Nashville Police Officer Shoots, Kills Donelson Dog In Post-Storm Chaos

DONELSON, TN — As torrents of rain poured from the sky and trees toppled in the soggy soil, a Metro Nashville Police officer shot and killed a loose German shepherd in a Donelson neighborhood after it bit several people in a chaotic Tuesday afternoon scene.

Several large trees crashed to the ground and into homes in Donelson and Hermitage as repeated soakers pushed through Nashville yesterday, which also caused some flash flooding on area streets as creeks swelled their banks.

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News Channel 5's Nick Beres went out for a run just as the storm rolled into his Donelson neighborhood and was forced to shelter with a neighbor during its height, according to the station.

The German shepherd escaped a nearby home during the storm and refused to come to neighbors or first responders and its owner would not leave his house.

"The German shepherd attacked and bit four persons including the officer. Three persons had already been bitten when the officer arrived. He was in the process of attempting to notify the dog’s owner that it was loose when the dog ran into the yard and bit him on the leg," Metro Police spokesperson Kristin Mumford told Patch.

Mumford said Animal Control told MNPD the dog had a bite history dating back to 2014.

The MNPD employee manual authorizes the use of deadly force when there's "a reasonable belief that the action is immediately necessary to prevent imminent death or serious bodily injury of a human being, including the employee."

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