A surveillance video released by Chicago's Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA) shows an off-duty Chicago police officer, Carmen Mostek, fatally shooting a neighbor's dog. The incident occurred on the morning of April 21 at 29th Street and Normal Boulevard in the Bridgeport neighborhood.
Officer Mostek was walking her corgi when the neighbor’s mixed-breed dog escaped from a yard and began to engage with Mostek's dog. The video shows the neighbor arriving and attempting to separate the dogs. Mostek is then seen shooting the neighbor's dog while it was in the neighbor’s arms. The entire sequence of events, from the start of the fight to the shooting, took place within 10 seconds.
The neighbor can be heard in the video yelling after the off-duty officer fired the shot. “She shot my dog,” the neighbor says. “Why? You [expletive] idiot. Why? You just killed my dog.” Mostek is seen running away after the shooting and later called 911, identifying herself as an off-duty officer.
COPA has recommended that the Chicago Police Department evaluate the current assignment of the officer and consider whether administrative duties or relief of powers is warranted. The owner of the dog has filed a lawsuit in response to the incident.