Owners charged when Keyport officers shoot aggressive pit bull

The Monmouth County Prosecutor's office has now released video of the dog that was shot by a Keyport police officer Saturday evening, after police say the dog attacked a Keyport woman and charged at officers.

The dog, a two-year-old pit bull, was shot by Keyport Police. However, the dog survived the shooting and was taken to the Monmouth County SPCA for treatment after it was shot. The dog, named Blaze, remains in stable condition as of Tuesday afternoon.

“This case has received an ample amount of attention online via social media," said Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond Santiago, explaining why his office released the body-cam footage. "In the interest of transparency, we are releasing a responding officer’s body-worn camera footage, as well as the 911 call, to clear up any misconceptions of what happened and the circumstances surrounding the weapon discharge."

"It was an extremely unfortunate situation that the officer was faced with," the prosecutor added.

At 5:41 p.m. Saturday, Keyport Police received a 911 call about an aggressive animal cornering a woman and her dog who happened to be out walking in the vicinity of the 40 block of Pine Street.

It was an eyewitness who called 911 after seeing the dog corner the woman, said the county prosecutor.

"I need a police officer ... The pit bull is attacking some lady's dog," said the 911 caller. "He's running around and he had the lady cornered. She was trying to fight the dog off."

Upon arrival, officers tried to find the pit bull's owner, and that was when the dog came running up to them in a parking lot, said the prosecutor.

One of the officers then fired his service weapon, striking the animal in the shoulder. The dog retreated into a nearby garage.

"Well, had no choice there," a man can be overheard saying immediately after the shooting, as the dog is heard loudly yelping in pain.

Authorities from the Monmouth County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (MCSPCA) arrived on scene and subdued the animal and took the dog for treatment.

The Keyport couple who own the dog are now facing criminal charges.

Alexyss Ferrara, 29, and Angel Velez Jr, 34, both of Keyport, have been charged with possessing a dangerous dog and multiple violations of local ordinances, including that the dog was running unsupervised off a leash.

The prosecutor also said the dog had been staying with a relative of Ferrara and Velez Jr., and the animal got loose.

The Ferrara family told News12 that the pit bull lives in a home with three small children and has never shown aggressive behavior.

"I watched the video of it, they called his name. He came prancing over all happy and they fired shots at him, he dodged the bullets," Ferrara told the outlet. "They followed him, and they took one or two more shots at him."

“From the beginning of the investigation, the Keyport Police Department has worked in conjunction with the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office,” Keyport Police Chief Shannon Torres said. “We are pleased that the body-worn camera footage is being released and that it presents a clear depiction of the situation as it unfolded for our officer.”