Police shoot dog, frighten neighbours in surprise raid
Jack Keating, The Province
Published: Friday, May 04, 2007

Frightened neighbours say the RCMP should have warned them before they stormed a house with guns blazing, killing a pet dog.

The neighbours said the Surrey RCMP officers fired about 10 shots, but police yesterday dismissed the gunfire as a "non-event."

They did not issue a press release on Wednesday's shootings in the 8100-block of 134A Street.

The neighbours were still shaken yesterday by the gunshots fired in the quiet residential neighbourhood full of children coming home from school.

"I was just scared to death," said Sheila Lacasse, who lives across the street from the house where police were executing a drug search warrant.

"At least the people who lived across the street and beside should have been warned or something."

Surrey RCMP Cpl. Roger Morrow confirmed that a terrier-cross dog was killed by "multiple" shots by an emergency response team.

"The dog was killed instantly," said Morrow. "It attacked one of our police officers and it was shot and killed."

When asked how many shots were fired, Morrow said: "I don't have a number of shots for you. You'll have to get that from the neighbours."

He said there were no injuries, apart from the dead dog.

Several people were arrested, said neighbours, but Morrow would not release details. "To me it's a non-event," he said.

Said Lacasse: "There were at least 30 SWAT guys with big guns and rifles and they were in full gear. And to just come into a neighbourhood and then fire their guns is dangerous to all the neighbours' safety."