CHILLICOTHE, Ohio – An internal affairs investigation into the shooting of a dog by a Chillicothe police officer on March 8 has been deemed within policy.
According to Chillicothe police chief Keith Washburn, the officer, identified as Traevon Williams, didn’t receive any formal disciplinary action, since the internal affairs committee determined there was no violation of policy.
The investigation recommended the officer undergo additional training in an online course for dealing with animals through the Ohio Attorney General’s Office.
The investigation was launched earlier this month after an officer shot a dog when returning to a home on North Sugar Street during a follow-up investigation. Washburn said a child opened the door of the home and a large pit bull charged at one of the officers, growling. The officer retreated, he said, and when the dog continued to charge at him, the officer fired two shots at the dog.
The dog sustained minor injuries and the officer was uninjured.Washburn said the department’s use of force policy states officers “can shoot at a vicious dog if there’s risk of serious harm or death to an officer or a bystander.”
“In this case, the officer felt the pit bull charging him (could potentially cause) imminent physical harm, so he shot at it,” Washburn said.
Body cam footage from the incident shows one of the shots fired through a neighboring home’s front window. No one inside the home was injured in the incident.
The video shows a pit bull running out of the home toward Williams after a child opened the front door to get their parent to speak to the officer. The officer can be heard audibly sighing multiple times after the incident.
According to the Chillicothe Police Department’s 2017 annual report, Williams was hired by the agency at the end of December.