Sheffield man's home riddled with bullet holes after police take 12 shots to kill his two dogs during search

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A Sheffield man who was arrested on suspicion of burglary returned home from police custody to find his home pockmarked with bullet holes from officers shooting his dogs dead.

Ashley Taylor, 35, was arrested at his home in Tithe Barn Lane on July 30 on suspicion of burgling a home in Derby in February this year.

Before leaving with officers, he put his two dogs - a Staffordshire Bull Terrier named Lotus and an American Bulldog named Prince - in the kitchen behind a waist-high safety gate and locked up.

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A Sheffield man who was arrested on suspicion of burglary is asking why South Yorkshire Police decided to kill his two dogs, Lotus and Prince, while he was in custody - and why they said they did it "humanely" when there are now over a dozen bullet holes throughout his house.A Sheffield man who was arrested on suspicion of burglary is asking why South Yorkshire Police decided to kill his two dogs, Lotus and Prince, while he was in custody - and why they said they did it "humanely" when there are now over a dozen bullet holes throughout his house.
A Sheffield man who was arrested on suspicion of burglary is asking why South Yorkshire Police decided to kill his two dogs, Lotus and Prince, while he was in custody - and why they said they did it "humanely" when there are now over a dozen bullet holes throughout his house. | Ashley Taylor

He was released the next day pending further enquiries - but not before he was told officers had searched his home while he was in custody and “destroyed” Prince and Lotus.

He returned home to find blood on his carpet, over a dozen bullet holes in his walls and Prince’s discarded collar on the landing.

Neighbours have told The Star they heard 12 shots during the incident at 3am on July 31.. The damage suggests officers killed Lotus in the kitchen before pursuing Prince through the house and firing wildly up the staircase.

South Yorkshire Police said in a statement the dogs were believed to be an “unregistered XL Bully and a pit bull type” and were “aggressive,” but were destroyed “humanely”.

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Ashley Taylor, 35, of Tithe Barn Lane, Woodhouse, Sheffield found this bloodstain on his carpet from one of his dogs being shot when he returned home from police custody.Ashley Taylor, 35, of Tithe Barn Lane, Woodhouse, Sheffield found this bloodstain on his carpet from one of his dogs being shot when he returned home from police custody.
Ashley Taylor, 35, of Tithe Barn Lane, Woodhouse, Sheffield found this bloodstain on his carpet from one of his dogs being shot when he returned home from police custody. | Ashley Taylor

Ashley told The Star: “I’m brokenhearted, to be honest. I had just got home from the police station but I couldn’t stay there. I got changed and walked straight out again.

“I just don’t understand why they did it.”

Ashley says when police knocked on his door on the afternoon of July 30, he complied with officers before putting Lotus and Prince in the kitchen. After locking up, he was made to give his house keys to officers.

The next day, officers told him they had searched his home and his dogs had been destroyed.

Ashley found Prince's discarded collar on the landing upstairs. The bullet holes in his walls and bathroom suggest officers pursued Prince through the house and fired up the stairs at the American Bulldog.Ashley found Prince's discarded collar on the landing upstairs. The bullet holes in his walls and bathroom suggest officers pursued Prince through the house and fired up the stairs at the American Bulldog.
Ashley found Prince's discarded collar on the landing upstairs. The bullet holes in his walls and bathroom suggest officers pursued Prince through the house and fired up the stairs at the American Bulldog. | Ashley Taylor

One of Ashley’s neighbours, Ryan Smith, 43, told The Star how dozens of officers descended on Tithe Barn Lane during the search at around 11.30pm the same day.

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Ryan said: “I came out my house and there were six or seven police vehicles on the street, and they told me they needed to search the house but couldn’t get in because of the dogs.

“I said I’ll go in and get them. I stroke those dogs every day, I know them, they know me, they play with my kids.

“The officer said ‘no no no, it’s an endangerment to life.”

Despite taking Ashley's house keys, officers appeared to have gained access to the building by smashing the rear kitchen windows, where they then killed Lotus.Despite taking Ashley's house keys, officers appeared to have gained access to the building by smashing the rear kitchen windows, where they then killed Lotus.
Despite taking Ashley's house keys, officers appeared to have gained access to the building by smashing the rear kitchen windows, where they then killed Lotus. | Ashley Taylor

Then, shortly before 3am, Ryan saw “officers with two big dog cages and a whole squad of armed officers in full gear” arrive on Tithe Barn Lane.

“I heard 12 shots,” Ryan said.

“I think it’s completely wrong. Those dogs would still be alive if they had let me go in and get them.”

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A spokesperson for South Yorkshire Police said of the incident: “We initially attended following reports of a disturbance, with the man detained and transferred into Derbyshire Police's custody.

“We have then later returned to an address in Tithe Barn Lane to conduct a search under Section 18(1) of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act following the man’s detention.

“Dog handlers and firearms officers, alongside kennel staff, exhausted all tactics in attempting to safely contain the dogs and to be able to conduct their work.

“Due to the heightened risk of harm as a result of the level of aggression of the dogs in the property, a decision was made to humanely destroy them at the scene at approximately 2.55am.”

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“That’s absolute cr*p,” said Ryan in response to this. “I don’t agree with that assessment at all.”

Ashley described the damage he found done to his house when he got home.

Despite having Ashley’s house keys, officers appeared to have gained entry to the property by breaking the kitchen window, where they shot Lotus.

A video [embedded above] shows how his bathroom was left riddled with bullets.

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Ashley said: “There was smashed glass in my kitchen. There was blood all up my stairs and bullet holes up the walls. It looks like they got to the bottom of the stairs and fired up it because my bathroom [at the top of the stairs] is filled with holes.

“Prince’s collar was left on the stairs.

“I just don’t understand why they did this. I can just picture them killing Lotus in the kitchen, and chasing Prince through the house shooting at him.”

Neither Lotus and Prince’s bodies, nor Ashley’s house keys, have been returned to him.

The Star has contacted South Yorkshire Police to ask what options were explored before the decision was made to kill the dogs, and to ask why officers entered the house by breaking in through the kitchen.

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SYP said in an updated statement: “We were called to Tithe Barn Lane in the Woodhouse area of Sheffield at 4.50pm on July 30 following reports of a disturbance.

“Officers were deployed to the scene and detained a man on suspicion of burglary, attempted burglary and possession of a Class A drug before transferring him into Derbyshire Police’s custody.

“Two dogs present in the property, believed to be an unregistered XL Bully and a pit bull type, were displaying aggressive behaviour.

“Firearms officers were deployed to the property due to the heightened risk of harm as a result of the level of aggression from both dogs. 

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“Officers were on scene for a over four hours working through tactics, alongside kennel staff and dog handlers, to try and contain the dogs. 

“The dogs could not be safely contained to allow officers to conduct their work and the decision was made to humanely destroy them at the scene.

“The dogs remain in police property while breed assessments and testing takes place. We endeavour to keep the owner updated throughout. “

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