A man has filed a lawsuit against the town of Sturgeon, Missouri, a little more than a week after a police officer shot and killed his small, blind, and deaf dog.

In a federal lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri, Nicholas Hunter alleges that Officer Myron Woodson and the city of Sturgeon violated his Fourth Amendment rights when Woodson killed Teddy, his 13-pound blind and deaf Shih Tzu, shortly after finding the dog wandering in a neighbor’s yard on May 19.

“Woodson’s warrantless seizure of Teddy was unnecessary, callous, and egregious as it was unwarranted by law and violative of Plaintiff Hunter’s most fundamental and guaranteed of constitutional rights,” Hunter’s lawsuit says. “At no time during the encounter between Teddy and Defendant Woodson did Teddy show any aggression towards Defendant Woodson. Teddy never barked, growled, or even moved towards Defendant Woodson. Instead, the small, blind and deaf dog simply kept trying to walk away, oblivious to the danger that Defendant Woodson posed to him.”

The shooting has outraged the town’s residents, especially after body camera footage obtained by a local news outlet contradicted the officer and city officials’ narrative of events. The mayor of Sturgeon resigned last Saturday evening after defending the shooting for several days, and Woodson has been placed on leave.

The shooting, though, is only an egregious example of a phenomenon that is so common that it has its own tag on Reason‘s website: “puppycide.” No one knows exactly how many dogs police shoot around the country, but every year there are more cases of wanton killings that, besides terrorizing owners, generate huge lawsuits, viral outrage, and in rare instances result in officers being fired, such as the case of an Arkansas officer who casually killed a nine-pound dog.

The incident in Sturgeon started when Teddy dug under Hunter’s backyard fence while Hunter was out at dinner and escaped, leaving its collar behind in the process. A neighbor called a county dispatch center to report that the dog had wandered into their yard and to get help finding its owner. According to Hunter’s lawsuit, the caller responded, “No, not at all,” when asked if the dog was aggressive.

The town of Sturgeon’s official Facebook page actually posted an alert on May 19 about the missing dog, along with photos of Teddy: “Do you know this doggie? Joint communications has been notified. The doggie seems in need of medical attention.”

Medical attention was not what the doggie received. Woodson arrived on the scene, and a few minutes later he shot Teddy twice.

In the meantime, Hunter had been called and told about the Facebook post. He was on his way to pick up Teddy, but arrived too late.

A day later, the city of Sturgeon posted on Facebook about the incident, defending Woodson’s decision: “Based on the behavior exhibited by the dog, believing the dog to be severely injured or infected with rabies, and as the officer feared being bitten and being infected with rabies, the SPD officer felt that his only option was to put the animal down,” Sturgeon wrote. “It was later learned that the animal’s behavior was because the animal was blind. Unfortunately, the animal’s lack of a collar or tags influenced the SPD Officer’s decision to put the animal down due to his belief that the animal was injured, sick and abandoned.”

Both Hunter and the neighbor filed complaints with the city. “I cannot stress enough that this animal was in no way a threat to others,” the neighbor, whose complaint was obtained by local news outlet ABC 17, wrote. “Woodson discharged his firearm multiple times in a residential area without a threat presenting itself, without warning.”

ABC 17 also obtained Woodson’s body camera footage, which showed that Teddy was never aggressive and didn’t bark or growl. Woodson tried to lasso Teddy with a catch pole—a common tool used in animal control—but the dog simply shook its head free of the rope and trotted away. After fumbling the catch pole several times, Woodson drew his gun and killed Teddy. ABC 17 reported that Woodson’s entire encounter with Teddy, from exiting his car to putting two bullets in the animal, lasted three minutes and six seconds.

After body camera footage was released, Sturgeon doubled down.

“The City believes that the officer acted within his authority based on the information available to him at the time to protect against possible injury to citizens from what appeared to be an injured, sick, and abandoned dog,” Sturgeon posted in a follow-up Facebook post.

