On Thursday November 24th, 2023 at 2am, STEFFIE (a sweet-non-aggressive Pitt-bull  rescued by Misfit Mountain and now living with her forever family for over a year and a half) was fatally SHOT and KILLED BY A HENDERSON COUNTY SHERIFF while going potty in her own yard on her property. 

The owner/family of Steffie states that a neighbor (whom we will refer to as Bruce) reported a suspicious vehicle parked in Steffie’s owners DRIVEWAY. The vehicle was none other than the owner of the house and Steffies adopter.  The Sheriff came to Steffies home at 2am armed because the neighbor Bruce implied there could be a possible intruder.  This was Thanksgiving weekend, a time when families gather, rest assured homes have many different cars stopping by.  Instead of the officer running the plate of the car (in which he would have saw it was registered to the homeowner at the address), instead of knocking on the door, or even announcing himself when he arrived - he decided to act not in accordance with protocol and enter the driveway towards the gated in fenced area where Steffie uses the bathroom. A clear violation of civil rights.

At the same time the sheriff entered on to the homeowner property and started walking toward the fenced in area the owner was letting her dogs out to potty in the back of the home (unaware the Sheriff was even there), and as the Sheriff walked toward the fenced in backyard, assuming there was a possible threat, it was only Steffie who greeted him and WHO HE SHOT THREE TIMES AND KILLED IN HER OWN YARD. The Sheriffs department is stating that the gate was open and that Steffie ran toward the gate opening toward the officer.  (Even if she ran through the gate she was still on the homeowner property in the front yard area). However, we don’t know if the gate was opened by the officer as the gate is usually closed by the homeowner and family.  Therefore we need facts because they shouldn’t have even entered on to the property or walked toward the contained fence area in the first place or been on the homeowners property without an actual just cause or dangerous threat. 

Hendersonville County Sheriffs Department has refused to take accountability for their actions. When they are asked politely on their social media they block persons who question the situation and turn off comments on their public comment about the tragedy. They refuse to answer calls or provide comment. This behavior is not new to Henderson County as just over a year ago they shot another dog when they entered a property where they got the address wrong- and then refused to pay for the medical costs they inflicted ultimately leading to the death of that dog too.  I  addition, just two days after Steffie was shot (literally yesterday) a third dog was then killed and again the Sheriffs department has refused to offer details to the owner on that case yet! That makes three deadly cases of lethal force in one small rural town in three years (that’s what we know of).

In Steffie’s case the Sheriff failed to announce himself, or use any non lethal alternatives, and instead shot Steffie. Steffie was on the family’s property and when she heard a person ran from from the back yard toward the front yard through the gate when she saw an unknown person & died on scene on the owners property after three lethal shots.  Steffie was contained on the owners property.  An officer entering a dogs containment area at 2am is not the same as a dog escaping it's containment and seeking out to harm someone (which she wouldn’t do). She was on her property where she belonged and was killed. 

Steffie Was Failed in multiple Ways: 

The sheriff assumed a threat based on a neighbors tales.  And never confirmed who the neighbor was and how they knew this. We have not been given the identity of the caller but only one neighbor can see Steffies house and that neighbor could have called in for retaliation as two months prior Steffies owners called the police on them for a domestic violence disturbance.

The sheriff did not run the plate of the “suspicious car” (owners car) before pulling into the driveway and entering onto the property.

The sheriff did not announce himself ever.  Not when he arrived. Not while in the driveway. Not when he was in the yard.  Not before he shot Steffie or after. What if he had shot the home owner as she could have come after him thinking he was the intruder since he did not identify himself at all. 

The Sheriff would not disclose his name or badge number before leaving Steffie dead in the family’s yard for them to clean up.

Our hearts are in pieces and we are sending love & light to Steffie’s family during this time. 

Please help get justice for Steffie! Sign the petition and call on Henderson County Sheriffs Department and NC Attorney General to:

1. To release video footage that shows the truth. 
2. To hire an unbiased outsider to investigate the incident including the caller and the opening of the gate.  
3. Establish new protocols when a nebby neighbor makes false accusations
4. Implement new standards that don’t require deadly force when entering a homeowners property without just cause/imminent danger.
5. To publicly apologize and honor Steffie. 

We are calling for Justice for Steffie! Call the Sheriffs office at  (+1 (828) 697-4596) and the NC Attorney General Josh Stein  at (919) 716-6400 and tell them this is unethical, they need to investigate the Sheriffs department, and further dissect why this sheriff did not announce themselves. Demand that they employ other tactics of notifying a home owner like running a license plate, or yelling that law enforcement was entering on to their property.  Demand that we see the car camera/body camera footage, demand officer animal sensitivity training, demand a public apology, demand that they treat Pittbulls better.  This is abuse of power and poor decision making accompanied with failed standards of practice   

Tag them on your social media- Henderson County Sheriff's Office, Hendersonville North Carolina and Attorney General Josh Stein! Steffie deserved life and love—-the least we can do is make change in her honor.