SAN ANTONIO — A San Antonio family is outraged and heartbroken after a police officer shot and killed their two dogs. The officer claimed he was fearing for his safety when the dogs ran outside the back door of a home.
The dog’s owners, Saybra and Trey Sekula, shared surveillance videos of the incident.
According to a police report, the officer was responding to an assault in progress call after a female was reportedly screaming for help.
When the officer arrived at the home off Lockhill road Sunday morning, he is seen on the surveillance camera walking towards the back of the house. According to the police report, he states he tried to knock on the front door before heading to the back with his gun drawn.
But the couple said he never knocked on the front door.
“What are you doing coming to our backdoor and not knocking on our front door in the first place,” Trey said.
The officer then knocked on the back door and announced himself. Less than a minute after knocking, Saybra opens the back door and her dog Rainee runs out.
“And he shot her, about three steps out the door,” Saybra said.
Saybra is seen running outside and her other dog, Freyas, followed. She said she attempted to hold back the other dog but as the dog got closer to the officer, he fired off another shot, killing Freyas.
“He could have shot her, he could have shot her,” Trey said about his wife. “She was right there.”
Saybra said she then went and grabbed her dog Rainee, who was still alive at the time.
“I held Rainee , told her to hang in there and then I realized she was shot in the neck,” Saybra said. “I spooned her until she died and told her to go to my daughter in heaven.”
Rainee was their only daughter Cami’s dog. Cami was killed by a drunk driver in 2022.
“She said it was her spirit animal and that was one of the last real things I had left of Cami,” Saybra said.
Rainee was also a registered emotional support dog. She recently went with the family to a Mother’s Against Drunk Driving (MADD) event where she was seen in a photo with Police Chief William McManus.
“The chief was loving on this very dog that he shot, literally,” Trey said.
Saybra candidly spoke about how these dogs saved her life after she lost her daughter.
“It’s like the last thing that needed me, that needed me to stay alive,” Saybra said. “I wouldn’t stay alive if it wasn’t to take care of them.”
The two dogs are purebred American Bullies. They said they have never been aggressive or dangerous but do run up and greet people.
“Those dogs all they want to do is be by you and then coming out wagging their tail, yes they bark, dogs bark, that’s what they do,” Trey said.
The couple wants the officer to be held accountable. San Antonio Police said internal affairs is investigating the incident since the officer discharged his weapon.
“It is not acceptable,” Trey said. “It’s not and we’re not going to accept it.”
The couple said after the incident, Animal Control Services cited them for loose dogs since their property is not fenced in. ACS would not comment when we reached out about the citation.
The couple said they are planning on filing a formal complaint against the officer Wednesday.
As for the reports of an assault, according to the police report, there was no physical altercation reported by anyone at the home.