By Sloane Quealy-Miner
On September 11, 2014 the streets of Tulsa, Oklahoma ran red with the blood of two innocent pit bulls thanks to two trigger happy Tulsa Police Officers named Adam Lovell and Roy Owens Jr.
Officer Roy Owens Jr., Badge 01591, shot Lana Ellsbury’s pit bull Ruby three times in her own yard while answering an alarm call at their next door neighbor’s property. The officer was in the Ellsbury’s yard while Ruby was being let out. In a matter of seconds Ruby’s owner’s mom Janet Ellsbury heard shots. When she ran out of the house she saw Officer Owens standing there. Shockingly, Officer Owens didn’t have anything to say after firing three shots into pit bull Ruby, except to tell Janet that she ran away. After the shooting he simply walked back to his patrol car and drove off.
Immediately the family began to search for Ruby who was ultimately found ten miles away. She had been shot three times. She was shot once in the shoulder, once in the hip and once in the face resulting in a portion of her jaw being shattered. Ruby has undergone surgery and currently in excruciating pain and while she will recover she has suffered immensely.
When Lana Ellsbury (Ruby’s owner) called the police department demanding to know why Officer Roy Owens Jr. shot her dog and just left, the police made the statement that the officer was in fear for his life, and was justified in his shooting. If Officer Owens was in such fear for his life then why did he let the dog, that he was so afraid, run off without trying to locate her? If we are expected to believe he viewed her as a public threat and dangerous, then Officer Owens had the obligation to keep the public safe and locate her immediately.
Lana told me that when she asked for the official police report they refused to give it to her. Since then she has filed for a copy under the Freedom of Information Act but has not received it yet.
A few hours later off-duty Officer Adam Lovell shot and killed friendly pit bull Titus with his own personal firearm. As Titus lay in the grass, crying and writhing in pain Officer Adam Lovell bent down, aimed, and shot Titus it in the head while neighbors watched in shock. Please read the full story HERE
We cannot continue to allow cops to injure and kill innocent animals and put the lives of innocent people in danger. We must speak up regarding this clear abuse of power by police officers like Roy Ownes Jr. and Adam Lovell who are supposed to serve and protect, not terrorize and needlessly kill the innocent!
URGENT CALL TO ACTION! Contact the below officials and demand that all officers be given proper training when it comes to handling animals they encounter safely and without the use of guns and or deadly force. Demand that proper investigations be conducted into these shootings and actions taken against both these officers.
EMAIL Chief of Police Chuck Gordon TPDChief@cityoftulsa.org
FACEBOOK MESSAGE Tulsa, Oklahoma Police Department HERE
EMAIL City Council Members
dist2@tulsacouncil.org;dist1@tulsacouncil.org;dist3@tulsacouncil.org;dist4@tulsacouncil.org;
dist5@tulsacouncil.org;dist6@tulsacouncil.org; dist7@tulsacouncil.org; dist8@tulsacouncil.org;dist9@tulsacouncil.org
EMAIL Mayor Dewey Bartlett HERE
CALL Police Chief Chuck Gordon (918) 596-9326
CALL Mayor Dewey Bartlett (918) 596-2100 CALL:
CALL City Council Action Hotline (918) 596-1990
CALL Internal Affairs 918) 596-9379
Oklahoma Alliance For Animals stepped up to pay for Ruby’s costly surgery. If you would like to thank them or make a donation please click HERE