Topline: A state investigation is now underway after an off-duty Winston-Salem police officer shot and killed a family’s dog in Walnut Cove over the weekend.
Published: September 5, 2026 4:04 pm ET
Shawn Fletcher
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WALNUT COVE, NC — A state investigation is underway after an off-duty Winston-Salem police officer shot and killed a family’s dog in Walnut Cove over the weekend, raising questions about what happened on Adam Ridge Road and whether the officer will face discipline.
According to KENS5 and additional local reporting from ABC 45, Stokes County deputies were called to a shots-fired report late Sunday, August 30, near Adam Ridge Road and found that a family’s dog had been killed. Investigators said the shooter was an off-duty Winston-Salem Police Department officer who was not acting in any official capacity, and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation has since joined the Stokes County Sheriff’s Office in the case.
Authorities have not released the officer’s name, and Stokes County officials said it will remain withheld while the review and investigative process continues. The shooting happened in Stokes County, just over the Forsyth-Stokes county line, so the sheriff’s office is leading the investigation even though the person who fired the shot works for Winston-Salem police.
Sheriff Joey Lemons said his office takes any firearm discharge seriously and is working with the SBI to establish a clear timeline of what happened. The dog’s owners identified the animal as Chief and posted a public tribute demanding justice and calling on Winston-Salem police to take action against the officer involved.
Winston-Salem police said the department has opened an internal review and will evaluate the shooting under department policy while outside investigators continue their work. The department said it had no additional information to release, including whether the weapon was department-issued, whether the officer has been placed on leave, or whether the shooting happened on the officer’s property.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact the Stokes County Sheriff’s Office at 336-593-8787 or submit a tip through Stokes County Crime Stoppers.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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SBI Joins Probe After Off-Duty Winston-Salem Officer Shoots Family Dog in Walnut Cove
A state investigation is now underway after an off-duty Winston-Salem police officer shot and killed a family’s dog in Walnut Cove over the weekend.
By Shawn Fletcher
Published: September 5, 2026 4:04 pm ET
WALNUT COVE, NC — A state investigation is underway after an off-duty Winston-Salem police officer shot and killed a family’s dog in Walnut Cove over the weekend, raising questions about what happened on Adam Ridge Road and whether the officer will face discipline.
According to KENS5 and additional local reporting from ABC 45, Stokes County deputies were called to a shots-fired report late Sunday, August 30, near Adam Ridge Road and found that a family’s dog had been killed. Investigators said the shooter was an off-duty Winston-Salem Police Department officer who was not acting in any official capacity, and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation has since joined the Stokes County Sheriff’s Office in the case.
Authorities have not released the officer’s name, and Stokes County officials said it will remain withheld while the review and investigative process continues. The shooting happened in Stokes County, just over the Forsyth-Stokes county line, so the sheriff’s office is leading the investigation even though the person who fired the shot works for Winston-Salem police.
Sheriff Joey Lemons said his office takes any firearm discharge seriously and is working with the SBI to establish a clear timeline of what happened. The dog’s owners identified the animal as Chief and posted a public tribute demanding justice and calling on Winston-Salem police to take action against the officer involved.
Winston-Salem police said the department has opened an internal review and will evaluate the shooting under department policy while outside investigators continue their work. The department said it had no additional information to release, including whether the weapon was department-issued, whether the officer has been placed on leave, or whether the shooting happened on the officer’s property.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact the Stokes County Sheriff’s Office at 336-593-8787 or submit a tip through Stokes County Crime Stoppers.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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SBI Joins Probe After Off-Duty Winston-Salem Officer Shoots Family Dog in Walnut Cove
A state investigation is now underway after an off-duty Winston-Salem police officer shot and killed a family’s dog in Walnut Cove over the weekend.
By Shawn Fletcher
Published: September 5, 2026 4:04 pm ET
WALNUT COVE, NC — A state investigation is underway after an off-duty Winston-Salem police officer shot and killed a family’s dog in Walnut Cove over the weekend, raising questions about what happened on Adam Ridge Road and whether the officer will face discipline.
According to KENS5 and additional local reporting from ABC 45, Stokes County deputies were called to a shots-fired report late Sunday, August 30, near Adam Ridge Road and found that a family’s dog had been killed. Investigators said the shooter was an off-duty Winston-Salem Police Department officer who was not acting in any official capacity, and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation has since joined the Stokes County Sheriff’s Office in the case.
Authorities have not released the officer’s name, and Stokes County officials said it will remain withheld while the review and investigative process continues. The shooting happened in Stokes County, just over the Forsyth-Stokes county line, so the sheriff’s office is leading the investigation even though the person who fired the shot works for Winston-Salem police.
Sheriff Joey Lemons said his office takes any firearm discharge seriously and is working with the SBI to establish a clear timeline of what happened. The dog’s owners identified the animal as Chief and posted a public tribute demanding justice and calling on Winston-Salem police to take action against the officer involved.
Winston-Salem police said the department has opened an internal review and will evaluate the shooting under department policy while outside investigators continue their work. The department said it had no additional information to release, including whether the weapon was department-issued, whether the officer has been placed on leave, or whether the shooting happened on the officer’s property.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact the Stokes County Sheriff’s Office at 336-593-8787 or submit a tip through Stokes County Crime Stoppers.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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