EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) —The father of an El Paso man whose dog was allegedly shot and killed by a U.S. Border Patrol agent during a home search last year described his family’s “traumatic” experience.
El Paso man sues, alleges Border Patrol killed dog
Paul Daw, the plaintiff’s father, was not a witness to the shooting, but he said he arrived at his son’s home just moments after the incident.
“There’s a guy out there that works for the Border Patrol, and if he comes to your door like he did at my son’s house, that outcome might not be very good for the public,” Daw said.
As KTSM 9 News first reported last year, Daw’s son, Seth, said he allowed Border Patrol agents to search his home who said they had received a tip there were undocumented migrants inside. He said he cooperated but told agents before they began the search that he had secured his dog, “Chop,” inside a bathroom, and asked them to let him know before opening the door.
El Paso man claims Border Patrol shot, killed dog without justification
But as Daw and agents went outside the residence so he could retrieve his identification from his vehicle, one agent allegedly went inside the house alone, entered the room, and shot the dog.
No migrants were found inside the home.
The father says he arrived just moments after the gunfire, seeing his son desperately trying to cover the dog’s wound as he bled out for roughly 45 minutes.
“So I told Seth, let’s roll (Chop) over to his side and get him comfortable because he just looks so awkward. So we both kind of assisted him real slow and rolled him over to his side. And immediately when we rolled them over to his side, all of his insides, what I’m assuming [were] his intestines, they all came out and they were all over the floor.” Daw said. “I’m pretty sure Seth probably started crying, and pretty frantic. I kept going back and forth to the agents, trying to get answers, trying to ask, you know, which one of you guys shot the dog.”
Daw’s lawyers said evidence doesn’t support the theory that the agent was acting in self-defense, pointing out that the dog’s blood was found in the living area and kitchen — about 18 feet away from the bathroom where the dog had been secured.
The lawsuit argues evidence supports instead that the agent opened the door, allowing the dog to walk out, and then shot him after.
Daw alleged he was told by agents on site that day that they had body cameras that would show what happened. However, to this day, his legal representatives say they have received no response from Customs and Border Protection as to whether that footage exists, nor have they received any information about the agency’s internal investigation.
They hope that through this lawsuit, they can learn if the footage exists and get answers to what happened.
“There’s always accountability. There’s always somebody looking over your shoulder that you have to explain yourself to. Why don’t these guys have to explain themselves?” Daw said.
In addition to the federal lawsuit, the family has launched a petition that already has over 400 signatures urging El Paso District Attorney James Montoya to launch a state criminal investigation into the agent. The family says there is enough evidence to support that the agent illegally killed a domesticated animal without the owner’s consent.
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