Camden residents concerned over pit bull shooting

CAMDEN, N.J. - April 16, 2011 (WPVI) -- There is controversy over the police shooting of a pit bull dog in Camden Saturday night.

There are several issues surrounding the shooting death of a neighborhood dog. Many believe the dog did not deserve to die, but many are also shaken by the number of stray bullets.

Neighbors say the dog was hit on one side of the street, but they found damage from police bullets on the other side of the street and several houses down. They say the officer's bullets hit vehicles and even houses where there were innocent bystanders.

Sherronda Aycox was devastated over the loss of her 8-month old blue pit bull Capone, and for what she and her neighbors believe was dangerous and irresponsible behavior by Camden Police.

Residents say officers responded to a fight between teenagers around 9:00pm Friday night.

Aycox says Capone darted out of the partially opened door and toward the officers several houses down, who, according to residents, shot and killed the dog.

Aycox says police investigators told her 33 rounds were fired.

"The cop said he felt like he was going to attack him," said Aycox, "and he just shot at him. The one cop hollered 'don't shoot him', but he shot him. When he shot him, the dog fell to the ground, was shaking and crying, but he just stood over top of him and kept shooting repeatedly."

"He just came running out of the house," said neighbor Kelly McCulley. "He plays with the kids all the time. He saw all the kids up there and that's what he thought, that he was coming to play, and they just shot him over and over and over."

The dog was hit and fell in one area, but the bullets sprayed elsewhere, shooting out the window of a van that several women were getting ready to get into. The women say there were children everywhere.

Neighbors say several other vehicles were hit, and the bullets pierced a nearby home, hitting a window and a wall inside.

The family was inside watching television and had no idea what was going on.

"It was just crazy. It was like a war zone out there," said the resident of the home.

Several attempts were made to speak with Camden officials, but there has been no response.

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