Family upset after dog killed by Des Plaines officer

At 40 pounds, 6-year-old Bowzer greeted friends and strangers in the same manner, lifting his paws in the air for the person to grab and pet him, says owner Brian Darrey.

"He was one of the laziest, friendliest dogs ever," said Darrey, 25, of Des Plaines.

Bowzer, a Beagle-cocker spaniel mix, was shot and killed Monday by a Des Plaines police officer responding to a domestic dispute call from the Darrey family home in the 2100 block of Spruce Avenue, police said.

A police spokesman said Wednesday Bowzer and another Darrey family dog - a mini collie terrier -- attacked the officer who reacted by firing his weapon twice at Bowzer.

Darrey said the officer had no reason to kill their pet who has never bitten or harmed anyone before.

"He's never even growled at anybody," Darrey said. "We've always called him the worst guard dog in the world."

Darrey's younger brother, Andrew, came home from work Monday afternoon to find a car parked in the driveway that belonged to their younger sister's former boyfriend. He had been living with the family on and off for a few months, but was asked to move out just the night before.

When Andrew Darrey, 21, found the front door locked and couldn't get in because he didn't have a key, he called police. Meanwhile, Darrey came home and the brothers realized their sister was inside with the boyfriend.

"My sister had left school and invited him over," Darrey said.

While the Darrey siblings argued, two officers arrived and the situation was explained to them. One officer requested permission to accompany the boyfriend inside the home to gather his personal belongings, while the siblings waited outside.

"Reluctantly, I said yes," Darrey said. "My mom wanted to be at the house when this happened."

What happened next took everyone by surprise.

All the Darreys heard was two shots ring out from inside the house.

Des Plaines Police Deputy Chief of Operations Michael Kozak said the boyfriend had told the officer before entering the house that the family's dogs were locked up.

Kozak said the dogs were not visible when the two walked in. The officer stood in the living room while the boyfriend went to retrieve his things from an upstairs bedroom, Kozak said.

That's when the dogs emerged from behind what he thought was a closed door, he said.

"They just charged him," Kozak said. "They both jumped on him and the one that was shot was the one that was actually in the process of biting his arm because he put his arm up to protect himself."

The officer, who is left-handed, shot two bullets into Bowzer while fending the dog off with his right hand. The officer was not injured, nor was he bitten, Kozak said.

The Darrey brothers were standing by the side of the house when they heard the shots.

"We ran back to the front of the house, the officer was walking backward out the front (door) with the gun in his hand," Darrey said. "I heard the dogs. One of them was barking and I heard the other one yelping."

The officers didn't explain what happened, nor would they do anything to help, Darrey said.

"They kind of just stood there and looked at us," he said.

When Andrew Darrey looked inside, Bowzer was lying two feet from the front door, bleeding. He got hysterical and screamed at the officers, who pulled out their Tasers and warned him to back off, Darrey said.

By this time, several officers had arrived but no one would help Bowzer, Darrey said.

"They just stood there while my dog bled to death," Darrey said. "My brother finally picked up the dog and ran to his car and drove to the animal hospital."

Bowzer died on the way to the animal hospital.

Kozak said any situation where an officer discharges a firearm is investigated internally, and authorities determined the officer acted properly in this case.

"It's a tactical situation," Kozak said. "An officer does not have to be bit or mauled by a dog before he can use force to protect himself.

"Based on this officer and the training that he's provided, he knows the difference between a dog running up to him and sniffing him and two dogs charging, snarling, and showing their teeth to him."