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Jun 6, 2008 5:10 pm US/Central
Haltom City Cop Shoots At Pit Bull, Hits Teen
NORTH RICHLAND HILLS (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ―
A local teenager is recovering from a gunshot wound after a police officer shot him Friday afternoon.
The house where the shooting took place is located in the 3400 block of
Willowcrest Drive in North Richland Hills, near the border of Haltom City.
Larry Irving, a spokesman for the North Richland Hills Police Department, told CBS 11 News that the Haltom City officer was attempting to arrest a juvenile suspect at the time of the incident.
Three other teens, all friends of the suspect, were lifting weights in front of the home when the officer arrived. The suspect does not live at the home.
However, a pit bull apparently lunged at the officer, who then feared for his life.
Irving says the officer fired twice at the dog -- but both bullets hit one of the nearby teens, 17-year-old Kevin Valenzuela. He was standing about 15 feet behind the dog.
One shot grazed Valenzuela's right leg. The other bullet entered his left thigh.
"The cops just went to the back. They didn't tell us nothing," said witness Anthony Tijerina. "Our dog was just walking and the stupid cop just shot my friend."
The pit bull was grazed in the stomach by one of the bullets. According to police, Valenzuela was trying to protect his dog, King, when he was shot.
The victim was taken by air ambulance to JPS Hospital in Fort Worth, where he was treated for the gunshot wounds. He is now recovering back at home, with his dog. A bullet is still lodged in his thigh.
"I was scared when I got shot," Valenzuela told CBS 11 News. "I didn't know what to think."
"I was panicking, and the cop was telling me to get on the ground, get on the ground," Valenzuela continued.
The officer, a four-year veteran did apologize to Valenzuela before he was lifted away. But that is not enough for the victim's family. "They had no right to go onto my property, in the backyard, to give a warrant for a child who does not even live here," said Martha Moreno, the victim's sister.
"Oh, I'm mad. I'm very upset," said Julie Moreno, the victim's mother.
Police did eventually arrest the original juvenile suspect, who was wanted for a probation violation.
The North Richland Hills Police Department is now investigating the case, but they said that the shooting appears to be justified. "The officer has the ability to use his weapon any time he feels he's in danger or someone else is in danger," said Irving.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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