OKC Homeowner Shoots Two Dogs, Killing One. But Was He Justified?

<p>One dog is dead and another injured after being shot by a neighbor. It happened in a quiet community in south Oklahoma City.</p>

Thursday, March 24th 2016, 6:31 pm

By: News 9


One dog is dead and another injured after being shot by a neighbor. It happened in a quiet community in south Oklahoma City.

Zachary Tate had just come home from work and he says the incident happened within minutes.

“All of a sudden, I hear a lot of commotion, barking, growling, a big slam against our back door,” said Tate.

According to Tate, the neighbor’s dogs got into his backyard through the fence and were attacking his dog. He says this is not the first time.

“I went to the backyard, tried to break them up, a lot of commotion and ruckus between the dogs. They’re unpredictable. I ended up, I shot the dogs,” said Tate.

The owner of the two pit bulls, Roynetta Davis, came home to find Cali, the female, dead. Kaiden, the male, was shot through the mouth.

“My 14-year-old son was with [Kaiden] crying. He was bleeding. He didn’t know if he was dying. He looked over their fence and saw Cali in their yard, dead,” said Davis.

Davis thinks her dogs were on her side of the fence and doesn’t believe Tate’s story. But even if they did cross over, Davis is upset by the way he handled the situation.

“The cruelty of it is that you allowed her to die in your backyard. He has never apologized,” she said.

The Oklahoma Police Department confirms that discharging a firearm within city limits can be legal depending on the situation. For example, if a dog gets into someone’s backyard and is being vicious, it would be self-defense and be justified.

Tate said he is a dog lover, but believes Cali was aggressive and harmful.

“It’s about the safety of my family,” he told News 9.

Police responded to the homes on Tuesday, but say no investigation is being conducted and no charges are being filed.

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