A Denver man and his dog are recovering after being shot multiple times on their recent walk home. A suspect has been arrested and charged in connection with the shooting.
Around 2 a.m. on Nov. 9, Denver officers responded to reports of a shooting near S Broadway and E Ellsworth Avenue. That’s when Rocco Petramala and his dog, Texas, were walking home.
They were passing Dougherty’s Pub, where Petramala says a conversation escalated.
“One of the men got aggressive and then it got physical,” Petramala explained. “I had to push him away, and then I saw the other man with a gun. He had his pistol trained on me. I asked him what he was going to do with that? And he fired.”
Petramala was shot three times — once in his chest, pelvis and leg. Texas was shot in the leg. Emergency responders rushed Petramala to Denver Health, where surgeons worked to save his life. The bullets pierced his lung and caused severe bleeding. It would be days before he saw Texas again.