Fairfax County Police Officer Shoots Dog in Parklawn Neighborhood

A Fairfax County police officer shot and killed a dog in the Parklawn neighborhood on Friday morning and neighbors are upset about the incident.

"Neighbors are really upset because it could happen to anybody’s dog," said Elsts, who has two dogs and lives two blocks away from where the incident occurred. "Even though the dog wandered the streets on a regular basis, it’s pretty scary that an officer would use a gun in the neighborhood."

Police were called to the 6200 block of Everglade Drive for a report of a loose dog, according to the county. Public Information Officer Lucy H. Caldwell, of the Fairfax County Police Public Information Office, laid out in an email to Patch what the police say happened next:

"The responding officer arrived and walked to the front door of the residence. No one was home. As he turned to leave, a dog came from around the home,  charged and showed aggressive behaviors towards the officer. The officer shot the dog. (When a vicious dog is attacking us or someone else, pepper spray, water bottles, etc. are not effective against the dog.)"

Officers had been to this home for numerous complaints about the dog running loose in the past, Caldwell noted.

"Anytime an officer uses deadly force, (discharges firearm) the agency conducts an internal investigation which is now underway; there is no additional information that I am able to release at this time," Caldwell noted in the email. "Remember... while a dog can seem sweet to it’s owner and others, it can show aggression towards others, especially when someone is on its property."

"The owner did make a mistake, however I think it’s wrong for an officer to go on to someone’s property and shoot their dog on their front steps," Elsts said. "Any witnesses would have been traumatized."

"What scares me is if an officer responds to a call at my house, are they going to use lethal weapons against my pets?" 

The Annandale VA blog identifies the owner of the dog as Thomas Tomlo. Patch was unable to reach him Tuesday. Tomlo said in a report on the blog that the dog, named Crash, was a mutt often mistaken for a pit bull.