Off-duty officer shoots, kills pit bull

Owner disputes police account, saying the dog never attacked.

The owner of a dog fatally shot by an off-duty Los Angeles police officer downtown on Friday disputed the police account of what happened, saying the pit bull was not aggressive and never attacked the officer.

The dog was shot by the off-duty officer in the 400 block of South Main Street about 11:40 a.m. when the officer, who was working security for a film set, got into an argument with the dog’s owner, said Jenny Hauser, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles Police Department.

The show being filmed was the second season of Hulu’s “Chance,” according to permits.

As the officer and the man argued, the “aggressive” dog approached and attacked the officer, police said. The officer shot the dog, killing it, Hauser said.

But the man’s attorney, Ben Meiselas, portrayed the encounter differently. In an interview late Friday, he said his client, Emry Zumreet, was driving when the officer blocked traffic by the TV shoot. Meiselas said there was some kind of dispute between his client and the officer, who then opened Zumreet’s car door.

Zumreet got out of the vehicle, and the officer drew a handgun. At that point, the pit bull jumped out of the vehicle through the open door.

Meiselas said the animal never attacked the officer.

“He executed the dog because it was a pit bull,” Meiselas said, adding that witnesses have come forward to say the officer’s actions were unprovoked.

Meiselas said his client called the LAPD for help but was arrested when officers arrived.

Hauser said the officer suffered minor injuries and was taken to the hospital, and the man he was arguing with was detained.

Police did not immediately identify the officer or say what the argument was about.