Wake County deputy who shot family’s dog inside home has been reinstated
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Wake County deputy reinstated after fatal dog shooting during civil summons visit.
- Family alleges civil rights violation due to warrantless entry into private home.
- Sheriff’s Office confirms review complete but withholds investigation details.
A deputy has been fully reinstated two months after he shot and killed a dog inside a Raleigh home, according to the Wake County Sheriff’s Office.
Zelda, an 8-year-old Belgian Malinois, was at her family’s home on Lord Berkley Road on April 8 when the deputy entered the house.
The Sheriff’s Office, which has not named the deputy, said he was there to serve a civil summons when the dog bit him. The deputy was placed on administrative leave while an investigation was conducted.
No one was home on the morning of the shooting, and the deputy did not have a warrant to enter the home, according to attorneys Melissa Hill and Raymond Tarlton of Tharrington Smith, the firm representing the family.
The doors of the home were unlocked, and media outlets reported that the deputy can be heard on the home’s surveillance cameras explaining why he entered the house.
“There were some doors open,” he says. “Initially, I am thinking things in weird areas, unkempt, made me think a break-in.”
He shot the dog when “he came right at me,” he explains. “I put my leg out like this. That’s when he bit me and I had to unfortunately shoot him.”
A statement released by the attorneys said the Briggs family met with Sheriff Willie Rowe on Wednesday, where he told them of the deputy’s full reinstatement.
“No other details were disclosed from the investigation after multiple requests,” according to the statement.
A representative for the Sheriff’s Office told The News & Observer on Thursday the office would not discuss the incident further.
“We recognize the attention this matter has received and acknowledge the concerns that have been raised,” the Sheriff’s Office stated in an email. “Following a thorough review of the surrounding circumstances and after notifying the family of this decision, we have determined that the deputy involved will remain employed.”
Raleigh family alleges rights violated
Hill and Tarlton said the family regrets Rowe was “not more forthcoming” and intends to continue pursuing legal action.
They say the family’s civil rights were violated, citing protections against home intrusion without serious legal justification.
In North Carolina, civil summonses are served by the sheriff’s office. A summons is typically a court order notifying an individual of a lawsuit or other legal action that requires them to appear in court.
According to state law, the officer serving the summons must either mail a copy to the defendant’s last known address or, within five days of the summons being issued, contact the defendant to arrange a time and place to deliver the summons in person.
If those attempts are unsuccessful, the officer can make one home visit.
“We are still devastated from our loss and disheartened to learn that the person who entered our home and killed Zelda, while not wearing a body-worn camera, will be able to continue to work for Wake County,” the family said in its statement.
This story was originally published June 27, 2025 at 12:41 PM.