Family seeks answers in dog’s death
A devastated family wants answers after their beloved Catahoula hound dog was shot and killed last month in their front yard by an Ocoee police officer. But a police report released this week sheds little light on what happened.
Stevens Bertrand, a school resource officer at Ocoee High, shot the 11-year-old dog named Duke in the head outside Charlie and Lisa Brooks’ home on July 17.
“I couldn’t believe something like that happened. I was completely shocked,” Charlie Brooks said.
The incident has prompted questions and outrage from the Brooks family, who expressed frustration at the Police Department’s vague description of the shooting in its official report and the lack of disciplinary action taken against Bertrand.
Ocoee Police Lt. Bill Wagner declined to discuss the events that led to Bertrand firing his gun, citing an ongoing internal investigation. He said an Internal Affairs investigator reached out to the family but has not received a response.
According to the police report, on the day Duke was shot, Bertrand and two other school resource officers were assigned to patrol Starke
“I couldn’t believe something like that happened. I was completely shocked.”
Charlie Brooks on his family’s dog, Duke, being shot in his front yard by an Ocoee police officer
Lake, across from the Brooks’ home on East Silver Star Road.
Wagner said marine patrolling is a common assignment for officers in the summertime.
The three officers spotted a boat that they suspected was in violation of city codes. According to their report, the boat was “at risk of becoming derelict” and had tags that weren’t “affixed prominently.”
Bertrand walked to the Brooks’ house — which is surrounded by a fence — to ask about the boat, the report said. The other two officers stayed behind.
The police report summarizing the sequence of events — which was written by Officer David Ogletree, not Bertrand — does not describe what happened just before Bertrand discharged his gun. It says that the two other officers “heard a gunshot” and “no person (s) were struck by the gunfire.”
Wagner said it’s unclear if anyone besides Bertrand — who was not bitten by the dog — witnessed the shooting, so no statements were taken at the scene.
But Charlie Brooks said he was following his dog outside and saw the officer shoot Duke. He said that as soon as Duke ran out the door, the officer fired his gun one time.
“I was shaking. … I said, ‘What am I supposed to do now?’” Charlie Brooks said.
Brooks, 37, said he did not think of providing a witness statement at the time. He said he called the next day but “got a lot of runaround from the Police Department and stopped trying.”
Brooks added that his mother and a man helping him with home renovations were also in the house at the time of the shooting.
There is no body-camera footage, according to the Ocoee Police Department’s records division.
Patrol officers arrived at the house shortly after the shooting and took photos.
According to an Orange County Animal Services report, Ocoee police called and said a dead dog needed to be picked up. The authorities did not request a necropsy, so none was conducted. Brooks said he was never asked if he wanted one.
Duke was cremated, and his remains were disposed of by Animal Services.
Bertrand returned to work the day after the shooting, Wagner said. When asked why the officer was not placed on temporary leave after discharging his weapon, Wagner said it’s not always necessary.
This isn’t the first time Ocoee police killed a family pet. In September 2012, an officer shot a 3-year-old boxer. The family filed a lawsuit later that year, but it was dismissed in 2014.
Charlie Brooks said his family is considering whether to take legal action, and he wants to make sure Bertrand doesn’t hurt anyone else — animal or human.
“He was not very remorseful. I think he said he was sorry,” Brooks said. “We want to prevent this from happening again.”