SAINT CLARE SHORES — It began when a grandpa, who suffers from dementia, forgot to bring Lexie the puppy back inside.
Lexie was barking for several hours, wanting to come back inside.
At some point a neighbor thought it was a good idea to call the police and complain about the barking.
By the time the police arrived, the grandpa was at the door trying to let Lexie back inside — but it was too late.
Police surrounded the dog, according to reports, which distracted Lexie from going inside, causing her to bark at the police.
That’s when a hail of gunfire occurred. The police shot Lexie eight times, according to ABC-7 News.
“She was just my puppy,” said Brittany Preston, the dog’s owner.
Brittany was at work for the night and left Lexie home with grandpa, never imagining she would return to find Lexie dead.
Related: Every 98 Minutes, a Dog is Shot by Law Enforcement
Police claim in their reports that Lexie “charged” at them.
That appears to be a lie, given the testimony of witnesses at the scene.
Witnesses stated that the puppy was actually cowering against the house as the police continued to shoot her again and again.
“Eight shots in my dog is just horrendous,” says Preston, devastated.
“Lexie was friendly, loveable, playful,” she said.
Preston doesn’t believe the shooting was necessary at all and believes Lexie would still be alive right now if police had handled things more responsibly.
“You could sedate dogs and find out who their owners are, instead of killing them and worrying about it later.”
“I think what they did was very inhumane,” she said.