Police said the driver was “attempting to defend himself,” while Amazon says the man is “no longer delivering packages” for them; the bullet reportedly entered the dog’s shoulder and exited his chest, requiring surgery.
A man doing deliveries for Amazon won’t faces charges after being seen on video pulling out a gun and firing it at a dog while attempting to drop off a package.
According to police in Hueytown, Alabama, officers responded to the shooting on Sunday night.
“Upon arrival, officers learned that a delivery driver was making a delivery to a residence. As the delivery driver approached the porch of the residence to deliver the package, a dog came out from under the porch. It was reported that the dog was being very aggressive and charged at the delivery driver,” said police.
Authorities confirmed the man fired a single shot at the dog “in an attempt to get away,” before leaving the scene and being interviewed by police “down the road.” Police said they later determined “there was nothing more to this investigation rather than a delivery driver attempting to defend himself.”
Warning: Disturbing Video Below
The dog, named Solar, belongs to Rose Kirk, who spoke with local news about the incident.
“If you notice dogs, why are you steadily walking toward the dog if they’re a threat to you?” she said to WBRC, also sharing footage of the shooting from her security cameras with the outlet. “If I don’t know a dog, I’m not going to go near it.”
“When I saw all the blood dripping from my dog, and I was like, my dog was on a leash. He was on a chain,” she continued, adding that Solar was on the porch with their other dog, Lunar. “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. Suppose he had a package to deliver, which I never ordered a package. He had no reason to be on my property.”
Per Kirk, the bullet hit Solar’s shoulder and exited his chest, requiring surgery.
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In a GoFundMe page set up by the Kirk family, they said the two dogs were both chained — and added Solar is “protective of his family.”
“He has a sister name Lunar that witnessed her brother being shot and she has been crying and shaking in terror,” added the fundraiser, which was created to “help Solar have a safe recovery.”
Amazon, meanwhile, said the driver worked through a third party and isn’t making deliveries for the company anymore.
“We are in touch with the customer and we’ve reached out to Hueytown Police Department as they investigate,” spokesperson Austin Stowe told Law&Crime. “The driver involved is no longer delivering packages for Amazon.”
The company added that while it’s against their policies for their workers to carry weapons, they “delivery associates and Amazon Flex delivery partners are free to carry dog deterrent devices,” in accordance with local laws.