Of course, it would have been embarrassing to admit the real reason that the officer resorted to using his gun: He was unable to snare a blind, deaf dog and was too poorly trained to come up with a solution besides shooting a harmless animal.

But police habitually lie about the behavior of dogs that they shoot. Dogs are almost always described in incident reports as snarling, aggressive, or lunging, and because department policies typically allow police to shoot dogs when they feel afraid for their safety, these shootings are almost always deemed justified.

For example, last year in Missouri a police officer shot a family’s dog and dumped it in a ditch. Similar to Hunter’s case, the dog had gotten loose during a storm, and a neighbor called to report it missing. In another case last year, Detroit cops killed a woman’s dog and dumped its body in a trash can. An Arkansas woman also filed a lawsuit after a cop accidentally shot her while trying to kill her Pomeranian—a toy breed that resembles a Koosh ball with legs.

This is the sort of behavior that’s flagged as sociopathic when committed by anyone who’s not represented by a police union.

And it’s the sort of behavior that can cost a small town like Sturgeon quite a lot of money, as city officials are surely fretting now. After Sturgeon’s mayor resigned last Friday, the acting mayor posted on Sturgeon’s Facebook account: “Like you we were just as appalled by what we saw. The actions of the Officer involved are not the values and beliefs of the residents of Sturgeon or the board of Alderman. Currently I have made calls to the Boone County Sheriff to meet and discuss an investigation.”

The city of Sturgeon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Missouri lawmakers set their sights on new laws to make it easier for families to score tax credits on private school tuition, raise the minimum pay for teachers and launch new tax breaks for the nuclear weapons industry in Kansas City.

Lawmakers hoped to pass tax credits for child care providers, a resolution making initiative petitions harder to pass and a package of legislation reforming city and county jails.

But this year’s General Assembly session was defined by fighting among factions in the Republican Party amid campaigns for other offices ahead of the November general election. It resulted in a recent low for passing legislation. Lawmakers passed 48 bills total, 28 of which were non-budget bills.

Most potential new Missouri laws are still awaiting a signature, or possible veto, from lame-duck Gov. Mike Parson. Lawmakers come back for a veto session in September before wrapping up for the year.

The Beacon compiled a list of the bills passed by the Missouri General Assembly this year, which could become new Missouri laws.

Business and taxes

Banking and assets

This bill would ensure that breast and cervical cancer screenings are eligible for medical assistance.

The legislation is SB 1359.

Taxation for certain businesses

This bill changes how certain businesses, like partnerships or S corporations, are taxed. The legislation would let shareholders collect a tax credit for income that may be taxed in another state.

The legislation is HB 1912.

Tax exemptions for KC nuclear facility

This bill will grant state and local sales tax exemptions for the expansion of the nuclear weapons facility at the Honeywell-operated National Nuclear Security Administration campus. It produces non-nuclear parts for nuclear weapons.

The legislation is SB 1388.

Business development and tax credits for rural investments

This bill would create a tax credit for some investments made in primarily agricultural businesses in rural Missouri.

The legislation is SB 802.

Another bill would establish the Regulatory Sandbox Act, which will identify state regulations that could be waived in the first years of establishing a business. It would also create an Office of Entrepreneurship to promote small businesses.

The legislation isSB 894.

Local government

Changes to local governance and property rights

This bill outlines a number of changes to property rights in Missouri. Under the legislation, no county or city will be allowed to enforce an eviction moratoriumunless authorized by state law. If a government shuts down a business for at least 14 consecutive days or 30 days total, the city must waive business fees and reduce property taxes for that time. It comes in the wake of government-ordered shutdowns during the pandemic.

The bill would also outline rules to allow property owners to remove people who are illegally staying on or occupying a residential property. It would create a Class A misdemeanor penalty for squatting.

The legislation would also exempt churches and nonprofits from local laws requiring electric vehicle charging stations.

