The owner of a blind and deaf dog has been awarded a $500,000 payout from a city in Missouri after one of its police officers shot and killed the innocent animal. The settlement concludes a lawsuit filed by Nicholas Hunter, the devastated owner of the five-year-old Shih Tzu, named Teddy.
A Tragic Encounter in a Small Town
The incident occurred in May 2024 in the city of Sturgeon, which has a population of roughly 900 people. Teddy, who weighed just 13lb, had escaped from his owner's fenced yard while Hunter was eating dinner. A neighbour discovered the dog on their property and called the police for assistance in reuniting him with his owner.
As Sturgeon police are responsible for animal control, Officer Myron Woodson responded to the call. Shocking body camera footage revealed that Woodson chased the small dog around a field for several minutes, making unsuccessful attempts to capture it using a pole. The footage later shows the officer shooting Teddy dead.
Outrage and a Shifting Narrative
Heartbreaking separate footage shows an emotional Nicholas Hunter confronting Officer Woodson, holding back tears. Hunter stated that the neighbour who found Teddy had fed him and given him water, confirming the dog was not a threat. He directly asked the officer, 'Was my dog a threat to you or anyone else?' and clarified that 'my dog was completely blind and completely deaf, he was a 13-pound Shih Tzu.'
Woodson responded that he saw a dog 'walking around blindly' but did not know it was blind. He reportedly suggested he believed the dog needed to be put down and defended his actions by stating the tiny town lacked proper animal control services, asking, 'What am I supposed to do?'
Residents of Sturgeon were immediately outraged when the news broke. The anger intensified when the city made a Facebook post claiming Woodson shot Teddy because he thought the dog had rabies. This justification was inconsistent with the body camera footage, in which the officer told Hunter he shot the dog because he thought it was a stray.
Consequences and a Costly Settlement
The then-Mayor, Kevin Abrahamson, initially defended the officer but was ultimately forced to resign due to the public outcry. His successor suspended Woodson and promised an internal investigation, though the Animal Legal Defense Fund, which funded Hunter's lawsuit, alleges this investigation never took place.
Hunter's lawyers argued that the city had never properly trained its officers on how to deal with dogs and revealed the city had paid Woodson a $16,000 settlement for his suspension. Officer Woodson ultimately resigned from the police force and took up new work as a process server.
Of the $500,000 settlement, Nicholas Hunter will receive $282,500, while $217,500 will go to his lawyers. In a statement, his legal team said, 'Mr. Hunter is relieved this matter is concluded, but nothing can ever bring his Teddy back.' They added, 'Teddy was a good dog who did not deserve this. We hope that other departments will learn from this and train their officers better in the future.'
