Warning: This video is graphic. It was taken by the dog’s owner, Michael Paxton, shortly after “Cisco” was shot and killed by an Austin police officer.
An East Austin dog owner is mourning the loss of his blue heeler named Cisco. He claims his dog was shot and killed by an Austin police officer Saturday after the officer went to the wrong address.
According to Cisco’s owner, Michael Paxton, the police officer was responding to a domestic violence call. But the officer either got the address wrong or was dispatched to the wrong address. That wrong address happened to be Michael Paxton’s apartment at 2613 East 5th Street.
Paxton says that he and Cisco, were playing Frisbee in the backyard on Saturday afternoon. Paxton then walked out front to his driveway to get something from his truck when he was confronted by an Austin Police Officer T. Griffin.
He says the officer pulled his gun pointed at him and yelled, “Freeze!”
Cisco ran into the driveway and began barking at the officer. Paxton said he told the officer that the dog would not bite him. He then claims the officer shot Cisco, killing him instantly.
This is a picture of Cisco taken after the shooting.
“I had my hands in the air because he (the officer) had the gun pointed at me. I was terrified. Cisco ran up to his feet started barking and he stepped back and shot the dog at point blank range.” Paxton said.
The officer’s supervisors arrived on the scene after the shooting and defended Officer Griffin’s actions to Paxton.
“The supervisor sergeant came and talked to me. I was telling her this was wrong. The sergeant said the response to this type of call was procedure,” said Paxton.
Michael Paxton and his dog Cisco.
Paxton’s neighbors, Jesus Rivas and Maria Hernandez, were the people the that the police officer was intending to make contact with. The two admit to fighting and that someone had called police and reported that the couple were involved in domestic dispute. Officers found them after Cisco had been killed.
“I only heard one shot, a loud boom. They shot the dog. The police officer looked nervous and scared. He was pacing in front of the house. When they found me I asked them what happened to the dog, they told me to stand right there and be quiet.” Rivas said.
“They (the officer) went to the wrong address and shot the dog, looking for me.”
Couple Jesus Rivas and Maria Hernandez were the people police were reportedly looking for.
The Digital Texan has contacted the Austin Police Department and is awaiting a response. However, APD Spokesperson Anthony Hipolito told The Statesman, ““Don’t believe everything you hear.”
Paxton posted the following statement on Facebook, but provided no details:
Please be aware that there are individuals that are trying to undermine this cause because of some legal issues I am dealing with that have nothing to do with Cisco’s shooting.
Paxton launched a Facebook Community page called, Justice for Cisco and by Monday it has attracted 11,000 “likes.”
“I’m not looking for money or for the officer to be fired. My dog is dead and I guess at this point I want this to not happen again to someone else,” Paxton said.
