What to Know
- A pit bull belonging to a backup dancer who's currently on tour with Madonna was shot and killed by NYPD officers in Brooklyn Tuesday
- The dog got loose while cops were issuing a warrant to a suspect who happened to be watching the dog for his friend while he's on tour
- Witnesses said the dog was charging at the cops, but friends of the dog's owner said he was well-behaved
A dog belonging to a professional dancer touring with Madonna was shot and killed by police officers while they were issuing an arrest warrant in Brooklyn Tuesday, police and friends say.
The officers went to a home on Montauk Avenue in East New York in the early evening to serve a warrant to a 29-year-old man wanted in an open complaint, police said.
There, the suspect had a pit bull loose, and the dog bit one of the officers in the arm. His partner opened fire on the dog, killing it, police said.
"They came into the gate. He had the dog loose and the dog came out," said witness Micky Burgos.
The cop who was bitten was treated for minor injuries.
The dog belonged to a friend of the suspect, who was watching it while the owner -- a professional dancer named Stanley "Sheik" Mondesir -- wraps up his tour with Madonna in Los Angeles, friends said.
A witness said the officers had no choice but to shoot the animal, but friends said the dog was well-trained and cops should have tried to avoid it.
"The dog is a good dog," said Peaches Simmons, a friend of Mondesir. "I feel like if they really needed to get in the house -- that's why the need animal control."
Local
Simmons called Mondesir to let him know his dog was killed, and said he was distraught.
"He started crying 'cause he had Stonnie since he's a baby," said Simmons.
The dog, named Stonnie Boy -- an apparent slang term for "get wild" and something Madonna yells onstage -- was about 3 or 4 years old.
People in the neighborhood said the dog was well-behaved and never seemed aggressive. But Burgos said the officers did what they had to do.
"I told the police officer, 'I'm sorry, it wasn't your fault,' 'cause the dog came at him," said Burgos.
Police would not describe the nature of the warrant that was being issued against the suspect.
Mondesir is a so-called "bone-breaker" dancer who has been touring with Madonna over the past year, friends said. He was also part of a popular dance crew, RingMasters, that appeared on MTV.
