On Sunday, officers were responding to a report of a fight between a man and a woman when two dogs ran out the back door. He said he feared for his safety.
SAN ANTONIO — A San Antonio family is outraged and saddened after a police officer shot and killed two of their dogs. The officer claimed he feared for his safety when the dogs ran out the back door of his home.
The dog’s owners, Sabra and Trey Sekula, shared surveillance video of the incident.
Police said a woman was reportedly screaming for help and officers were responding to a call of an assault in progress.
When officers arrived at the home off Rock Hill Road Sunday morning, they saw a man on surveillance video walking towards the back of the house. He said he tried to knock on the front door before heading to the back with his gun drawn, according to a police report.
But the couple said he never knocked on their front door.
“What are you doing coming to my back door instead of knocking on my door in the first place?” Trey said.
Officers then knocked on the back door and turned themselves in. Less than a minute after knocking, Sabra opened the back door and her dog, Laney, jumped out.
“And when she was about three steps out the door, he shot her,” Sabra said.
Sabra ran around outside, her other dog, Freyas, chasing after her. She said she tried to restrain the other dog, but when the dog approached the officer, the officer fired more shots, killing Freyas.
“He could have shot her, he could have shot her,” Trey said of his wife. “She was right there.”
Sabra said she then went to get her dog, Rainie, who was still alive at the time.
“I hugged Laney and told her to keep up, and then I realized she had been shot in the neck,” Sabra said. “I spoon-fed her until she died and told her to go to her daughter in heaven.”
Rainie was their only daughter Cami’s dog. Kami died in 2022 due to a drunk driver.
“She said it was her spirit animal and one of the last real things I had left for Kami,” Sabra said.
Laney was also registered as an emotional support dog. She recently attended a Movement Against Drunk Driving (MADD) event with her family and was also seen in a photo with Police Chief William McManus.
“The chief literally had love for this dog that he shot,” Trey said.
Sabra spoke candidly about how these dogs saved her life after losing her daughter.
“This was like the last thing that needed me, it was what I needed to stay alive,” Sabra said. “If I didn’t take care of them, I wouldn’t be able to survive.”
The two dogs are purebred American Bullies. They said they have never been aggressive or dangerous, but they do sometimes run up to people and greet them.
“All those dogs want is to be by your side and come out wagging their tails. Yeah, they bark, dogs bark, that’s what they do,” Trey said. said.
The couple wants police officers to be held accountable. San Antonio police said an officer fired a deadly weapon and internal affairs officials are investigating the incident.
“That’s not acceptable,” Trey said. “That’s not the case, and we’re not going to accept that.”
The couple said after the incident that animal control took them in as loose dogs because their property was not fenced. ACS did not comment when asked about the provision.
The couple said they plan to file formal charges against the officer on Wednesday.
As for reports of assault, no one reported any physical altercations at the home, according to the police report.
