On Tuesday, a woman filed a federal lawsuit against St. Louis County for two of its police officers allegedly shooting and killing her four-year-old pitbull Kiya during a no-knock SWAT team raid back in April 2014.
Missouri native Angela Zorich claims that the tactical officers used excessive force to get her family out of the house and killed their beloved dog without probable cause.
The reason for the raid: a county code inspection regarding the home's natural gas and electricity use.
Zorich asserts in the lawsuit that on April 29, a team from the St. Louis County Police Tactical Response Unit burst through her door without knocking. Three shots were fired into her dog Kiya as soon as the officers entered the home, she claims.
Kiya didn’t even have time to bark, Zorich alleges in the suit.
Her "bladder and bowels released and she fell to the floor,” the lawsuit reads. “[Kiya] was laying on the floor in her own waste and blood struggling to breathe. She had a gaping hole in her chest."
Image: American Pitbull Terrier
Earlier in the week, police officers made a visit to Zorich's home where they inspected the property and subsequently placed a "Problem Properties" sticker on her front window. Her son cussed out the officers.
Three days later, Zorich called the police department seeking further information about the visit, but she was reportedly stonewalled by an officer as to why her home faced inspection.
The police later explained that Zorich's home failed "to have natural gas or electric service, as required by county ordinance," and that the investigation would continue.
The next day, the SWAT team showed up at her house. Zorich claims that during the raid, one of the members of the tactical unit held a gun to her son's head and said, "One word, motherf—r, and I'll put three in you." Zorich was taken into custody soon after.
She was later given a list of violations from the Housing Inspector that include her deck, guard rails, and siding among other citations.
Zorich has since launched a complaint against St. Louis County and two officers, Corey Zavorka and Robert M. Rinck, for unlawful infliction of emotional distress, unlawful seizure, and unlawful retaliation.
Her attorney Kenneth Chackes said that the event in question "is an example of police overreaching and using excessive force to get a family out of their house."
The lawsuit is now pending.
H/T Reddit