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Family dog killed by MSP trooper during house search
Darius was a 90 pound Belgian Malinois who would’ve turned five this Christmas.
MANCHESTER, Mich. (FOX 2) - A Michigan State trooper shot and killed a family dog on Friday, claiming he tried to bite him.
Darius was a 90 pound Belgian Malinois who would’ve turned five this Christmas. The owner, Ali Sharifi, got him when he was just a puppy.
Despite a warning sign on the property stating "BEWARE OF DOGS" – Darius was shot by a MSP trooper on Friday, Dec. 1 as they investigated a possible stolen vehicle at Sharifi's home in Manchester.
According to Sharifi's Ring security footage, the trooper said, "the thing just f---ing bit me" after firing shots at Darius.
The trooper also came in contact with a three-legged dog named Oakley, who was not shot.
"He come(s) to my property and my home, the dog’s house, and kill(s) a family member," Sharifi said. "It’s not justified to me."
Sharifi said he believes the trooper is lying about Darius biting him. The security video shows him and a fellow trooper searching the home after shooting the dog; he does not seem to be hurt.
Sharifi also said he has never stolen a vehicle in his life. He runs an auto collision repair shop in Ypsilanti, and he would have cooperated with MSP had they contacted him prior.
"They could’ve called me, they could have turned their sirens on, they could have talked on the speaker," he added.
According to MSP regulation 05-09-1, troopers do have the right to shoot an animal to protect themselves or others from being attacked.
"(The trooper) needs to really grow up and not kill family members," Sharifi said. "And be serious about using your gun."