Family dog fighting for his life after he was shot by Maple Heights police officer

On January 31, 2025By Littum

Maple Heights, Ohio (WOIO) – a family is destroyed after their dog was shot by a Maple Heights police officer. The puppy is currently fighting for his life at the Animal Hospital.

“They say he was in critical condition, but now they say his lungs,” cried the dog’s owner, Marquita Watford. “He got internal bleeding. He might not manage. We don’t even have him for a whole year. I’m sorry. “

Watford could hardly hold it together when reporter Kelly Kennedy interviewed her a few hours after her dog Chino was shot by a Maple Heights police officer.

“Chino came and zoomed in before I could step my foot in the kitchen, and it’s just blood everywhere,” Watford remembered. “So I come to the door as who just shot my dog!”

The shooting happened on Thursday morning a little before 10. Watford says she let her 1-year-old Pit Bull out in her farm and entered the shower. She jumped out when she heard knock on the door.

“I hear his screams over the porch, and then I just heard pop, pop, pop, and I got right to the door right away,” Watford said. “As I’m so in shock right now.”

Police in Maple Heights said they were called to the home of Camden Road by Watford’s neighbor who said an aggressive pit bull was in her garden.

She told the officer that the dog is always loose and she would push charges. Watford says her dog has never been aggressive and that she has a detention order against her neighbor.

“Me and her have celebrated. She has wanted to get rid of my dog ever since I got him. She has a dog but she likes to pick with what I came to get in my house. I don’t know what’s her problem. ”

Surveillance video from a neighbor’s house shows the officer arriving and knocking on her neighbor’s door. Then the officer knocks on Watford’s door. When she does not answer, he enters her driveway towards her backyard. Moments later you hear three-gun shots.

“They just walk around, mam this is a place of crime. I am in a panic with chino in my arms and try to wrap a towel around him to get him for any emergency. “

Police claim the dog breathed his chest aggressively and shake against the officer twice. They said the officer pulled out his gun and called to the owner, but shot the dog as he claims Chino was running aggressively against him in the driveway.

“He didn’t say he was trying to bite me or nothing, didn’t say he was aggressive. He just said as if I felt threatened, ”Watford said. “I said,” How did you feel threatened? ”” ”

Right now, a year old Chino is at Metropolitan Veterinary Hospital in Highland Heights. Watford says Chino was shot in the Paws -Ben and his stomach and that they will have to operate to save him. Her sister started a goofundme to raise money for the operation.

“For hours, this dog has been hanging in there for us to try to get the money,” said Teeana Newell, Watford’s sister.

The family wants to see the officer held in charge.

“I hope a police officer loses his job,” Newell said.

19 has requested Body Camera video from the Maple Heights police and updates you when we’ve got it. Detectives are investigating the shooting.