A Fairburn police officer responding to a mental health call shot a South Fulton man and his two dogs after knocking so forcefully the family’s front door burst open, triggering the animals’ protective response while four children slept inside the home.

Wrong House Response Ends in Gunfire

Shortly after midnight Thursday, Fairburn officers arrived at a Bishop Road residence searching for a woman experiencing a mental health episode. When police pounded on Dustin Lackey’s door with such force it flew open, his two dogs—Zeus, a German shepherd, and Copper, a pit bull—ran outside to investigate. Lackey was reaching for his animals when an officer opened fire, striking both dogs and accidentally shooting Lackey in the ankle. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation now leads the inquiry into the incident.

Home surveillance footage captured the chaotic moments, showing a flashlight beam approaching before three gunshots rang out. Seconds later, audio recorded someone yelling that the dogs don’t bite. Lackey told investigators his family had no knowledge police were on their property when the door suddenly opened. He maintains the dogs were simply protecting their home as trained.

Children at Risk During Shooting

Copper sustained a gunshot wound through his nose with a bullet still lodged in his throat. Zeus took rounds to his chest and leg. Dustin Lackey suffered an ankle wound requiring medical treatment. The family expressed outrage that bullets entered their home, striking an air conditioning unit near where their four children were sleeping. Wife Kelsy Lackey stated those bullets on the ground could have struck her kids instead.

Investigation Underway as Family Recovers

Fairburn police declined to discuss the shooting, citing the active GBI investigation. The department confirmed the officer involved has been placed on administrative leave pending the inquiry’s outcome. The Lackey family launched a GoFundMe campaign to cover mounting medical bills and veterinary expenses for their injured dogs. All three shooting victims have since returned home to recover, though the family questions why officers knocked so aggressively on a door at a residence where the person they sought was merely staying temporarily with relatives.