FBI Orders Review After Pet Dog Shot Dead by Agent

(RightWing.org) – The FBI is investigating one of its own senior officers after she shot a neighbor’s dog. The head of the Bureau’s Philadelphia Field Office says the animal was attacking her own dog. Neighbors are telling a different story.

FBI Philadelphia statement on a shooting incident tonight involving an FBI special agent. pic.twitter.com/u1zGwlqUSc

— FBI Philadelphia (@FBIPhiladelphia) February 21, 2023

On February 21, FBI Special Agent in Charge Jacqueline McGuire drew a handgun and killed her neighbor Maria Esser’s dog outside a luxury apartment building in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Within hours, police and the FBI issued a statement saying an unnamed agent had shot “an aggressive dog.” Sources quickly named the agent as McGuire, who has headed up the Philadelphia field office since 2021.

There are two stories about what happened. One witness says that after McGuire shot the seven-year-old pit bull, she yelled at Esser, “I just shot your dog because your dog was trying to kill my dog” — but claims she didn’t hear any signs of dogs fighting. However, “Sources close to the investigation” say security camera video shows the pit bull attacking McGuire’s dog, and then when she intervened after “numerous steps to try to de-escalate,” it attacked McGuire herself. At that point, she drew her weapon and shot the dog.

Esser says her dog Mia was on a leash that’s just three feet long; her sister Gabriella, who was with her at the time, claims Esser was “barrelled over Mia” when McGuire fired the shot. Pit bulls suffer from stereotyping, and incidents often call for a full investigation.

Meanwhile, animal rights protestors gathered outside the Philadelphia FBI office on February 22, criticizing McGuire’s use of force. A whistleblower inside the office reportedly says there is “no love” for McGuire in the office and that her alleged words after the shooting are “admissible” as evidence of a violation of DoJ policy on the use of force. The FBI itself says it’s working with police to investigate the incident.