Rayville, Mo. — An encounter between an off-duty Excelsior Springs police lieutenant and two dogs on his rural Ray County property has prompted a request for an independent review by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, following questions about the shooting and the subsequent disposal of the animals at a city-operated facility.
On Wednesday, Nov. 4, at approximately 7:40 a.m., Excelsior Springs Police Lt. Jeremiah Renne shot and killed two dogs belonging to his neighbor, Crystal Belding, along Highway C near Rayville. The dogs, Leonard, a brindle pit bull mix, and Howie, an 8-month-old Great Pyrenees, were taken to the Excelsior Springs Animal Control Center in Clay County, where Police Chief Gregory Dull said they were placed in an incinerator because they were too large for the facility’s freezer. Renne notified Belding nearly six hours later, and although the family was offered an opportunity to retrieve the remains the following day, they ultimately declined. The dogs were later incinerated.
The Ray County Sheriff’s Office said it investigated the shooting and initially determined that Renne had not violated Missouri law. However, on Monday, Nov. 9, Major Amy Sisson confirmed that the department was requesting an independent review by the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control (DDCC)…