Haralson County Sheriff Eddie Mixon says his office is investigating after a deputy shot and killed a 6-month-old labrador retriever while serving a warrant.
According to the deputy's account, the dog ran at him while he was at the home last week attempting to serve the warrant in connection with a felony.
"In circumstances such as these, there are always conflicting statements," Sheriff Mixon states in a prepared release. "An inquiry is clearly the best way to sort out the fact from fiction."
Shortly after the dog was shot, an elderly woman at the home suffered what the sheriff describes as a mild heart attack. She was taken to the hospital. In his statement, the sheriff offers prayers for her speedy recovery.
The Times-Georgian newspaper reports the internal inquiry into the shooting is underway.
In another fatal dog shooting in May, a Clayton County police officer faces internal investigation by the Office of Professional Standards.
The dog owner, Claudette Terry, claims Officer Walter Dennard shot her 5-month-old lab-pit mix twice while she was talking to police outside the home on Pineglen Drive.
"The dog was shaking on the ground," Terry tells Channel 2 Action News. "And he walked up to the dog and shot it a second time. He walked closer and shot it a second time."
After her dog was killed, Terry was cited for a leash-law violation and failure to produce rabies paperwork.
In his incident report, the officer claimed the puppy lunged, but that's disputed by family members and witnesses.