Man accused of shooting dog wounded by deputy

LIBERTY COUNTY, Texas – A man accused of shooting a dog was shot and wounded by a Liberty County deputy Wednesday.

Officials said a neighbor called 911 to report a man had shot his son's dog on County Road 2342 at County Road 2339 shortly before 1 a.m. The neighbor said his dog got loose and was in the man's back yard 20 feet away when the man shot the 2-year-old Boxer in the leg.

When deputies arrived at the 51-year-old suspect's house, investigators said he opened the door with a rifle in his hand. The deputy then ordered the suspect to put down the rifle, but instead he put it on his shoulder, officials said.

"He put the rifle on his shoulder in a fashion that he was getting ready to fire," said Eric Burse with Texas DPS.

The deputy retreated and fired several shots, wounding the man in the calf, investigators said.

The suspect was taken to Memorial Hermann Hospital, where he was listed in stable condition.

The case is under investigation by Texas Rangers. The suspect could face a charge of attempted capital murder on a law enforcement officer.

The owner of the dog said since 2000, he has called 911 dozens of times because of his neighbor's disruptive behavior.

The suspect's name was not released.