BROOKSHIRE, Texas – A police officer in Brookshire has been suspended with pay following an incident in which cellphone video captured the officer chasing and fatally shooting a stray dog at Longenbaugh Park.
The shooting, which happened last week, quickly got the public’s attention as video of the event spread on social media, prompting calls for the officer to be identified and terminated.
Mayor Robert Richards urges the community to remain patient as the city conducts a full investigation.
“From what we understand, the officer said that the dog was kind of being aggressive in the park,” Richards said. “But right now, things are still under investigation.”
The officer involved has not been publicly named but has been placed on administrative leave with pay during the ongoing investigation.
Witnesses, including local animal rescuer Jessica Walthall, say the officer’s actions were unnecessary and distressing to the community.
“It kind of looked like they were trying to run the dog over,” said Walthall. “I finally pulled up to one of the officers and said, ‘I do animal rescue for a living.’ Moments later, we heard 10 gunshots.”
One dog was killed, a second was later struck by a vehicle, and the third, now named Thalia, was rescued and is currently being cared for by Belles Buds Rescue.
“We do have one sweet female puppy,” said Tammy Livingston, co-owner of Belles Buds Rescue to KPRC 2’s Rilwan Balogun. “The only surviving one. Her mother was shot by Brookshire police…also Waller County Animal Control Wednesday early evening. After that the two pups were on the run, scared, and one was hit by a car and killed on Highway 90. Very sad and was all unnecessary.”
Waller County Animal Control confirmed they responded to the park but couldn’t share more as the case is under investigation.
Walthall, who has been involved in local animal rescue efforts for over a decade, says this incident highlights a long-standing issue with stray animals in Brookshire and how they’re handled.
“It’s been 10 years of us watching either dogs be ignored or picked up knowing they’re going to be euthanized,” she said. “Yes, we have a stray dog issue, but not like this. This went too far.”
The video shows a scene with two people yelling that the dogs weren’t aggressive. Mayor Richards acknowledged conflicting accounts and emphasized the importance of a complete and fair investigation.
“It’s unfortunate, and that was a short part of what was seen,” the mayor said. “We want the entire picture. That’s why we need to do a proper investigation.”
Richards also addressed the growing social media backlash.
“That is the reason I chose to come out and do this video. I’ve always said that the City of Brookshire will be transparent with the citizens,” he said. “Give us some time to get the investigation done. We’re working expeditiously.”
While no timeline for the investigation’s conclusion was given, the mayor said details may be released later this week.
Residents, like Walthall, say they’re encouraged by the city’s promise of transparency—but believe more needs to be done to prevent this from happening again.
“To hear a mayor actually wants to come in and investigate a crime to an animal really makes us feel a little better,” she said. “But animals shouldn’t be shot point-blank when all they’re trying to do is survive.”
