlins Road, the address of the attempted burglary and where Ferreira should have gone to, that there were pry marks on a window screen and that an outside light blub had been smashed.

Chief Benjamin Fox previously told NJ.com that Ferreira had a right to defend himself against a possible burglar. Ferreira drew his gun when he saw an open window in the back of the Vukobratovic home.

Fox said in a press release about the incident that Ferreira thought the open house was “a point of entry of the reported burglary” and that Ferreira “not knowing at this point that he was at the wrong home,” or “if any suspects” were still at the location, and that’s why he drew his gun.

Otto reportedly lunged out of the open window and latched into Ferreira’s right foot, biting him. Ferreira fired his gun four times at the dog, shooting him twice. The dog died later that night.