The Omaha Police Department has identified the two officers involved in last week’s fatal shooting of a dog in a downtown apartment building.
Officer Bradley Bornhoft, a 15-year veteran of the department, and Officer Steven Barnes, a 16-year veteran, went to the building at 305 S. 16th St., near the intersection of 16th and Farnam Streets, in response to an unrelated trespassing call at 11:18 a.m. last Wednesday.
While waiting in the building’s lobby, officers heard a loud disturbance from upstairs that involved people yelling and dogs fighting, according to authorities.
Barnes and Bornhoft climbed the stairs to the second story and observed two dogs fighting. Two women and a 16-year-old girl were attempting to separate the dogs.
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One of the women, 37-year-old Whitney Brown, told The World-Herald the two dogs’ names were Sharkbait and Fishbone. Brown brought Fishbone and another dog, Meatball, to play with Sharkbait, who lived with Brown’s cousin at the apartments.
Barnes ordered the women to move out of the way after one of them pointed to one dog indicating that dog as the aggressor. Barnes aimed his police-issued handgun downward and fired two shots, striking the dog Brown said was Sharkbait. Sharkbait died at the scene.
Brown said she did not intend the incident to unfold as it did.
“I did not intend for them to shoot that dog,” she said Friday.
The teenage girl was hit in the lower leg by a ricochet, police said.
The two other women, which Brown said were her and her 44-year-old cousin, suffered minor injuries. Police investigators could not determine whether they were injured by a dog bite or a ricochet, according to authorities.
The women and girl were treated for their injuries at the Nebraska Medical Center. They have since been released.
The police department has briefed the Douglas County Attorney’s Office.
The department is working with the Nebraska Humane Society to see whether any charges will be filed against the dog owners.
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