Man allegedly shoots, kills German shepherd at Percy Warner Park, police say

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - Metro Nashville Police said a man shot a German Sheperd that was not on a leash because he feared for his safety after claiming the dog came after him at Percy Warner Park.

But Ariana Kaufman, who was at the park, said she was just 10 feet away, and that’s not what happened.

“The dog was not a threat. He clearly saw me, and I was petting the dog. Other runners came down here and were like I was just on a run with that dog. That dog is so nice. That dog wasn’t doing anything. He was just eating grass,” said Kaufman.

Police said the dog owner doesn’t dispute that the dog was off the leash.

One person at the park said she would never take her dog off of its leash again.

“That’s terrifying I mean I come out here all the time with my dog, and I keep her on a leash. I don’t think I’d ever take her off of her leash, just to think that happened here is insane,” said Courtney Pierce.

Local residents and dog walkers who frequent the park are angry at what happened.

“We come out here and walk all the time and I couldn’t imagine it happening to our dog or just seeing it happen. It’s a horrible thing for the neighborhood,” said Roberts.

Percy Warner Park requires pets to be on a leash. According to state law, dogs in Tennessee are not allowed off-leash except for hunting or herding purposes.

As a dog owner herself, Kaufman said she would have never expected this situation to turn out deadly.

“I’m so sorry to the people whose dog that was that shouldn’t happened. I think he should have been arrested. He should have been handcuffed,” said Kaufman.

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