LOVELAND, Colo. — A jury will decide whether a Loveland police officer violated a couple's constitutional rights when he shot their puppy in the head and torso, after a federal judge decided against granting immunity last week.
Officer Mathew Grashorn had pulled up in an empty parking lot on June 29, 2019, to find Wendy Love and Jay Hamm parked with their dogs. The animals trotted toward Grashorn when he exited his vehicle, but the younger dog, 14-month-old Herkimer, did not immediately turn around when called. Grashorn quickly shot him twice.
Although Grashorn invoked qualified immunity, which shields government officials from liability unless they violate a person's clear constitutional rights, U.S. District Court Senior Judge Raymond P. Moore concluded jurors should have their say about the reasonableness of Grashorn's conduct.
> The video below shows the body camera footage of the fatal shooting of the puppy:
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