Detroit man says police killed his dog raiding house for suspect not there

A Detroit man is demanding answers after claiming DPD killed his dog after raiding his home while looking for a suspect who was not there.

Police are telling a different story, saying they were serving a warrant at known drug house.

A couple on Detroit's east side says police didn't make their presence known before shooting their dog through the window of their house, then searching their house for a suspect that wasn't there.

"I don't understand why they just (came and shot) my dog in the head," said Durone Sanders.

Sanders and his pregnant fiancé say they just moved into this house on Woodlawn. They were inside Monday afternoon with their dogs, cleaning up the place when they heard gunfire.

"Facemasks and big rifles, entered the home," Sanders said. "And they're asking us, 'Who lives here?' Asking about my tattoos."

Sanders and his fiancé say they had no idea police were even on their property until officers shot their dog through the door, then forced their way in.

"They were already half-way inside the home in the back room where we were at," Sanders said. "We were frozen. That's when we knew it was police and they still didn't see anything."

The couple's 2-year-old pit bull mix was killed.

"My dogs are well trained," Sanders said. "They don't bite. They're not vicious dogs."

The bullet that hit him continued on into the living room wall.

Detroit police say officers raided the house looking for drugs, but the warrant they used tells a different story. It states they had reason to believe a suspect of an unspecified crime was there. A black male of a similar height and build to Durone Sanders. But he says he was unfairly harassed.

"They just told us to keep our mouths shut," Sanders said. "And that's what we did."

Police also claim to have found drugs at the home during the raid however, no arrests were made and no tickets for drugs were issued. Sanders says there were no drugs.

"Once they came to the conclusion they just left," he said.

FOX 2: "What else did they say?"

"Nothing," Sanders said.

Sanders was also ticketed for living in a vacant home something he plans to fight in court.

"I want some justice for this," he said. "I want them to pay for this."

On Tuesday, he buried his dog.

"I have to give my dog a proper burial," Sanders said.