It would also allow counties to establish land banks, which allow for cities to take control of vacant properties. And It would require more transparency for local land banks and create a tax credit program for rehabilitating historic buildings.

The legislation would also bar homeowners associations from prohibiting residents from owning chickens.

The legislation is HB 2062.

Tax credits for seniors

This bill would update a number of provisions included in2023’s property tax freeze for Missourians over 62.

The bill clarifies that Missourians 62 and older who own their homes are eligible for the freeze. It creates more clarity about guidelines counties need to follow.

The legislation is SB 756.

State government

Expanding the powers of the state auditor

This bill would give more powers to the state auditor by allowing the office to audit any local government if an investigation shows the government acted improperly. The bill would apply to fire and ambulance departments and counties and would allow the auditor to launch the audit without first getting voter approval.

The legislation is HB 2111.

Virtual schooling

This bill clarifies language from legislation passed in 2022 relating to Missouri’s virtual schooling program. The bill reworks how the state calculates average daily attendance, state aid to districts that run virtual programs, enrollment policies and accommodating students with disabilities.

Parson has signed this bill, HB 2287, into law.

Raising minimum teacher salary, expanding vouchers, charter schools in Boone County

This bill will raise the minimum starting salary for Missouri teachers to $40,000 and expand a tax-credit scholarship for private schools in Missouri.

Under the legislation, the tax-credit scholarship would give families tax credits for the cost of sending their children to private schools.

The bill did not come with funding for school districts to increase their starting teacher pay, so districts will have to come up with the money themselves.

The legislation will also allow charter schools to open in Boone County.

Parson has signed this bill, SB 727, into law.

Crime, warrants for traffic violations, celebratory gunfire

This bill would make a number of changes to the criminal justice system.

It would raise the minimum age a child can be tried as an adult for certain offenses from 12 to 14. The bill would also make the minimum prison term three years for a first offense of armed criminal action.

If it becomes a law in Missouri, the legislation would prohibit courts from issuing a warrant for arrest over unpaid traffic violations.

It would establish a state conviction review unit to investigate claims of innocence within the Missouri Office of Prosecution Services. It would also create a Cyber Crimes Task Force to research and recommend tools to limit cyberstalking and harassment.

It would establish “Blair’s Law,” which raises the penalty for recklessly discharging a gun within city limits. It would also establish “Max’s Law,” which raises the penalty for attacking or killing a police animal. It would also up the penalty for attempting to flee from a law enforcement officer in a high-speed chase.

The bill would put limits on local civilian review boards and create a Public Defender fund within the state treasurer’s office. It would also update some expungement provisions.

The legislation is SB 754.

Broadband incentives

This bill would allow an income tax deduction for federal, state and local grant money to expand broadband throughout Missouri.

The legislation is SB 872.

Efforts to prevent veteran suicide, veterans and military affairs

The bill would require the Missouri Veterans Commission to review a previously passed mental health care plan. After that review, the commission and the Department of Mental Health will be required to make recommendations for procedures, treatment options and any other assistance needed to assist in efforts to prevent veteran suicide.

The legislation is HB 1495.

Another bill would make a number of changes to veterans affairs in Missouri and expand educational assistance for members of the Missouri National Guard.

The legislation is SB 912.

Health care

Blocking funds for Planned Parenthood

This House bill prohibits state dollars from going to abortion providers or their affiliates, namely Planned Parenthood.

Parson has signed the legislation, HB 2634, into law.

Distribution of 340B drugs

This Senate bill prohibits drug manufacturers from blocking or limiting the supply of discounted drugs to pharmacies.

The legislation is SB 751.

Environment

Regulating wastewater and fertilizer storage

This bill would require industrial wastewater, meatpacking sludge or other waste to be regulated by a standard set by the Department of Natural Resources.

It would also require companies to meet design requirements in line with wastewater treatment facilities before they can obtain an operating permit. The bill would also put buffer zones in place between fertilizer storage and any public building or residential areas. It would require groundwater monitoring if storage is in an area that would increase the chance of groundwater contamination.

