Federal Lawsuit Filed Against Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office Alleging Deputy Kills Dog, Turns Off Cameras, and Sends Ashes Home

LAKE CHARLES, La., May 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Shamieh Law has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office, Sheriff Gary "Stitch" Guillory, and a Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Deputy after the Deputy allegedly shot and killed the Granger family's dog inside the Grangers' own yard on August 1, 2025. 

The complaint, filed on May 8, 2026, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, states that the Deputy was dispatched to 637 Debra Lane on a neighbor's traffic complaint. It is asserted that, after observing no violation, he drove onto the Grangers' private driveway, where Tank, a five-year-old Rottweiler with no history of aggression, was alone in his yard. According to the complaint, there was no justifiable cause to discharge a firearm; the Deputy shot and killed him anyway. Christine Granger came home to her house surrounded by sheriff's units and was told that her dog was dead. Four days later, the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office returned Tank's cremated remains to the family in a box with his name on it.

The complaint alleges that body camera footage shows the Deputy reenacting the shooting with a fellow colleague and that other cameras on scene were deliberately turned off. When the Grangers requested the footage through a public records request, the sheriff's office denied it under a statute that plaintiffs' attorneys say plainly does not apply. Shamieh Law contends that this is not an isolated failure—the suit alleges the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office, under Sheriff Guillory, has maintained a pattern of tolerating the use of deadly force against dogs while actively limiting accountability when it happens.

"Tank was part of this family's everyday life—their comfort, their home, their memories. In a matter of seconds, that was taken away forever. The Deputy came onto private property without lawful justification and killed him. What followed only deepened the wound: cameras turned off, a staged reenactment, legal excuses instead of accountability," said Attorney Ramez Shamieh, Founder of Shamieh Law. "This lawsuit is about more than a dog. It is about whether families can expect honesty and accountability from those entrusted with authority. The Grangers deserve justice, and we will fight to make sure they are heard."

The suit asserts violations of the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, conversion, respondeat superior, negligent training and supervision, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The Grangers seek compensatory and punitive damages, attorney's fees, and a jury trial. 

About Shamieh Law

Shamieh Law is a civil rights and personal injury firm fighting for individuals and families in Texas and Louisiana. With offices in Dallas, Austin, Lake Charles, and Arkansas, the firm takes on cases that matter—holding institutions, law enforcement, and corporations accountable when they cause harm. Lead counsel on the Granger matter is Max E.Guthrie of Shamieh Law's Lake Charles office.

SOURCE Shamieh Law