Erin Ragans started searching her neighborhood in northeast Tallahassee the moment she realized two of her dogs escaped from her backyard.
Fifteen minutes later, a gunshot rang out.
“I heard one shot, and I paused and was like, ‘Is that a gunshot?'” Ragans said. “I heard a second gunshot, and then I heard my dog whimper.”
Moments later, Lily, Ragans’ 8-year-old husky, came running up from the side of the house unharmed, but Maverick, her 10-year-old black Lab, wasn’t with her.
They found Maverick lying in the road behind their house, bleeding to death.
“I’m completely shocked,” Ragans said. “I can’t believe this happened.”
Animal control determines incident to be case of ‘Stand Your Ground’
Tallahassee Police officers responded to a call Feb. 9 about an animal injured by a firearm. Christopher Meeks, the neighbor who shot Maverick, reported the incident.
Meeks, who is a division chief with the Tallahassee Fire Department and a 20-year veteran of the agency, told officers he was in his garage gearing up to go for an evening walk when he heard growling coming from the front of the house, according to a police report. The Ragans’ backyard butts up to the front yard of Meeks’ home that is behind them.
In an attempt to scare the dogs off, Meeks told police he shouted at them to stay away and chucked rocks at them.
“However, they continued to advance in his direction while growling,” the police report says. “In fear for his life, Meeks picked up the 22 millimeter rifle he stores in the corner of his garage and fired one shot at the dogs, hitting the black dog.”
The dog whimpered, and they both ran away, according to the report. Animal Control was called, and the officer reported his findings. Animal Control quickly determined it was “an evident case of Stand Your Ground,” and wouldn’t need to come to the scene.
Officers also spoke with the Raganses who wanted it to be known their dogs had escaped from their yard and into Meek’s yard before. The last time it happened, Ragans said Meeks told them he’d shoot their dogs if they ended up on his property again, according to the report.
“What he did that night is what he said he was going to do,” Ragans told the Tallahassee Democrat.
Meeks declined to answer questions when asked by a reporter from the Democrat.
“I can tell you and assure you that is not what happened,” he said, “but I will not comment.”
Family left ‘heartbroken’ in wake of dog’s death
Ragans choked back tears when she recounted the events that led to Maverick’s death. He was the first dog she ever owned. The entire family of four is taking the lab’s death “extremely hard.”
She said her 6-year-old daughter is completely torn up over the dog’s passing, crying herself to sleep every night since. They also have two other dogs aside from Maverick and Lily that they’re terrified to let out in the backyard now.
“We’re questioning whether or not lethal force was necessary in this case,” Ragans said.
Their dogs have never been known to be aggressive toward anyone, she said, and in fact have been complimented by other neighbors for being so friendly.
The police reported noted the Raganses wanted to press charges for animal cruelty, but Ragans told the Democrat at this time, they aren’t sure what they plan to do.
“I don’t understand how a dog owner could do this to another dog owner,” Ragans said.
Local government watchdog reporter Elena Barrera can be reached at ebarrera@tallahassee.com. Follow her on X: @elenabarreraaa.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Family mourns death of dog shot by neighbor in ‘Stand Your Ground’ case
Reporting by Elena Barrera, Tallahassee Democrat / Tallahassee Democrat
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