When a lost black Labrador mix named Parker wandered onto Hillary Mayberry's property during a summer storm, the Missouri woman immediately tried to find the dog's owner. She snapped photos of Parker on her porch, posted them on Facebook, and called the Stoddard County Sheriff's Office for help. What unfolded on that fateful August day left Mayberry and the community shocked.
Following Deputy Roger Seal's pickup of Parker, a federal lawsuit alleges that he was taken to the Otter Slough Conservation Area and shot with a service pistol, following orders from his supervising officer, Corporal Travis Maddox. Despite Parker's family responding to Mayberry's Facebook post within 30 minutes, they arrived too late to save their beloved pet.
The lawsuit, filed against Stoddard County Sheriff Carl Hefner and the deputies, accuses them of violating the Pennington family's First, Fourth, and Fourteenth Amendment rights by unlawfully seizing and killing Parker. The family is seeking justice and is requesting a jury trial, along with $5 million in damages.
In response to the incident, the sheriff's office fired Deputy Seal and demoted Corporal Maddox. However, attorney Russ Oliver, a former prosecutor in Stoddard County, believes the sheriff's actions don't go far enough and suggests that such dog shootings have become "common practice" at the office.
To shed light on the case, Oliver has filed a sunshine lawsuit to obtain body camera footage of Parker's death from the sheriff's office. The office has not provided the footage, claiming the case is still under investigation by the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
However, Colonel Eric T. Olson of the highway patrol declined to investigate, as the sheriff's office had already conducted an internal investigation and submitted findings to prosecutors.
No criminal charges have been filed against the deputies, leaving the Pennington family and their attorney frustrated with the law enforcement's conduct. This incident highlights broader concerns regarding the behavior of the Stoddard County Sheriff's Office.
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