Florida deputy allegedly hit a dog in his patrol car; Brevard County sheriff launches investigation
Brevard deputy under investigation after allegedly hitting dog
The Brevard County Sheriff's Office is investigating one of its deputies after the deputy allegedly struck a dog with a patrol vehicle and drove away without stopping in Port St. John.
PORT ST. JOHN, Fla. - The Brevard County Sheriff’s Office has launched an internal investigation after a deputy allegedly hit a dog in a patrol vehicle and kept driving without stopping.
A Good Samaritan who witnessed the crash described the deputy's alleged actions, which left the dog's body broken.
‘He kept driving,' witness says of deputy
What we know:
The incident occurred late Sunday night, July 19, on Golfview Avenue, just off I-95 in Port St. John.
A Good Samaritan named Chris was driving along Golfview Avenue when he spotted a dog running along the sidewalk and pulled over to try and rescue it. Before he could safely reach the animal, the dog darted into the street and was struck by a passing patrol vehicle.
A Brevard County deputy allegedly hit a dog and then ran off.
Chris immediately rushed to the injured dog's side and dialed 911, he told FOX 35's Esther Bower. BCSO confirmed to FOX 35 News that dispatchers received the call and deputies responded to the scene around 10 p.m.
"The dog would have definitely been struck again and most likely killed, if not way worse injured," Chris told FOX 35. "I ran over to the dog and he kind of just laid there panting. I mean he seemed okay, but his legs—I mean one was at least broken in the back and then holes on his head from being hit and blood all in his mouth. It just didn’t look good at all."
The situation escalated when Chris reviewed the dashcam footage from his own truck. The recording showed that the vehicle that struck the dog was allegedly a Brevard County deputy who did not render aid or check on the animal.
"He hit his brakes for a couple seconds. He kept driving and never turned around or stopped to check his vehicle or anything," Chris said. "He just kept going."
Brevard County Sheriff's internal investigation
On Thursday, Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey announced an official internal investigation into the deputy's actions.
"It’s the afterthought that has me spun up, and I think everyone else spun up," Sheriff Ivey said. "I have authorized them to look into this matter and determine exactly what happened."
Chris expressed relief that the department is taking responsibility for the incident.
"It’s an accident when you hit something, but to keep going and not even try and check and make sure everybody is okay or see what you hit is a whole other story," Chris said. "I am very glad Wayne Ivey is taking this serious."
What we don't know:
FOX 35 News reached out to the Sheriff's Office for an updated status on the investigation Friday, but no new information was available. It remains unclear if the deputy involved has been placed on administrative leave during the inquiry.
Dog's recovery and ownership status
Despite suffering significant injuries, the dog is expected to recover.
Sheriff Ivey confirmed that the Sheriff's Office's "Pet Posse" fund will be stepping in to cover 100% of the animal's veterinary bills during its treatment and rehabilitation.
It is currently unknown who owns the dog. Although the animal was wearing a collar at the time of the crash, authorities have not yet identified or located the owner.
The Source: Information in this story was gathered from the Brevard County Sheriff's Office and reporting from FOX 35's Esther Bower.