A family in Alabama says an Amazon delivery driver shot their dog on Sunday.
Rose Kirk told Birmingham news station WBRC that her family’s dogs, Solar and Lunar, were lying in chairs on the porch of her home in Hueytown when she heard a gunshot.
She came out and realized that a delivery driver had shot Solar. The bullet entered Solar’s shoulder and exited through his chest. Solar survived but was left with internal bleeding and will need surgery costing thousands of dollars, Kirk said.
According to the Hueytown Police Department, the driver fired a single shot in self-defense.
“As the delivery driver approached the pitch of the residence to deliver the package, a dig came out from under the porch,” the police department said in a news release posted on Facebook.
“It was reported that the dog was being very aggressive and charged at the delivery driver. The driver, who was armed, fired a single shot at the dog in an attempt to get away.”
The driver left the scene and was interviewed by officers down the street, police said.
“Through the investigation by patrol officers on scene, it was determined that there was nothing more to this investigation rather than a delivery driver attempting to defend himself,” police said.
But Kirk disagreed, saying Solar had been on a leash and that the driver had no reason to be on her property.
“He was on a chain,” Kirk told the local news station. “Why would you come up on my porch? Both of them were sitting in their chairs. He noticed them, but instead of backing off, he did not back off.”
She added: “I never ordered a package. He had no reason to be on my property.”
The family has set up a GoFundMe page seeking donations to cover the cost of Solar’s veterinary expenses.
“The Amazon driver got out of the van walked onto the porch and shot Solar,” Sashi Kirk wrote on the page. “He has a sister name Lunar that witnessed her brother being shot and she has been crying and shaking in terror.”
In a statement to Newsweek, an Amazon spokesperson confirmed the driver is no longer working for the company.
It is against Amazon’s policies for people delivering on behalf of the company to carry weapons. However, they can carry dog deterrent devices as long as they comply with state and local laws.
“We are in touch with the customer, and we’ve reached out to Hueytown Police Department as they investigate,” the spokesperson said. “The driver involved is no longer delivering packages for Amazon.”
Newsweek has reached out to the family through the GoFundMe page and the Hueytown Police Department via social media for comment.