The legislation is HB 2134.

Blocking a landfill in south KC

This bill would give cities near Kansas City input on a previously proposed landfill site in south Kansas City. Under law, cities within a half-mile radius of a proposed landfill site are able to block a landfill from being built. If signed, the bill would increase the radius to one mile, allowing cities like Lee’s Summit, Raymore and Belton to weigh in and block the landfill.

The bill passed after the city of Raymore agreed to pay over $3.7 million to the landfill developers to allow the legislation to advance, essentially killing the proposed landfill. Gov. Parson signed this bill into law.

The legislation is HB 1751.

Ballot measures

Salaries and benefits for law enforcement

This proposed constitutional amendment would allow for levying of costs and fees that support salaries and benefits for current and former sheriffs, prosecuting attorneys and circuit attorneys.

The resolution is SJR 71.

Ranked-choice voting and noncitizen voting

This proposed constitutional amendment would ask voters to approve that only U.S. citizens over 18 can vote in Missouri elections, which is already the law. The amendment would also bar ranked-choice voting in most elections.

The resolution is SJR 78.

Major bills that died

Making it harder to amend the state Constitution

This legislation would have placed a measure on the ballot asking voters to make it more difficult to pass constitutional amendments. Currently, amendments require simple-majority support to pass. If approved by voters, this measure would have required constitutional amendments to be approved by a simple majority statewide plus a majority in five of Missouri’s eight congressional districts.

The legislation would have also barred noncitizens from voting in Missouri elections and prohibited foreign governments from supporting or opposing ballot initiatives. Both are already illegal.

The legislation was SJR 74.

Raising the minimum age for marriage

This bill would have barred Missourians under 18 from getting married. Current law allows Missourians aged 16 and 17 to get married.

The legislation was SB 767.

Child care tax credits

This legislation would have offered tax credits to those who donate to child care providers in Missouri. It would also provide tax relief for businesses that provide or help pay for child care for their employees and provide tax credits for child care providers.

The legislation was HB 1488.

Task force for missing and murdered Black women

This bill would have created a state task force to author yearly a report that includes recommendations and measures ways to address violence against Black women and girls in Missouri.

The legislation was SB 890.

Modifying policies for jails

This bill would have made a number of changes related to city and county jails.

The legislation would have barred jails from restricting access to phone calls and would cap costs for a phone call at 12 cents per minute.

The legislation would have also barred jails from shackling pregnant inmates in their third trimester, except under certain circumstances. The bill would have required county and city jails to develop specific intake policies for pregnant inmates.

The bill would also require voters to approve a sales tax to establish a regional jail district for two or more counties that are right next to each other. It would also allow jails to lease their properties and would allow regional jails to impose a 1% sales tax, up from half a percent.

The legislation was SB 900.

This story was originally published by The Beacon Kansas City, a fellow member of the KC Media Collective.

DEXTER, Mo. (KFVS) – While people in Dexter clean up after Sunday’s storms, one man is encountering a pretty large problem.

A massive tree came down during those storms, landing right in one man’s yard. The biggest problem he’s facing right now is removing it.

Aaron Provoe has lived in his home in Dexter for 12 years. He showed the damage the large tree had caused after coming down. It crushed two of his cars and almost hit his home.

He says according to the city, this tree was a historical landmark and is about 200 years old. Provoe says to come out and see a tree this big in his yard crushing everything he owns was a scary sight to see.

“We’re very fortunate just to be alive. If this tree would’ve went in any other direction, you know it would’ve crumbled anybody’s house here, if not killed multiple people, and just the fact that we’re all still alive and kicking,” said Provoe. “Outside of the property damage, we’re very blessed to be alive. God was definitely looking out for us.”

Provoe says power was restored on Wednesday, May 29, after three days without power. Provoe says he’s not sure how long it will take for this tree to be removed, but he says he’s hopeful it’ll be soon.

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