Cops Shoot At Attacking Pitbull, Accidentally Kill Teen


A 17-year-old boy was killed after bullets meant for his dog ricocheted off the ground and struck him in the chest. According to NY Daily News, teenager Armando Garcia-Muro was fatally shot after California sheriff deputies responded to noise complaints from a house party.

When cops arrived at the Palmdale residence, a vicious 65-pound pit bull emerged and bit one of the officers on the knee. The boy was said to have restrained the dog at a carport behind the residence. However, when the deputy was awaiting medical treatment, the dog got loose and charged at the deputies.

Two deputies opened fire on the dog. Unfortunately, one of the bullets skipped across the pavement and fatally hit the boy in the chest. The deputies did not even know they had shot the boy. Armando’s aunt, Amber Alcantar, revealed that her nephew was about to enter his senior year when he was killed.

According to CBS News, the dog had gone behind the building and the officers had followed up to see if the animal was there only to find Armando wounded. He was rushed to the hospital where he later died. The pit bull was later euthanized. The dog did not even belong to the boy.

The owner of the dog, who declined to give her name, said her place was a local hang-out for kids. She added that the dog was a blue-nosed pit bull and that it was 3-years-old. She insisted that her dog was well-behaved, which was why he was off the leash and argued that the description given of her dog was not accurate.

“That’s not my dog. That’s not his personality.”

The department’s use of force allows deputies the freedom to fire at animals they relatively believe are a threat to them. Captain Christopher Bergner of the LAPD has since described the shooting as an unfortunate accident.

“He may have been struck by one of the skip rounds in what we’re calling an extremely, unfortunate incident. Our initial impression was the deputies didn’t even see the individual coming around from the side of the building.”

The tragic incident is under investigation and if the two deputies responsible for shooting the dog are culpable, they will get temporary desk duty. Armando was the eldest of two siblings. His mother, Roberta Alacantar, described her son as a boy who loved dogs and who was planning to work in the construction industry.

“He would give his life for anybody. He was a very loving person.”

This is not the first time that this has happened.

In 2014, a deputy opened fire on a dog that bit his leg and wrongfully shot a resident in the legs. The man’s injuries were deemed accidental because the injury was accidentally caused. It was not considered a crime.

[Featured Image by PhotographyByVili]

Share this article: Cops Shoot At Attacking Pitbull, Accidentally Kill Teen
More from Inquisitr