HENDERSON (KTNV) — A Henderson family has filed a federal lawsuit against the city of Henderson, Henderson Police Chief Reggie Rader and several Henderson police officers after their family pet was killed.
On Sept. 5, 2025, Rebecca Bobowski called 911 asking for a welfare check after her ex-husband, Nicholaus Dornan, was "experiencing a medical and emotional crisis." She told operators there were two dogs inside the home, including Bruno, a seven-year-old boxer mix. She told dispatchers the dogs were not aggressive and responders should announce themselves before entering the home.
Court records state that Henderson Fire Department personnel arrived at the scene first, spoke with Dornan through the door, determined he didn't need to be taken anywhere and cleared the scene.
Henderson police officers Christian Salas and Autumn Owens arrived at the scene for a welfare check. Dornan again declined assistance and the officers began walking away from the home.
That's when the lawsuit states Bruno squeezed by Dornan and "trotted out of the residence at a moderate pace". The lawsuit claims body-worn camera footage does not show Bruno "snarling, baring his teeth, lunging, or directing his movement toward either officer" and that the dog was moving to the sidewalk, away from officers.
According to the lawsuit, Salas pulled out his gun, waited until the dog had passed by him and the other officer, and fired once, hitting and killing Bruno.
"At the time of the shooting, Officer Salas did not deploy or attempt any less-lethal options, including retreat, verbal commands, baton, Taser, OC spray, or the use of available barriers, even though he had extra time to do so due to not being able to shoot because the other officer was in his line of fire," the lawsuit reads in part. "The body-worn camera's audio activated approximately twelve seconds after the shot. After the shooting someone asked 'Are you alright?' Officer Salas immediately responded, 'I'm okay, dog's not,' delivered in a flippant, sarcastic manner that conveyed no perception of danger, no indication that he believed he had been threatened, and no urgency consistent with a defensive use of force."
The lawsuit also states that immediately after the shooting, Owens detained and handcuffed Dornan, who was placed in a patrol car until supervising officers arrived and ordered his release.
Attorneys for Bobowski claim that during an interview with Detective Matthew Krook, he claimed she had "wasted city resources", suggested that Dornan had intentionally released Bruno as a weapon and did not let her see the body camera footage.
Two neighbors who also saw what happened told Henderson police the dog was not snarling, lunging or attacking officers and that the officer "ran from the dog" before firing.
The lawsuit also claims that at the time of the shooting, no Henderson police officers had received the dog-encounter training that was mandated by state law. Deputy Chief Matt Murnane then later publicly acknowledged that the required training "had not been fully applied as intended."
Following the incident, attorneys claim HPD staff publicly stated that Salas "did nothing wrong" and the shooting was consistent with department expectations.
We have reached out to the city to see if they would like to comment on the lawsuit or any of the claims in the lawsuit.
As of the time this article was published, we have not heard back. However, it is typical city and police department policy not to comment on pending litigation.