LAFAYETTE — An Iberia Parish woman is suing local law enforcement officers, alleging they violated her civil rights in shooting her dog to death.
Christine Vidrine filed a lawsuit April 4, in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana Lafayette Division against Louis M. Ackal, Iberia Parish, the Iberia Parish Sheriff's Office and sheriff's deputy Trevor Landry, alleging they violated the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments as well as state law.
According to the complaint, on April 5, 2015, the plaintiff's dog, Emma, a German shepherd left her back yard in New Iberia while Vidrine was away. Her neighboors, Scott and Teirzia Leblanc, observed Emma in their yard and called 911 to report the dog, the suit says.
When Landry arrived at the address and attempted to step toward Emma, the dog barked and moved a few steps toward Landry, who responded by shooting the dog in the neck resulting in death.
The plaintiff alleges the defendants are responsible because Landry used deadly force upon Emma. The suit says Landry failed to employ non-lethal methods to restrain Emma and that Ackal failed to adequately train, supervise and equip employee-responders to properly handle dog and/or animal encounters.
The plaintiff alleges she has suffered emotional injury.
Vidrine seeks a trial by jury, compensation for damages, plus interest and reasonable costs associated with this litigation and proceedings.. She is represented by attorneys Alyson Vamvoras Antoon and Michael N. Antoon of Antoon Law Firm in Lake Charles.
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana Lafayette Division Case number 6:16-cv-00449