Dog slips leash in St. Petersburg; angry motorist shoots owner
ST. PETERSBURG — A man walking his dog was shot in the leg by a disgruntled motorist when the animal lurched into the road, forcing a pickup to stop.
St. Petersburg police are searching for a man who shot Peter Harbachuk, 46, on Friday after his dog got off her leash.
Harbachuk and his wife, Annie, 62, had taken their golden retriever, Bella, for a walk near their home.
The dog seemed fine, but down the street Bella got spooked by a neighbor's dog, Harbachuk said.
The 4-year-old dog wiggled her way out of the leash and bolted across the road near 88th Avenue N and Seventh Street N, running out in front of a dark pickup.
The truck stopped, and a woman got out and yelled at the couple, St. Petersburg police said.
Harbachuk said he calmly asked the woman to get back in her truck, saying he was going to get his dog under control.
Minutes later, the woman got back in the truck and a man stepped out. He had a gun.
"Some dude hopped out and he pointed a gun toward my head," Harbachuk said. "I said, 'Hey, this doesn't have to go down like this.' "
The man lowered the gun a bit, closed his eyes and squeezed the trigger, he said. He and the woman sped away, and police and paramedics arrived soon after.
Neighbor James Arbogast, 31, said he saw Harbachuk run up to the pickup before the shooting. The truck was driving away but reached a stop sign, where Harbachuk started yelling and banging on the passenger side window, Arbogast said.
http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/crime/st-petersburg-man-shot-over-dog-that-lurched-in-front-of-car/1275878
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When will we see an end to this utter madness?
