Mayor’s Dog Shot, Wounded by Police

An East Palo Alto police officer may be in the doghouse after shooting and wounding the mayor’s dog outside her home last week.

Police have issued their regrets after the officer opened fire on 1-year-old “Horus” during a police investigation. The wounded dog is expected to recover, said police.

But Mayor Patricia Foster has her doubts about police reports, saying neighbors have offered conflicting accounts of the incident. “I don’t have all the answers but one thing is for certain: I know there is something fishy going on,” Foster said.

Meanwhile, since the story appeared in area newspapers, City Hall has issued a gag order. Police Chief Wesley Bowling said Acting City Manager Russell Averhart told him not to comment on the incident.

“This is such a ridiculous story and we’re trying to calm it down,” said Bowling.

The incident occurred last Wednesday, while an officer was investigating a report of gunfire in the area near the mayor’s home on Garden Street. Two dogs came running from Foster’s yard, prompting the officer to shoot, according to police.

Though the mayor suspects police misconduct, officials say all the evidence indicates the shooting was justified. They said there will be an investigation.

“We’re very sorry we had to shoot the animal,” said Bowling in an interview before the city issued its gag order. “But the officer’s statements are that he had retreated to a point where there was no place left to go. It was either act or be bitten.”

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Associated Press contributed to this report.