Service dog shot and killed by Cobb County deputy on Forrest Hill Road

COBB COUNTY, Ga. - A Cobb County man is demanding answers and policy changes after his service dog was shot and killed by a Cobb County sheriff's deputy outside his home Wednesday. 

The incident occurred on Forrest Hill Road in Powder Springs, where deputies had arrived to serve an arrest warrant. Police said the dog was aggressive, but Willis said that is not true. 

What we know:

Calvin Willis had owned his service dog, a female dog named Phee Phee, for a year and a half. Phee Phee was trained by Healing for Heroes, an organization that has trained 2,000 dogs, according to its CEO, Piper Hill. 

Willis has several disabilities, and Phee Phee was trained to assist him with everyday tasks, including pressing a medical alert button if he passed out, placing herself under his head if he fell, and directing him back home if he became confused. 

Cobb County sheriff's deputies arrived at the Forrest Hill Road home on Wednesday to serve an arrest warrant. Willis stated that the individual sought by authorities no longer lives at the address, noting that law enforcement has visited the home several times previously looking for the same man. 

According to Willis, Phee Phee was wearing a large red collar that identified her as a service dog at the time of the incident. The Cobb County Sheriff's Office confirmed they are conducting an active internal investigation into the shooting. 

What they're saying:

Willis said he does not understand how deputies did not know his dog was a service animal. 

"There's a big red collar around her neck saying service dog. There was no, no, no good reason for them to kill my dog," Willis said. "She's not aggressive, she's not." 

Describing the moments leading up to the shooting, Willis said, "She looked up, I looked up. She started moving that way, I moved that way as well. When she reached the corner, I said PHE get back over here. Before I could get to the end near the window, I heard a pop." 

Willis, who described Phee Phee as his best friend and a lifeline, expressed devastation over the loss and called for systemic changes. "Police need to be more aware of their surroundings and train more on what to do around service dogs," Willis said. 

Piper Hill, the CEO of Healing for Heroes, strongly disputed the agency's characterization of the dog's behavior. She said Phee Phee had over 8,000 hours of training to be a service dog, and she was not aggressive. 

"She was an amazing dog; we trained 2,000 dogs at Healing for Heroes, and she was probably one of the top three dogs we had the blessing of having in our presence," Hill said. 

The other side:

The Cobb County Sheriff's Office sent the statement below: 

"A Cobb County Sheriff’s Office deputy discharged their service weapon, fatally wounding an aggressive dog while serving an arrest warrant. We recognize that situations involving animals can be distressing, and our thoughts are with those affected by this incident. As with any use-of-force event, the discharge of the deputy's firearm is under review by the Sheriff's Office Internal Affairs Unit. This remains an active internal investigation; no additional information is available at this time." 

What we don't know:

It remains unknown who the specific deputy involved in the shooting is or what specific aggressive actions the dog allegedly displayed before the weapon was discharged. It also has not been disclosed how many shots were fired or whether the individual named in the arrest warrant has ever lived at the home.