BATH TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WLNS) — A neighborhood community is upset after police shot and killed a deer.
According to many residents, this wasn’t just any deer, it was the neighborhood deer.
The woman who lives in the home where the deer was killed says she got a notification from her security cameras so she looked outside. There were multiple police cars and the deer had been killed in the woods behind her yard.
Officials today told 6 news they were following protocol but residents I spoke with say they feel this was wrong.
“It’s like killing somebody’s dog. It’s the neighborhood deer,” Cindy Miller said.
Miller couldn’t believe when she heard what had happened to her frequent visitor.
“I was pissed. Why would they shoot the deer? The deer comes to my house at least once a week, wants to be petted, wants to be loved,” Miller said.
Bath Township Police were called to a different neighbor’s house on a report of deer attacking their family dog.
BTPD wouldn’t speak on camera, but did tell 6 news this was the third report it had received about the deer creating problems in the area.
The first was last Wednesday when one was going into garage’s near Hawk Hollow. The next came Saturday, when it was seen down by the park lake boat launch and allegedly charged a person and her dog. All of that is on top of yesterday’s call.
Video sent to 6 news shows a different disposition.
The Miller family says they all pet the deer, people in Hawk Hollow pet it, and many more.
“There are a lot of people who are up in arms because we take it as an assassination against the deer. I’ve never heard of this deer charging anybody,” Miller said.
Angie Calogerakis is the home owner who says her property was trespassed on when she wasn’t even home in order to kill this deer.
She’s upset about the entire event and was scared for her animals’ lives
“I have three cats who sat on my hot tub and watched this unfold. I don’t like anybody in my backyard,” Calogerakis said. “I have a no trespassing sign, I have no reason for anybody to be back here especially to kill an animal that did nothing to anybody.”
The neighbors who called police wouldn’t speak on camera, but said this wasn’t the result they wanted. They said they called authorities because what happened to their dog, and the final decision was up to the Department of Natural Resources and the Bath Township Police.
Miller says that’s not good enough.
“People tell me we’re all Karen’s because we’re complaining. No. You can tell what an animal is like. You can tell the nature of the animal. This was non-aggressive and this was wrong,” Miller said.
