Dog Shot By NJ Police, Prosecutor Investigating

KEYPORT, NJ - A dog that police say cornered a Keyport resident and charged at officers was shot Saturday night, authorities said.

At around 5:41 p.m., Keyport police responded to an emergency call reporting an aggressive animal cornering a woman and her dog on the 40 block of Pine Street, the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement.

Officers encountered the animal at the scene in a parking lot area when the dog “swiftly turned and charged towards the responding officers,” the prosecutor’s office said.

A Keyport police officer fired his gun twice at the animal, striking the dog in the shoulder, police said. The dog then ran into a nearby garage.

Monmouth County SPCA officials arrived later to subdue the animal and take the dog for treatment. The dog is currently in stable condition.

The Ferrara family, the owners of the two-year-old American Bully named Blaze, told News12 that the dog lives in a home with three small children and has never shown aggressive behavior.

"I watched the video of it, they called his name. He came prancing over all happy and they fired shots at him, he dodged the bullets," Alexyss Ferrara told the outlet. "They followed him, and they took one or two more shots at him."

The incident is currently under investigation by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office Professional Responsible Unit.