Mesa Police Department defends officer’s decision to shoot dog

PHOENIX — The Mesa Police Department defended one of its officers for shooting a dog who was deemed “an immediate threat” in late November.

Around 3 a.m. on Nov. 29, patrolling police officers discovered Jarell White, 37, asleep on a table in Fitch Park. When approaching the man for violating a city code, a pit bull mix jumped up on the tabletop and began “barking, growling and snapping,” according to a Monday post on the department’s crime blog page.

Due to what one officer said was “an imminent bite” on its way, three gunshots were fired toward the pit bull mix and it ran off with injuries.

After more officers arrived at the park, they were able to secure the dog with a “snare” due to it still behaving “aggressively.” It took around six minutes from the beginning of the encounter until the dog was safely in a Mesa patrol car and headed to a nearby animal hospital.

Following assessment from medical personnel, the pit bull mix’s injuries were deemed “too severe for surgery” and they decided to euthanize it.

The current department policy states that officers are permitted “to use force to stop an immediate threat, including from an aggressive animal.”

“As with all use-of-force incidents, the department is conducting a full review to ensure all actions align with department policy and Arizona law,” the post stated. “Initial findings indicate the officer’s response was consistent with policy when confronted with an aggressive, charging dog.”

Body camera footage confirms that an officer told White that his dog was going to a hospital and where it was heading. The Mesa police crime blog also said around 8 p.m. the same day a Central Station Watch Commander told a woman named Bertha, allegedly Jarell’s mother, about the dog.

For further transparency, residents may watch the incident via the archived body cam footage located at the bottom of the blog post. Viewer discretion is advised.

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