A Detroit family has filed a federal lawsuit against the city and a group of cops, alleging civil rights violations after an officer fatally shot their chained dog and unlawfully arrested them during a raid.
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, accuses Detroit police officer Austin Rymarz of excessive force and illegal seizure when he shot and killed Lashaye Taylor’s dog during a January 2023 raid of her home. The plaintiffs, who include Taylor and her adult children Desjuan Taylor and Saron Blanding, also claim they were wrongfully detained without probable cause in violation of their Fourth Amendment rights.
According to the lawsuit, Rymarz and other officers executed a search warrant at Taylor’s home on Roosevelt Street. Taylor’s dog was chained to a fence and “posed no threat,” the complaint states. Despite this, Rymarz allegedly fired three shots, killing the dog.
“I could see it was attached to something,” Rymarz admitted under cross-examination in a separate case, according to the lawsuit.
He also acknowledged that he “did not know how far the chair reached” before he pulled the trigger.
The lawsuit claims Rymarz falsely described the dog as aggressive and advancing toward officers. However, video footage contradicts this claim, showing that “the dog was in the same spot before and after the shooting,” the complaint states. The officers allegedly removed the dog’s remains without Taylor’s consent and failed to file required reports about the shooting, violating department policy.
The Detroit Police Department’s policy on dangerous animals states that officers should not use deadly force unless “there is no opportunity to retreat or other reasonable means to eliminate the threat.” It also requires officers to exhaust all reasonable options before shooting an animal. The lawsuit argues Rymarz disregarded these protocols.
Taylor was placed in a police vehicle during the raid and “was not free to leave,” according to the lawsuit. Her children Desjuan Taylor and Saron Blanding were arrested, held in custody for four days, and later released without being charged.
“No reasonable officer would have believed that probable cause existed for [the] arrest,” the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit also accuses the city of Detroit of failing to properly train and supervise its officers, alleging a pattern of unconstitutional policing. The plaintiffs claim they suffered emotional stress, humiliation, and financial damages as a result of the incident.
They are seeking more than $75,000 in damages, as well as punitive compensation.
In a statement to Metro Times, Detroit police said they could not comment on a pending lawsuit, but emphasized that "incidents involving As the DPD has learned that a lawsuit is forthcoming, we cannot speak specifically to the details of this event. However, the DPD can confirm that incidents involving high-risk search warrants are extremely dangerous and require officers to make split-second judgment calls regarding potential threats. Unfortunately, aggressive animals are sometimes posted near doors to alert the occupants that police have arrived and to prevent officers from entering the location. Pursuant to DPD policy, physical force against any animal will be used only to prevent harm or injury to a person. This matter will be referred to the City Law Department for proper action. No further comment can be provided at this time.
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Detroit police shooting dogs has long been a problem. In 2016, Metro Times published a story that revealed one officer who shot 67 dogs.
