Police were trying to find the men who robbed the Kmart store on South Glenstone Avenue at Battlefield Road about 2 p.m. An officer investigating that crime went to the home on Scott. He found the robbers’ car and called for backup.

“He noticed the car and the suspect running in. He asked for an expedited backup to get here,” said Officer Grant Story, a spokesman for the police department.

An officer with a trained dog happened to be the first to arrive.

“We're dealing with armed robbers at this point,” said Story.

In the backyard, officers detained the suspects. Then came a perceived threat from the other side of the house.

“The front door opened and the dog came out,” said Story.

The officer said the resident made a threat to the officers about the dog. In attempt to save his own canine, the officer fired a shot to try to stop it.

“The call was put out on the radio, ‘Shots fired, shots fired!’” said Story.

The sent many other officers racing to the scene. After the shooting, the suspects were in custody but the officers still had much more work ahead.

“He fired his handgun, so we have a use of force and certainly those procedures and forms he's going to have to go through,” said Story.

The owner, Jerri Pendergrass, says she was trying to get her dog away from the officer when he shot the rottweiler.

Story says an internal investigation will determine if the officer followed proper protocol. He said the officer was protecting one of his weapons; in this instance, the police canine is considered a weapon. Since the shots were fired at an animal, not an individual, the officer won’t be on administrative leave but will have a lot of reports to fill out.