This story has been updated with information from a department press release.

GREENVILLE - An Augusta County investigator reportedly shot a woman's dog to death Sunday afternoon — while it was still on its lead — as deputies were serving a misdemeanor warrant for domestic violence, according to witnesses.

"He killed my dog," said Tina Ray.

The shooting took place around noon at 70 Westview Drive in Greenville at Ray's home.

Augusta County Sheriff Donald Smith released a statement on Monday evening. He said the dog surprised an officer at the scene and was trying to bite him.

Smith said the dog was on a leash on a wire pulley system and was running at the department employee.

"The preliminary investigation indicates that the investigator that responded, pulled in the yard at the residence in order to get closer to the house to interview numerous people on location," said the statement. "The investigator saw the dog, a German Shepard (sic), when he pulled in the yard the dog was believed to be tied to a tree. When the investigator exited his vehicle the dog immediately went after him in an aggressive manner biting at him and crawling.

"He immediately started running backwards but the dog continued after him in an aggressive manner. The investigator at this point didn’t know if the dog was still on his leash or had broken free and was in fear for his safety. The investigator shot one time at the dog.

"No additional rounds were fired, and the dog died at the scene. The dog was on a leash when the investigator arrived but was not restrained to the tree. The dog’s leash was on a trolley system between two trees and the dog had almost the entire run of the yard."

The dog was a 7-year-old German Shepherd named Jax, said Ray, the dog's owner.

Ray, 51, told The News Leader her estranged husband recently accused her of jabbing him with a car key, and also claimed she threw a brick at him. Ray said the claims are bogus but that deputies were at her residence Sunday to serve the misdemeanor warrant, along with a protective order.

Smith said officers smelled marijuana at the scene and called the narcotics investigator.

Ray, married for 25 years, said her husband also falsely accused her of selling drugs, which resulted in Inv. Michael Roane, a county investigator attached to the Skyline Drug Task Force, to show up at her residence.

She said the four other deputies had arrived about 45 minutes earlier. "My dog did not touch them," Ray said.

Roane, according to Ray, drove up through her yard in a pickup and parked within reach of her dog, which she said was on a lead attached to two trees. Ray said the other deputies cautioned Roane and told him to "hold on a minute" while she secured the dog.

Moments later, she said Roane opened fire.

As Jax lay writhing on the ground, Ray said one of her friends implored Roane to put the dog out of his misery. Ray said Roane then fired his weapon again.

"It was pitiful," Ray said.

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Afterward, Ray said she spoke with Roane, who she said apologized but told her the dog was about to attack him.

"If he got off his lead, he wouldn't bite anybody. But in his territory, he will protect," Ray admitted.

On Monday, Ray was still distraught about the shooting.

"He didn't have to kill my dog," she said. "There were four other cops there."

Augusta County Sheriff Donald Smith said on Monday morning that he could not immediately comment about the incident because he was at the Augusta County Courthouse meeting with the grand jury.

"A Use of Force Investigation will be conducted and the entire incident will be reviewed, and the investigator involved is on administrative leave while the investigation is pending," the office's later statement said. "Sheriff Donald Smith stated, 'I am extremely sorry that Sunday’s events occurred, I understand that the German Sheppard was a family pet and the entire situation is unfortunate.'"

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