Las Cruces police release partial video, respond in wake of dog shooting

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The Las Cruces Police Department on Thursday released information about a fatal dog shooting Monday.

Stormy, a 10-year-old large terrier, was shot and killed by police responding to a welfare check at a residence on Willow Street.

Police released a partial body cam video showing Stormy charging at responding officers and also responded to several claims, including that officers were laughing in the aftermath of the shooting.

The responding officers, whose names were not included in a news release, are not expected to be charged, according to LCPD.

Police say the officer who fired at Stormy has four years experience and has been with LCPD since November 2020. He is expected to return to his regular duties later this week, the news release stated.

Stormy's owner, Jo Rivas, told the Sun-News on Monday that he called Las Cruces police around 2 p.m. that day because his brother hadn’t been sleeping and he was worried about his brother’s mental health.

The LCPD news release — which did not identify Rivas — corroborated the reason for the welfare check, stating: "the man told the call-taker that his relative had not slept in six to seven days and may have suicidal ideations."

Las Cruces police officers were dispatched as protocol, the release stated.

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Rivas told the Sun-News that he had requested those that responded to the welfare check to call him before they arrived on scene so that he could put away his dogs.

LCPD stated it reviewed the 911 call, which was not released. According to police:

"The man told the call-taker that he owns several big dogs and that he would 'corral' them. Near the end of the call with 911, the call-taker reiterated concern for the dogs and asked the man to put them away. The man said he would. Information about the dogs, and that their owner would confine them, was passed along to the two officers who responded to the welfare check."

The news release stated the caller did not request that police call him before their arrival.

The bodycam video released by LCPD shows two officers approaching the home. A large dog can be seen running in the yard as officers walk toward an open door. One officer unholsters his weapon and briefly points it at the dog coming from the side. Then, another dog, Stormy, comes from a doorway and runs toward the officers. The seven-second video police released publicly doesn't show shots being fired but it does show the officer pointing his gun directly at Stormy.

Police say the officer fired three rounds at the dog.

“It’s very unfortunate when an incident such as this, involving someone’s pet, occurs,” Las Cruces Police Department Chief Miguel Dominguez said in the news release. “Our officers face many dangerous obstacles during the course of their duty day, and we expect them to stay vigilant and safe. Our community depends on them.

“Our beloved canine companions provide a level of security by alerting owners of potential dangers or intruders,” Dominguez said. “This incident is unfortunate for all involved and especially for the owner of the deceased dog. We ask that all pet owners do their part to keep their four-legged friends safe by taking the necessary precautions when first responders are summoned to their home.”