Police say man who shot two dogs in Lakeview was in fear for his life
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Police said a man who shot two dogs in Lakeview Tuesday afternoon, killing one, was acting in fear for his life and will not be charged or cited.
This announcement came after a SWAT team was called to the scene and remained there for five hours. At 10 p.m., people were just being allowed back into their homes.
On police communication radio, a dispatcher was surprised to hear a man had shot two dogs and had run inside a nearby building.
Police later said what they were told actually happened was that at 1:44 p.m., a 45-year-old woman was in the alley behind the 1000 block of West Oakdale Avenue with two dogs without leashes.
A 53-year-old man came out from a nearby home and the two dogs moved toward him, police said. Police said as the man moved away from the dogs, they continued to advance toward him aggressively – and the man shot them in fear for his safety.
The man is a valid Concealed Carry License and Firearm Owners Identification Cardholder, police said.
While police said the man acted in self-defense and no crime was committed, a SWAT team was later called out to the 1000 block of West George Street after the man went home.
The SWAT team was on the scene for five hours – first identifying the man and then trying to make contact with him, and he was cooperative once they did so, police said. The standoff caused alarm and panic in the surrounding neighborhood, with some picturing an active shooter situation.
During the SWAT response, police tape was stretched across the street outside nearby Harriet Tubman Elementary School as SWAT teams focused on a dark brick apartment building.
An 8th-grade student at Harriet Tubman Elementary, 2851 N. Seminary Ave., said she was in science class when the school was placed on soft lockdown. She said her teacher shut the door, closed the windows, and everyone hid for about 30 minutes.
"We were scared that the shooter was going to come into the building," Olivia Alvarado said. "We just stayed quiet, and we were trying not to think about it."
Parents were later able to safely take their kids home from school Tuesday afternoon.
CBS 2's Marissa Perlman learned that police initially called in the SWAT team – as well as the Bomb Squad – because they did not initially know the situation and could not identify where the shooter was. They knew he had run into the building, but needed access to identify him and find where he was in the building.
Ultimately, police said when they found the man, he told officers he had shot the dogs in fear for his life. Meanwhile, the dogs were taken to separate veterinary clinics, where one died, police said.
"I have not processed a lot of what has happened," said Leslie Balaz.
Balaz said she heard three shots go off, and ran down to help rush the dogs to the emergency room.
She was left with bite marks on her hand and nose from one of the injured dogs.
"It got scared, hurt, and I happened to be right in its face," Balaz said, "and you know, when you're a scared, hurt, dying animal, that's just what happens."
She said the dogs were not aggressive.
"They sure did not deserve their fate," Balaz said.
As to the decision not to charge or cite the man, CBS 2 Legal Analyst Irv Miller weighed in.
"It actually comes down to a simple case – was he in fear of his own safety?" Miller said. "If he was in fear of his own safety, he has the right to use the weapon that he legally has the right to possess."
With the incident over Tuesday night, Balaz said what she saw will change her forever.
"Seeing a dog be fatally shot and another dog deceased in front of your own eyes, in person, is not something you expected to see in your lifetime," she said.
Police went on to note that it is against city ordinance to have dogs off-leash.
