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Alexyss Ferrara, 29, and Angel Velez Jr, 34, both of Keyport, have been charged with possessing a dangerous dog and multiple violations of local ordinances in regards to an incident Saturday, Oct. 22 involving their dog Blaze, according to Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago.
Video footage shows the dog, identified in social media posts as "Blaze," barking and running toward police. An officer points and shoots, the dog whimpers. The summonses are related to the dog’s aggressive behavior and for the dog running unsupervised off of a leash, Santiago said.
Around 5:41 p.m., the Keyport Police Department received an emergency call for an aggressive animal cornering a female passerby and her dog in the vicinity of the 40 block of Pine Street.
Upon arrival, officers were attempting to contact the owner, when they encountered the animal in a parking lot area. The dog swiftly turned and advanced towards the responding officers.
At that point, one of the officers fired his service weapon, striking the animal in the shoulder. The dog retreated into a garage near the incident.
Authorities from the Monmouth County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (MCSPCA) arrived on scene and subdued the animal and took the dog for treatment. The dog is currently in stable condition, Santiago said.
On Instagram, the owner complained about the police officer's actions that he said left his dog in critical condition.
"My dog has no record of being a dangerous dog,'' the owner wrote.
The investigation revealed that the dog had been at the residence of a relative of Ferrara and Velez Jr., when the animal got loose and subsequently encountered the female passerby, after which a witness called Keyport Police for assistance.
Under the guidelines of the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office Use of Force Directive, the incident is being investigated and reviewed by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office Professional Responsibility Unit.
“This case has received an ample amount of attention online via social media. In the interest of transparency, we are releasing a responding officer’s body-worn camera (BWC) footage, as well as the 911 call, to clear up any misconceptions of what happened and the circumstances surrounding the weapon discharge. It was an extremely unfortunate situation that the officer was faced with,” Santiago said.
“From the beginning of the investigation, the Keyport Police Department has worked in conjunction with the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office,” Keyport Police Chief Shannon Torres said. “We are pleased that the BWC footage is being released and that it presents a clear depiction of the situation as it unfolded for our officer.”
For anyone who may have information pertaining to this case, please contact Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office Detective Brian Hammarstrom at 800-533-7443.
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