A LaGrange, Mo., man has agreed to a settlement for federal lawsuit which he filed against a LaGrange police officer who shot and killed his dog in 2010, reported Thursday's WHIG News.
The attorney for the dog's owner, Marcus Mays, said that both sides agreed to a $50,000 settlement; the settlement was agreed upon before heading to trial.
Mays' dog, an 18-month-old bulldog named "Cammie," was reported as a dog-at-large on the day of the fatal encounter; a neighbor claimed that the dog had growled at her daughter.
By the time that officers responded, Cammie had been secured to a trailer. The officers removed her from the tether and proceeded to utilize a catch pole to restrain her.
As the frightened dog struggled to get away, LaGrange police officer Doug Howell drew his gun and shot her in the shoulder. The dog dropped to the ground and was not moving, aside from her wagging tail.
Moments later, Officer Howell fired a shot into Cammie's head, killing her. Howell claimed that he shot Cammie because he feared for his life.
The entire scene was captured on a dash cam and uploaded to YouTube, where it has been viewed over one million times.
Mays' attorney, James Schottell Jr., stated:
I figured that as we got closer to trial that we would get a decent settlement,
You have the loss value of the dog. Even if he decided to breed it, it's a sizable settlement for the case. They probably doubled their offer since we started mediation.
Officer Howell is still employed by the LaGrange Police Department.